Sunday, August 31, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Ignorance or Just Plain Stupidity?
I didn't really know what to do. In my mind at the time, either we collide or I spill or both of us fell. Either way, I will definitely eat dirt and sustain road rash at the very least. Or it could be much worse.. I could break few bones or sustain much more serious injuries.
Kesas Hiway bike lane... I just exited into the bike lane on my way to work this morning. Sometimes, motorcyclists would make an about turn and ride the opposite direction for reasons only known to them. Being a one way road, most of the times we are caught by surprised by such act. However, since I've used bike lanes for a number of years, this improper act is somewhat common. Sometimes motorcyclist missed a junction, thus he/she would make a u-turn and would slowly make his/her way opposing the normal ride direction. I guess its okay as long as he/she keep to the edge of the road and do not make any sudden move.
This motorcyclist today however was something else. He made a u-turn - fine. I saw him coming and he was keeping to the edge of the road. He was on my left hand side, so I steer my bike to the my right... Fine. No! Not fine!
As he came closer, I think he was less than fifteen feet away from me when he suddenly steered his bike towards the right (my right) side of the road - directly on my path. I was taken by surprise... didn't quite know what his action would be next. Will he keep on this path? Or would he steer back to the left hand side? As he came close... too close.. in too short a time, I was psyched about colliding with him. I mean, his bike was right there smack in front of mine. I hit the brake, my bike's rear tyre locked and skidded a bit... at that very instant I sense that he would stay on his path thus I made a quick left manouvre.... We missed each other in just a nick of time!
My heart was pounding like those Jamaican drums. My hands anf legs felt numb. It could have been a terrible mess! And he just wave his hand as I looked back.... What a numbskull!
Taking shortcuts have been known to be one of the main causes of accidents. Add stupidity to that, and its a disaster waiting to happen...
Kesas Hiway bike lane... I just exited into the bike lane on my way to work this morning. Sometimes, motorcyclists would make an about turn and ride the opposite direction for reasons only known to them. Being a one way road, most of the times we are caught by surprised by such act. However, since I've used bike lanes for a number of years, this improper act is somewhat common. Sometimes motorcyclist missed a junction, thus he/she would make a u-turn and would slowly make his/her way opposing the normal ride direction. I guess its okay as long as he/she keep to the edge of the road and do not make any sudden move.
This motorcyclist today however was something else. He made a u-turn - fine. I saw him coming and he was keeping to the edge of the road. He was on my left hand side, so I steer my bike to the my right... Fine. No! Not fine!
As he came closer, I think he was less than fifteen feet away from me when he suddenly steered his bike towards the right (my right) side of the road - directly on my path. I was taken by surprise... didn't quite know what his action would be next. Will he keep on this path? Or would he steer back to the left hand side? As he came close... too close.. in too short a time, I was psyched about colliding with him. I mean, his bike was right there smack in front of mine. I hit the brake, my bike's rear tyre locked and skidded a bit... at that very instant I sense that he would stay on his path thus I made a quick left manouvre.... We missed each other in just a nick of time!
My heart was pounding like those Jamaican drums. My hands anf legs felt numb. It could have been a terrible mess! And he just wave his hand as I looked back.... What a numbskull!
Taking shortcuts have been known to be one of the main causes of accidents. Add stupidity to that, and its a disaster waiting to happen...