Thread: today's ride
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Old May 13th 06, 09:25 AM posted to aus.bicycle
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Default today's ride

Zebee Johnstone writes:


Got waved through a roundabout by a 4WD,


What did the driver think about his vehicle taking such liberties?

I think I also got waved by a considerate driver the other day. Well,
it was more of a jab than a wave, but I'm sure the sentiment was
there! Concerned with my safety, I expect. ;-)

There I was minding my own business on the Princes Highway about two
thirds of the way through my 27km commute. Stopped at traffic lights,
first in the queue, and positioned at the centre of the left hand
lane, as I always am at traffic lights. There were two lanes going
forward, mine and the one to my right (which is also a right hand turn
lane). The lane to my left is a left hand turn lane, so visually
speaking, it looks like I'm situated in the middle of the road.

So far so good. Lights turn green, we all set off calmly and
peacefully, and at or near the far side of the intersection I shift
over to the left to let some cars through (which I can see in my rear
vision mirror), as there was ample room. Still good, and cars begin to
pass me at a safe distance but within the same lane. Just prior to
this I heard a couple of stifled beeps come from somewhere behind and
to the right, but with a road full of cars, who could know who did the
beeping and for what purpose? Anyway, moments afterwards I see a
Mitsubishi Starwagon-type van pull past in the right hand lane, and
over the roof of a passing car I happen to notice a man leaning
backwards, looking out of his left hand windows (I'm not talking about
the front passenger window) in my general direction, and madly
gesticulating towards the left (while not watching where he was
driving).

Now, I suppose the sign language was probably directed towards me (why
I suppose that I don't know), and I further suppose that he must have
been urgently suggesting I take the left hand turn for some reason I
couldn't fathom. Actually, it is more likely that (b) get off the road
or (c) keep to the left, is the correct answer. But who can know what
these silly mime games actually mean? When you stop to think about it,
you see how pathetic it is that, locked in a moving cage of metal, a
fellow with obviously some urgent and important message to
communicate, couldn't simply pause and exchange thoughts with another
person, but could only be pathetically borne away towards another day
of wage slavery.

To those who ask why I ride to wage slavery (almost said 'work')
instead of drive, I might simply ask, "How many people did you say
good morning to on the way to work?" Three or four is a nice average
for me.

David


--

David Trudgett
http://www.zeta.org.au/~wpower/

To benefit by others' killing and delude oneself into the belief that
one is being very religious and non-violent is sheer self-deception.

-- Mohandas Gandhi, "Non-Violence in Peace and War", Navajivan
Publishing, 1948, II-68, cited in Merton, Thomas, "Gandhi on
Non-Violence", New Directions, 1964, p.58.

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