You really don't realize just what morons are behind the wheel until you've
biked on the road for a while.
Today, a guy in a large old model caddy, comes up to the main road in a
sleepy neighborhood intersection, hesitates for a second, and doesn't even
look right or left at the stop sign. He just pulls out, eyes half closed.
It occurred to me that many people don't even look when they pull out,
thinking 'I've got the biggest car around here, and if I pull out slowly
enough, anyone coming will just slow or stop for me - so I don't even need
to look'.
At another intersection, again in a sleepy neighborhood bordering on a
low-use industrial area, a huge moving van roars up the side street I'm on,
beside me, and a cement mixer comes up to the intersection from his right.
The moving van is virtually taking up the whole road, and both roads are
uphill to the intersection. He clearly sees the cement mixer truck and that
guy sees him, but they continue to go forwards and it becomes obvious that
the cement mixer wants to turn left into the road completely taken up by
the moving van. Neither is going to back up.
Meanwhile, I'm cranking up the steep hill, a 10% grade, going slower and
slower thinking 'gee guys make up your minds if you have one'.
But they never do. Well, I'm not gonna be able to go further b/c I'll
either get right hooked to the right (with the only clear space), or if I
go left to the side of the moving van the cement driver will try to squeeze
by him up on the sidewalk.
And...THAT's exactly what he does!
Fortunately, by that time, I'm off the bike and pushing it up the hill
half-way in the yard of the residence, shaking my head and laughing.
-B