Crack Up

Another terrific morning to bike to work. Sunny, clear and the wind was mostly at my back. Not too many people on the streets or the Lakefront Trail. Probably becasue of the 4th of July breaking up the week. I did come across another commuter on Clark Street though; a rare occurrence. We biked together until Devon where I continued south to Granville and he headed east, presumably to Winthrop. Never saw him again. I was lucky that I didn't have to stop at the red light at Ardmore and Sheridan; another rare occurrence.

The rest of the ride was the usual until I was back in traffic. I had a ringside seat for a head on collision while waiting out the light at Canal and Roosevelt. A black Charger(?) in cross traffic tried to squeeze out a left turn and smashed into an oncoming greenish Mustang(?) that just got the green. The Mustang honked but I guess Charger figured he'd stop and let him through. Big mistake that resulted in an ugly scene. Both drivers leaned from their cars and started pointing and yelling at each other. Feeling a bit giddy at being neither, I pointed at both of them. The traffic aide manning the intersection told the Charger driver he didn't have the signal. This didn't stop him from arguing but I could tell it greatly tempered his zeal. The other driver, now firmly atop the moral high ground, obnoxiously suggested they get their cars out of the chaotic intersection. Traffic was stopped in all directions and I initially couldn't do anything except enjoy the show.

Having recently gone through the hassles of a driver backing into my wife's car, I empathized with both of them. However I had less sympathy for the Charger driver. I'm very familiar with his type; the a-hole that pushes the limit in order to avoid waiting in traffic. They assume the rest of us will display normal caution so they can zoom about with abandon... Hmmm. That sounds like me sometimes. Off my soap box. Eventually I slunk through the intersection and continued on, albeit at a slightly slower and more cautious pace.

Distance Traveled: 24.3 miles
Distance to date: 3131.2 miles
Price of gas: $3.45