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So I was nearly hit by a cyclist today. The disturbing/amusing part? I was driving a car.
I turned onto one of the one-way streets bordering my daughter's school today to see a cyclist, about teen-age I'd guess, riding toward me in the road. He started out alongside the parallel-parked cars, but I noticed one disturbing thing that caused him to slowly drift to the center of the driving lane: his eyes were planted firmly on the road beneath his bike. Not on the road ahead, or looking for oncoming cars, but on the asphalt beneath his own tires and pedals. It's like he was watching his feet for something, like to check if his chain was slipping or his shoelaces coming undone, which is all well and good (under normal circumstances).
Except for when it nearly causes you to hit a large red Jeep head-on.
I noticed his inattention and drifting right as I completed the turn onto the street, and since he was headed straight for my bumper and only half a block away, and the street only wide enough for one driving lane plus two parking lanes (both occupied), I couldn't swerve around him. So I came to a complete stop, hoping he'd notice me. No dice. So then I honked.
Cue startled glance up, wide deer-in-headlights eyes as he realized there's a vehicle ten times his size blocking his way, and he quickly veers around me to continue the wrong way down the street.
I could've just let him hit me to teach him to pay attention, but goodness knows if he would've gotten hurt (not too much, as he was going slow and I was completely stopped, but I'm still driving a pretty big obstacle and he wasn't watching at all), but I didn't want to deal with the hassle of marks in the bumper I didn't need nor did I want to chance that he'd have one of those sue-happy parents. So horn it was.
I turned onto one of the one-way streets bordering my daughter's school today to see a cyclist, about teen-age I'd guess, riding toward me in the road. He started out alongside the parallel-parked cars, but I noticed one disturbing thing that caused him to slowly drift to the center of the driving lane: his eyes were planted firmly on the road beneath his bike. Not on the road ahead, or looking for oncoming cars, but on the asphalt beneath his own tires and pedals. It's like he was watching his feet for something, like to check if his chain was slipping or his shoelaces coming undone, which is all well and good (under normal circumstances).
Except for when it nearly causes you to hit a large red Jeep head-on.
I noticed his inattention and drifting right as I completed the turn onto the street, and since he was headed straight for my bumper and only half a block away, and the street only wide enough for one driving lane plus two parking lanes (both occupied), I couldn't swerve around him. So I came to a complete stop, hoping he'd notice me. No dice. So then I honked.
Cue startled glance up, wide deer-in-headlights eyes as he realized there's a vehicle ten times his size blocking his way, and he quickly veers around me to continue the wrong way down the street.
I could've just let him hit me to teach him to pay attention, but goodness knows if he would've gotten hurt (not too much, as he was going slow and I was completely stopped, but I'm still driving a pretty big obstacle and he wasn't watching at all), but I didn't want to deal with the hassle of marks in the bumper I didn't need nor did I want to chance that he'd have one of those sue-happy parents. So horn it was.
)
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