This is my second "Coulda Shoulda Woulda" post. These posts are all about those situations you wish you could do again; those times you say to yourself, "what I should have said was..."
Thanks to the magic of video editing, I'm getting to do that! It is super fun and kind of cathartic really. In this example, a driver decided to yell "not very good riding" as we left the line at an intersection. At the time I found this very perplexing, being more used to stuff like "get off the road" and "you're not a car". Was this person a cyclist too? Were they just a self-appointed judge of such things with less knowledge or experience than I? Were they, heaven forbid, correct and if so, how?
I almost made this a "if you were riding the bicycle" post because of these questions, but opted for the Coulda Woulda because it is way more fun. That said, I welcome any thoughts you have on where and how I was riding in the following clip!
Yer Pal,
R A N T W I C K 
7 comments:
I use the same approach, so I'm also interested in this question. Being negatively criticized for trying to be courteous is frustrating. But if there is a drawback to this approach, I'd like to learn what it is. Otherwise, I plan to continue the practice for the folks who benefit from it.
Pondero - Good. I thought so too.
I'm re-posting part of Steve A's comment on the previous post that belongs to this one... he commented after the youtube video was up but before this post was published
...on your Google video, technically you WEREN'T doing very good riding. You WERE, however, doing a masterful stop, combined with a bit of waddling that the camera wasn't in a position to catch. The motorist would have been a "better stopper" himself had he not been glommed on to the right lane instead of looking ahead. Should you ever encounter him again, in a quiet bar, let him know that John Forester teaches "the danger is ahead." The cyclist in the next lane over isn't "ahead."
I would have shared your curiosity. However, since you couldn't hear what he said, maybe it was, "Go f*** yourself!" You're right that the Dopplered utterances coming out of cars rarely convey more than a fleeting impression of emotion, if that.
I'm going to use "how so". Good response.
My red light approach is similar but varies by width and timing of the turn signal of the vehicle back. I make every effort to reward turn signals.
If wide and no vehicle back I do same as you. If a vehicle arrives and does not signal I scoot back to center lane before green.
If narrow and no one back when I stop I take the lane. If someone arrives and signals I will scoot left for them.
I try to just smile and wave, nodding my head, thankful for surviving the encounter. Not sharing my inner thoughts with those who are not worthy, it is it's own reward. =)
Cafiend - dopplered; perfect (and scientific) word
Bryan - Yeah, that sounds pretty similar to me much of the time. I do not, however, condone the use of "how so". It make you sound like you should be rubbing your chin and smoking a pipe.
John - What if he was worthy, though? These are the questions that plague my everyday existence.
Post a Comment