Restraint

Was biking my kid to preschool on the sidewalk of a busy street, and a car leaving the local McDonald's blocked the sidewalk. I remember getting points taken off my driver's test for blocking a sidewalk while stopped at a stop sign. So I am pretty sure that was an illegal maneuver on the driver's part. Seconds later, I was approaching a green light at the next intersection. I looked the driver in the eye as I passed. He looked familiar.

Same vehicle - a subcompact import with the license # FMJ 8966 (NY) - does the "right hook" maneuver. I am going straight, he is turning right. Legally, he yields to me. He saw me twice. He absolutely knew I was there. Yet he did not yield, so I stopped suddenly to avoid injury.

Turns out this road psycho is a clergy at the church which sponsors the very preschool I was taking  my kid!

I didn't raise a fuss. Fighting and confronting just don't appeal to me right now. "Turn the other cheek", I did.

Small world, though. Be careful who you offend, if you live in a small town.

Fell on Bad Days...

When it rains it pours... Wife works overtime, causing extra babysitting for the kids. Letter received from the IRS detailing the extra tax plus penalty we owe. Bicycle gets stripped of everything easily removable while locked up outside where I work. The refrigerator stops running, causing me to scramble to save the week's worth of groceries I just bought.

I am digging myself out of this hole. The frig is running again, mysteriously, after I pulled it out of its nook and cleaned about a pound of concentrated dust from the fan/compressor area. I replaced the key parts of my bike which were stolen with more securely attached components.

The police were friendly enough taking the report, anyway, though I have little hope of catching the thie(ves), who apparently are recorded on my company's surveillance camera film. The stuff they stole was old and worthless, if resale was their goal.

Now - to tackle the IRS...

Weather gets ever warmer, more car windows open. God grant me the serenity to avoid a fight with those random hecklers who will inevitably pop up as I commute by bicycle every day to and from work and errands.

Last couple of weeks I've experienced several aggressive moves by unthinking (selfish) drivers, such as the person driving the silver imported subcompact sports car sporting license plate EXL-3784 (right hand turn attempted as he was passing me - I slowed down to avoid the right hook crash), and the individual behind the wheel of a Jeep SUV, bearing NY plate # F__- 9468, who slammed his foot on the gas and made a left hand turn a mere foot or two from my bow. It's spring. People are feisty. No one shouted any epithets or expletives at me over the past two weeks, though. I got that going for me.

2Apr

Sun's getting warmer, which means more open car windows, which means more stupid passengers, some canine, most human, sticking their heads out the window and shouting something at me which to them is clever, but to me is unintelligible. My usual reaction is to flip them the bird. This year, I resolve to ignore these fools. I resolve to ignore them every year. I am going to try harder this year. Two people are needed for a conflict. Subtracting myself from the situation will reduce the possibility of conflicts, which can escalate out of control.