I missed the memo

May 17, 2007

Sandy and I normally carpool to work, as we work just a few blocks from each other. Due to logistical things, Sandy took the cage to work this morning, and I rode the SilverWing. I must have missed the memo proclaiming today National Kill A Biker Day. On the way in, *three* cages turned left in front of me, two of them apparently driven by cellphone users. As if that is not enough for one morning commute, I was stopped at a red light on 1st Av, and an old Camry came up behind me too fast, and started sliding. Every neuron in my semi-old and decrepit brain was screaming "DO SOMETHING!" and I twisted the go-stick. The S’Wing, for lack of a better term, *leaped* across the intersection, and from what I could tell in the mirror, the ratty old Camry slid to a stop just about where I had been. It appeared to be driven by a short Hispanic woman with very large eyes. Just to cap off a perfect commute, as I was going south on 20th St in the inside lane, a young woman, a teenager from what I saw, right-turned onto 20th from a cross-street, and started moving into my lane, forcing me onto the center line. I yelled at her, questioning her parentage and species, and did something I have never done before - I raised my foot and kicked the side mirror on the car. I don’t think I hurt the mirror; it appeared to be one of the swivel-when-it-takes-a-hit kind, but it did get her attention, and distracted her from her task of apparently DOING A TEXT MESSAGE ON HER CELLPHONE! When I become dictator of the universe, these people will be dragged from their cars and beaten to death with their own cellphone.
I’m too old for this shite. I can’t wait to see what happens when I go to lunch later…