Re: Dealing with traffic while commuting

Claire Petersky

"Eric S. Sande" <esande@erols.com> wrote in message
news:4073896C.43E1D2D1@erols.com...
> >Not a regular practice of mine, just when I'm feeling like it.
>
> I was following too closely (stopped at a traffic light in the lane)
> one day when the son of a bitch put it in reverse and backed over me.

[snip]

> Of course it has never happened to me again, but once is enough.

[snip]

Well, it's certainly true that in general it's safest to leave some room
between you and the car in front. I do confess, there's times when I'm
feeling impudent, and I decide to break that safety rule.

Recently I was pulling up to a light, and so had already taken the center of
the lane to declare my ownership. Some twitbrain in a large white commercial
van pulled around me into the next lane, gunning it, and then pulled in
front of me, cutting me off and forcing me into a screeching halt. I could
have accepted this, *barely*, if he had then taken a free right (the
majority of the traffic at this intersection turns right) and wanted to get
around me in fear that I would block his ability to do so. However, this was
not his intention. He was just sitting there, waiting for the light to turn
green so he could go straight.

It was a fine and dewy morning, and the back of his van was covered in a
slightly dampened dust. This was the medium, and the van back windows were
my canvas. The light's a long one, so I pulled up right to the back of the
van and leaned forward. I wrote SMILE and RELAX with my forefinger both
forwards and in backwards mirror writing, so he could read the words if they
were in his rear-view mirror or if he turned his head around. Then I made a
half dozen little smiley faces to decorate the blank spaces. I was in the
process of admiring my work when the light turned green. He took off, and
that was that.


Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
Please replace earthlink for mouse-potato and .net for .com
Home of the meditative cyclist:
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Rick Onanian

On Sat, 10 Apr 2004 03:10:48 GMT, "Claire Petersky"
<cpetersky@mouse-potato.com> wrote:
>front of me, cutting me off and forcing me into a screeching halt. I could
>
>It was a fine and dewy morning, and the back of his van was covered in a
>slightly dampened dust. This was the medium, and the van back windows were
>my canvas. The light's a long one, so I pulled up right to the back of the
>van and leaned forward. I wrote SMILE and RELAX with my forefinger both
>forwards and in backwards mirror writing, so he could read the words if they
>were in his rear-view mirror or if he turned his head around. Then I made a
>half dozen little smiley faces to decorate the blank spaces. I was in the

Wow. That's some strong restraint...must be that meditative cycling.
I doubt I could have written nice stuff.
--
Rick Onanian