The good and the bad? The ups and the downs? I could have called this post any number of things.
So I’m riding to work for the THIRD time this week – really kind of enjoying it. Riding well – better than expected on my frankenbike… good times, right? Well I was climbing the Col de Cobb County (aka County Services Parkway hill… but Col de Cobb County sounds so french and majestic or something). It is a hard hill. Mountain bike shoes suck and my bike sucks but I’m doing well. there is about a 18″ shoulder there – so I’m just to the right of the white line, being courteous – you know – sharing the road and such. All of the sudden, I hear *HONK*… not a *Honk*Honk* … a **HHOONNKK** I am a bit confused – there is NOBODY passing me … why dont they just go around? I look back (mind you this is on a Category 27 climb which is hard for a dough boy like me, so I am going about 10 mph … give or take). The car is just riding behind me. I dont really have much of a shoulder to give them any more space and reason that hey have TWO lanes to pass me without any oncoming traffic affecting anything – so its on them to figure it out. I ride my line and wait for further interaction. A second or two later, they roll past me and a very sweet lady says “SORRY! Student driver!” I look over and see a happy looking 15 year old smiling from ear to ear and he says “Sorry”. I was actually HAPPY to see that he was learning. He didn’t do anything aggressive, probably just did what he thought he should do and his mom was obviously coaching him… I felt good about the world for a few minutes.
About 8 miles later, I leave the public highways and bi-ways and turn into my work parking lot. We have a general lot in front and a ‘secure’ lot in the back. I am rolling towards the gate to go behind the building and go in. I see a car pull up on the left. I SEE the woman look at me, see me coming … I made eye contact. She pulls out in front of me! In 30+ years of riding around other vehicles, I have learned to expect the unexpected and really wasn’t surprised. I was annoyed, but at this point… I just rolled past her, around the gate because she filled the lane I was GOING to use… and glared at her. She yells at me “YOU AREN’T EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE HERE!” Unlike the earlier incident – I wasn’t able to maintain my composure quite as well on this one… I was a bit peeved at this point. I circled back and said “Pardon me?” (no really, I did). She said “This is a secure facility and you are trespassing. You are not supposed to be cycling here.” My guess is as I reached into my back pockets of my jersey – she was thinking “Oh lord, he’s going to pull a gun! I’m dead!” I pulled out my work badge (typical work ID, no gold star or anything fancy) and said “I’m sorry, I ‘m an IT Manager. I work on the first floor. Why should I not be here?” She babbled about not knowing … I rode away.
I’m avoiding going upstairs for a while…
Annoying honks aren’t always from complete jackasses.
People riding stupid looking bicycles aren’t always trespassing.
Skateboarding is not crime (I have no idea what this has to do with anything, it was just a bumper sticker I used to see all the time and it seems a little militant – fittting my mood right now).