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December 13, 2006
pay back is a bitch 
My ride into work is generally serene. Generally.
If you check out the map on the side, that's part of my route, the treacherous part, in the orange. On Vancouver, there's a bike lane that goes south all the way to Broadway. At Broadway, there's nothing.
And so the two blocks on Vancouver south of Broadway, from Broadway to Weidler to N. Center Ct. Drive, are a little too exciting.
I ride in the rightmost lane, the lane that can't turn right at Weidler, and can only make a right at N. Center Ct. Now, if I were in a car, and I saw a bicycle in a lane, I could think, I'm not getting in that lane because the bicyclist will slow me down (even though I am going the prevaling speed of traffic through these intersections. But hey, someone could think that). Or, I have an engine, I'm just going to blow past that damn bike.
But I've found, more than once, that the automobiles get behind me, and as I pull into the crosswalk to let them go past me, that they will try to force me into the traffic or drive slow enough to force me into the sidewalk.
Obviously, I'm causing some animosity just by existing, just by thinking that I have a right to not be killed.
So this morning, I'm at the light at Vancouver & Weidler. I'm in the right most lane, in the groove where a car's right tire would be. I look, and right along the curb is a broken beer bottle. It's not just a pile of glass though; about a third of the bottle is left, the bottom third, sitting up on its flat bottom.
The light turns green, and I'm off, and into the crosswalk to let the cars behind me pass me. And seconds later, I hear a horrible noise— and a moment later, I realize it's the car behind me. They've driven over that partial beer bottle.
I know it's wrong to feel shadenfreude, to rejoice in someone else's misery, but as these people threaten to kill me with their automobiles, I just don't feel a lot of sympathy.
Why did they run over the bottle? Was it because they were planning on forcing me into the traffic on Weidler? Give the cyclist a good scare? I can only assume they were out to get me. Jeez, I'm just trying to get to work.
Posted at December 13, 2006
Comments
Blargh, this is why it freaks me out to ride in the city.
I don't think it's wrong to feel shadendfreude, heck I'm just glad you didn't roll over the bottle yourself. That could have been a nasty wreck. And hey, the car that did? It was totally their own action that caused it. Maybe they'll think twice next time.
Posted by: Cheesepuppet at December 13, 2006 12:54 PM
If I understand this correctly, you're going through an intersection and moving to the right to ride in the pedestrian crosswalk. Don't do that! Ride in the center of the traffic lane through the intersection, then move back to the right hand tire track after you're across. Riding through the crosswalk only confuses motorists as to your intentions.
Posted by: Ed W at December 13, 2006 3:22 PM
See, that's the thing, Ed. I do usually ride in the lane, and then I have people either right on my bumper, or I have people passing me with a foot to spare. Or they pass me and then pull in front of me and hit their brakes, so I almost hit them.
I've just tried to come up with solutions to the problem of people, drivers, being assholes and attempting to kill me. Because, by and large, that's the only place that I get hassled.
What's even more infuriating is, not 3 blocks away, was a "traffic enforcement event".
Posted by: vj at December 14, 2006 12:09 PM