Sunday, January 15, 2012

Last week was a different week cycling...

Last week was a bit of a strange week riding back and forth to work. A few minor and everyday things that you just shake your head at and wonder. Like cars stopping in the middle of the street:


That's at Wall Street, a brick paved "pedestrian" street open to transit and local access. A lot of people seem to consider themselves local access traffic as there's quite a few cars that ignore the no turn sign and drive on Wall,  drop off people or just pass through. So I'm used to that.  This vehicle, though, decided to just stop right there at the entrance.  They didn't even move as the Arena shuttle bus squeezed on by to the left of it. Finally, as I was crossing the street, a woman got out of the passenger side. As the light changed for me to cross Spokane Falls Blvd, I muttered "not a parking spot" as I rode by. I gotta stop talking to traffic.

Then on the way home, I was stopped behind a vehicle on Broadway at Monroe. The light turned green, but the car didn't move. No right turn signal on, and it was in the center of the lane as if it was going straight. There was a vehicle to the left of it in the left turn lane. I tried to look in the left rear view mirror but it was broken and dangling from its mount. If I was in a car I would've given a polite tap on the horn to alert the driver hey the light's changed. I don't have a horn, or even a bell, so I tapped on the back of the car. I wondered immediately why'd I do that? Not smart. But still no forward movement from the car. I finally went around it and looked in the window as I rode by. The driver just looked blankly at me.  They never passed me on the next block, so I think they did eventually turn left.


But then there were a couple more serious incidents. Further on Broadway a block past Maple,  I saw some people standing on the street corner across the street and a couple cars stopped. Then I noticed a guy on the ground and a bike near him. I stopped to check and see if help had been called, but there wasn't much we could do, except wait for the ambulance. Still not sure what happened.


And I got bit by a dog less than a block from home. Just a weird week in January.


This week is looking different, too. We are almost guaranteed to get snow! I'll get to try out the studded tires on actual snow instead of just frost covered pavement. Too bad I'm pretty much over winter now.

2 comments:

  1. A bell wouldn't be heard and an air horn would probably be considered over the top. So a polite tap would be permissible, if nothing else to at least alert the driver of your presence before you went around.

    The dog bite story could use some more detail. Was he laying for you because this was the day you were bringing something home from Sonnenberg's? Did you fight him off with your frame pump? Did he leave with a trophy pant leg in his mouth?

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  2. hmmm....maybe I should start carrying Sonnenberg's sausage with me so he can have something to chew on besides my leg. I'll post more info in a bit on the dog bite. Not too bad, could've been worse.

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