Despite the environmental and health benefits of bicycling -- both highly relevant to the progressive community -- I wouldn't normally post this kind of diary on dKos, but something I experienced today on my ride to work motivated me to diary it.
As I was riding to work, a loud, continuous horn sounded behind me. This happens occasionally. Someone is irritated that -- gasp! -- I'm using the road and I'm -- shock! -- not in a motor vehicle. But on this particular occasion, when the driver passed me (passing too close for comfort, I might add), I saw the "Obama '08" sticker proudly emblazoned on the bumper. Wtf?! I'm nearly killed by friendly fire?
Follow me after the jump for some thoughts on this and to discuss what gets your goat when you're rolling on two wheels.
Sadly, this has happened before. My personal favorite was the lady in a Prius with all my favorite liberal bumper stickers attached to it who nearly killed me rushing up to a red light. And this happened in Eugene, Oregon, of all places.
"Friendly fire," though rare, is near the top of my Irritating (and Dangerous) Driver Sins List. Of all the people I expect to have my back out there as I'm trying to get to work -- without fouling the air, without helping prop up not-so-nice regimes in the Middle East and elsewhere, without destroying irreplaceable marine and bird life in the Gulf, and without serving as the catalyst for wars of choice to protect our supply lines -- it's the ladies in Prii in Eugene from whom I'm hoping for a little love. Or, at least, hoping not to become a hood ornament.
I try hard to be all Zen when I'm riding. No middle fingers. No yelling. No confrontations. Cycling is peaceful; I try to leave the rage to those in the cars.
I don't always succeed, and this diary is intended as a place to unload. Leave it here. It's more civil than shouting like an idiot at some driver who cannot hear you because they've got headphones on! So, what's your experience? What pisses you off out there? How do you deal with it and stay safe? Leave it here in the comments. It's cheaper than group therapy.
Keep the rubber side down, and see you on the road.
-The Octopus