Road Cycling · Public discussion

Re: Dealing with traffic while commuting

Claire Petersky · 2004-04-10T03:10:48+00:00

"Eric S. Sande" wrote in message news:[email hidden]... Not a regular practice of mine, just when I'm feeling like it. I was following too closely (stopped at a traffic light in the lane) one day when the son of a [censored] put it in reverse and backed over me. [snip] Of course it has never happened to me again, but once is enough. [snip] Well, it's certainly true that in general it's safest to leave some room between you and the car in front. I do confess, there's times when I'm feeling impudent, and I decide to break that safety rule. Recently I was pulling up to a light, and so had already taken the center of the lane to declare my ownership. Some twitbrain in a large white commercial van pulled around me into the next lane, gunning it, and then pulled in front of me, cutting me off and forcing me into a screeching halt. I could have accepted this, *barely*, if he had then taken a free right (the majority of the traffic at this intersection turns right) and wanted to get around me in fear that I would block his ability to do so. However, this was not his intention. He was just sitting there, waiting for the light to turn green so he could go straight. It was a fine and dewy morning, and the back of his van was covered in a slightly dampened dust. This was the medium, and the van back windows were my canvas. The light's a long one, so I pulled up right to the back of the van and leaned forward. I wrote SMILE and RELAX with my forefinger both forwards and in backwards mirror writing, so he could read the words if they were in his rear-view mirror or if he turned his head around. Then I made a half dozen little smiley faces to decorate the blank spaces. I was in the process of admiring my work when the light turned green. He took off, and that was that. Warm Regards, Claire Petersky Please replace earthlink for mouse-potato and .net for .com Home of the meditative cyclist: http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

Started by Claire Petersky · 10 April 2004 · Last activity 22 April 2004 · 3 posts · 619 views

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Original section: Road Cycling
Published: 10 April 2004
Last activity: 22 April 2004
Original author: Claire Petersky
Posts: 3
Discussion status: Public discussion
Total views: 619
Views / 30 days: 0
Topics: Commuting

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Original post
Claire Petersky
Archived post

10 April 2004, 03:10 UTC #1

"Eric S. Sande" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
Not a regular practice of mine, just when I'm feeling like it.
I was following too closely (stopped at a traffic light in the lane)
one day when the son of a [censored] put it in reverse and backed over me.
[snip]
Quoted message said:
Of course it has never happened to me again, but once is enough.
[snip]
Well, it's certainly true that in general it's safest to leave some room
between you and the car in front. I do confess, there's times when I'm
feeling impudent, and I decide to break that safety rule.
Recently I was pulling up to a light, and so had already taken the center of
the lane to declare my ownership. Some twitbrain in a large white commercial
van pulled around me into the next lane, gunning it, and then pulled in
front of me, cutting me off and forcing me into a screeching halt. I could
have accepted this, *barely*, if he had then taken a free right (the
majority of the traffic at this intersection turns right) and wanted to get
around me in fear that I would block his ability to do so. However, this was
not his intention. He was just sitting there, waiting for the light to turn
green so he could go straight.
It was a fine and dewy morning, and the back of his van was covered in a
slightly dampened dust. This was the medium, and the van back windows were
my canvas. The light's a long one, so I pulled up right to the back of the
van and leaned forward. I wrote SMILE and RELAX with my forefinger both
forwards and in backwards mirror writing, so he could read the words if they
were in his rear-view mirror or if he turned his head around. Then I made a
half dozen little smiley faces to decorate the blank spaces. I was in the
process of admiring my work when the light turned green. He took off, and
that was that.
Warm Regards,
Claire Petersky
Please replace earthlink for mouse-potato and .net for .com
Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm
See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

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Rick Onanian
Archived post

13 April 2004, 23:42 UTC #2

Claire Petersky said:
front of me, cutting me off and forcing me into a screeching halt. I could
It was a fine and dewy morning, and the back of his van was covered in a
slightly dampened dust. This was the medium, and the van back windows were
my canvas. The light's a long one, so I pulled up right to the back of the
van and leaned forward. I wrote SMILE and RELAX with my forefinger both
forwards and in backwards mirror writing, so he could read the words if they
were in his rear-view mirror or if he turned his head around. Then I made a
half dozen little smiley faces to decorate the blank spaces. I was in the
Wow. That's some strong restraint...must be that meditative cycling.
I doubt I could have written nice stuff.
--
Rick Onanian

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Claire Petersky
Archived post

22 April 2004, 22:58 UTC #3

"Rick Onanian" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Claire Petersky said:
front of me, cutting me off and forcing me into a screeching halt. I

could
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:

It was a fine and dewy morning, and the back of his van was covered in a
slightly dampened dust. This was the medium, and the van back windows

were
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
my canvas. The light's a long one, so I pulled up right to the back of

the
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
van and leaned forward. I wrote SMILE and RELAX with my forefinger both
forwards and in backwards mirror writing, so he could read the words if

they
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
were in his rear-view mirror or if he turned his head around. Then I made

a
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
half dozen little smiley faces to decorate the blank spaces. I was in the
Wow. That's some strong restraint...must be that meditative cycling.
I doubt I could have written nice stuff.
I guess I was in a different mood this afternoon than that morning described
above. I got cut off, on the way home, similar situation, by a bronze Tahoe.
I was tempted to write in the dust on the back of his vehicle, "I drive a
large SUV to make up for my inadequately sized penis" but the light at that
intersection was much shorter, and even if I abbreviated my message to
"...small [censored]" I knew I'd never have time to finish it.
On a different note, though, this morning I was waiting at the long light at
Dearborn and Rainier (like here:
http://www.geocities.com/cpetersky/commute4.html), and pulled up right
behind someone's smaller sedan. There was a baby, about 5 months or so, in a
rear facing car seat. The baby at first didn't see me, but I managed to
catch her eye, and then she stared at me with that baby-like intensity they
can get sometimes. I smiled and made lots of googly faces and stuff for her,
and she stared and stared, probably trying to map my face, with the
sunglasses and helmet on top, to all the other human faces she had seen in
her short life. Finally, just before the light turned green, she spat out
her pacifier and gave me a smile.
Warm Regards,
Claire Petersky
Please replace earthlink for mouse-potato and .net for .com
Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm
See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

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