Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone. Mine started off great, got a free lunch and a green beer, the whole thing. Top it off with some amazing temperatures for an after-work bike ride and that's what you call the Luck of the Irish.Everything was going so well until nearing the end of my ride on Queen's Quay by the ferry docks, I realized I was not going fast enough to clear the light on its way to red. So I was hard on the brakes. If you've stopped a road bike before, you know it takes a little longer than say, disc brakes. As such, My wheels came to rest just past the cross walk. I did the usual lean on the top tube, most of my weight on my down foot as I waited for the light to change.
Next thing I know the bike is sideways, held up only by my cleat. WTF.
There were no other people around, no crowds, no cars, except for this older, handsome looking couple. Dressed like they were off to a show or something. The man sneered and stomped across the intersection. As I raised my arms, now realizing what had happened, his lady yelled at me, "You're blocking the whole crosswalk".
Flabbergasted, the only thing I could think to say was "Excuse me? Why don't you kick my bike then?" Genius. It always is, isn't it?
So this blog is dedicated to what I wish I'd done.
I wish I'd unclipped and walked with them across the street, asking for their names. I don't know what I'd have done with their names, filed a police report I guess, maybe in front of them. Because I'm pretty sure it's against the law to go around kicking people and their property. I wish I'd demanded an apology. I wish we'd finished the whole thing with a "Happy St. Paddy's".
Instead, I picked my jaw up off the ground and pedaled away furious, pushing back tears of frustration both over the incident and also allowing myself to be trompled on like that.
Comments comiserating, or expressing shared outrage would really make me feel better. However, if you somehow think I deserved to be kicked, then please keep it to yourself until I've had a beer and have calmed the eff down.
Eff that shit. Sorry for the profanity, but that was just UNcalled for!
ReplyDeleteDon't let those jacka## take the good part of the ride from you.
Hope you got your beer.
i don't think that i've ever managed to come up with a good quip after being almost-hit/hit/yelled at, and then 2 blocks later i literally end up smacking my head, having come up with the-best-retort-ever. i think that that's why i prefer to communicate in writing. i also generally shout something that attempts to highlight the lack of logic in what they are doing, although obviously that is just silly b/c they didn't have any to begin with. the t.o bike union made a wallet card for exactly such an instance, b/c we tend to be full of adrenalin and emotion, and aren't thinking straight after an accident/incident, and there are step by step instructions for what to do.
ReplyDeletealso, WTF, i mean seriously, how did kicking your bike over (apparently strongly enough to knock it over while you were holding it) strike this man as an appropriate course of action? it's always mind boggeling to see how assholish ppl are. would he have kicked someone's car? how would he have felt if you/i/anyone kicked his bike/car/dog/leg? it reinforces my feeling that cyclists as a social/cultural group are constantly being treated like second class citizens (although that sentiment is sometimes eased when i'm walking and other ppl are still asshole). i understand your disbelief and exasperation, i am trying to accept that the world is full of assholes.