Yesterday after work I met Picard to chat about world affairs at the Rue de Grit on the east side. Our discussion lasted 45 minutes or so then I took off on down Commonwealth for my umpteenth ride home. Let me back track a second.
A few weeks ago on a Monday morning during in bound ride I noticed that between Morningside and the Plaza on Commonwealth someone with more authority than I placed two new three way STOP signs(there is no fourth road, so technically they are all three way stops). I thought to myself that's great, I bet in he near future I will get pulled for running one of them, most likely riding down Commonwealth on the way home. Manifestation concluded by obvious awareness and always seeking to learn what will happen next.
Back to the now or more accurately yesterday riding down Commonwealth. Through the Plaza sign no problem by the second burgundy car stopped waiting for his turn to go, STOP then go. In between there and the next 'new' STOP sign only a few blocks down in the residential neighborhood this ass clown buzzes me fast 20 inches to my left and loud only to get jacked up in front of me two deep at the first of the new. I rolled by him on his right in the gutter safely although not legally through the first of the two. The no road part of the intersection was on my right.
In between there and the next and final new STOP going down hill the burgundy car caught and aggressively passed me again, apparently we were racing. Once again I rolled by him stuck his familiar two deep and through the STOP. Now he was hot, so on the flat he gassed it and sped by me down to the original STOP at Morningside that has always been there. This time he wound up 4 deep stopped and I was flying 18 inches from the right hand gutter without any other vehicle obstruction through intersection.
As soon as I cleared Morningside I heard the loud abrupt wail of a siren. The shrill noise shocked me into looking over my moving shoulder to see a CMPD car coming wide and fast around the three stopped on through the intersection right for me. Shit, he was behind us the entire way and I had no idea. I found my reaction unexplainable. When he slammed the car in park with the lights still turning around and around blue and white he jumped out bee lining right for me. I laid down my bike, took my glasses off of my face and placed them in the vents of my helmet. Eye Contact, thanks dad.
This officer completely correct with the law commenced to verbally explain his concerns about my rolling actions. He did let me know that I had to obied by the laws of the road if I wanted to ride in this town. I listened intently, my inner voice telling itself to stifle any thoughts about speaking right then. Let him talk. And he did, for minutes. By the time he finished with the verbal transfer things were quieter and I had the chance to speak about normalcy in my daily commute and how I did not mean to upset him or cause any problem. It was still day light and everything around us seemed crystal clear.
At that point I was not sure what was going to happen but he made the call by telling me to, "Be Careful." This was my verbal not written warning. I thanked him for not writing me a ticket for blowing 4 stop signs within a downward mile that he witnessed three of. We parted and everything was fine except for my now hyper awareness seeking out squad cars in all directions. I know this little hill that parallels Commonwealth in between there and Central. It is just a paved narrow alley incline with no STOP signs, I may have to go out of my way a bit and start using it.
2 comments:
That's the great thing about evolutionary riding...it's always adapting new and better routes.
try the new street that runs parallel with commonwealth (through the new invisible development project. no stoppy signs, just giant manholes to avoid and much less stressful--tc
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