There Was Almost A Death
Monday, June 27, 2016
On the way it was amazingly awesome being able to smell the food carts, the flowers, the fresh air, At one point the song "Stuck In The Middle With You," came to mind when I looked ahead and I saw Mt. St. Helens to the left of me and Mt Hood on my right. Great, I thought, that song will be stuck in the recesses of my mind for days. I'm still hearing it. Luckily it's a kick ass song.
For those that aren't familiar with NW23rd, summertime is a magical time. Outdoor cafes, twinkling lights, great shopping, and fantastic people watching opportunities. There all types, as usual, out and about, even a woman painting a cow, a dude that sounded exactly like Louis Armstrong and playing a sax, interesting attire, dogs, and freaks!
It was also totally entertaining to watch people that wanted to parallel park behind our bikes assess the situation. They would look at the bikes, look at the space, look at us watching them, and more times than not they would decide to leave the space open. However, a few brave souls were able to park there, not touch our bikes, therefore keeping their lives.
We grabbed some Mexican food and enjoyed it at a sidewalk table in the cool shade of a street side tree right in front of our Harleys. We saw all types walk, waltz, glide, and run, past us. Here's a fashion tip for the millennial "men." You look absolutely ridiculous in your skinny pants, loafers with no socks, and cocky attitude, but at least you'll have something to look back on, and the way you looked in the year 2016 will give you a good laugh, as it does us adults now. Trendy isn't fashion, classic is, but hey, if you want your kids and grand kids laughing at your 2016 pics go ahead. The rest of us are already shaking our heads and laughing wondering how in the heck you can call that fashion. Although I do have to admit that it's much better than the trend of having your butt hanging out of your 30 times too large pants, it still looks ridiculous.
When we decided to leave it was hot and the roads crowded. Having lived in this area for nearly 20 years I know the back roads away from the, then packed, freeway. We decided to make a stop to get ice cream. We turned into the entrance of the plaza, I was leading. A guy in a white crossover cage ran a stop sign, didn't look to his right (where I was coming from) and damn near hit me. I had the right of way, no stop sign, and thank God I watch what's happening around me. I laid on the horn and I saw him watch me in his mirrors. He pulled into a space. I stopped right behind his death mobile, stared right back at him in the mirrors while trying to calm down and figure out what to do. He wasn't getting away without a lesson regarding driving in America, or anywhere for that matter.
He watched in his mirror as we sat behind him. He tried to pull into the space in front of him to exit the lot (dumbass) but another turned into it. He knew he had messed up badly and was then trapped. Since he had no exit I pulled into a space a car away, got off of my bike, and walked over in full gear, and knocked on his window.
I could see, through the window, 911 was on the touch screen of his smartphone. Yeah a chick on a white and pink bike is REALLY scary right? He put down window, phone in hand, and I said (nicely...believe me, it took every ounce of self control) "You ran that stop sign, you didn't even look the other way, you could have killed me and my boyfriend that was behind me."
His eyes grew huge (as did those of his little blonde bipeds) when he heard I saw exactly what he did and I told him of his every move, he almost killed me and to please watch what he was doing. He canceled the 911 call, he knew he was in deep shit at that point.
He looked back and saw my BF, that looks much scarier than I, and said, "I'm so, so sorry. I was looking for a parking spot. I was only looking for a parking spot."
Me: "A parking spot? Well Sir, is getting a parking spot worth killing, or badly injuring another person?"
He kept glancing in his mirror at my BF, Mr. scary, old school biker with a long silver pony tail, tats and tanned. I didn't look at my BF while I was speaking to the guy but I can imagine the look on my BFs face as he waited to see if he was going to need to stop a fight. I don't fight, but the guy could have very well jumped out and tried to intimidate me. That doesn't work with this girl. My BF was probably thinking, "Oh great. What kind of mess is she going to start that I'll have to finish." I kept my cool, on the surface, inside I was fuming.
"No, it's not (trembling voice now) worth a life. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
Me: "Well maybe you'll watch next time, and I hope your kids (that were in the cage) have learned something as well. You really need to STOP at signs, lights, etc., turn your head and look before you kill someone.You didn't even slow down or attempt to look." Damn, I could have been a kid on a skateboard, a dog, a senior on a scooter, or with a walker. We had the right of way and this ignorant person did not even stop, let alone turn his freaking head to see if anything was coming.
I was proud of myself. I kept calm when all I wanted to do was smash his freaking windshield in with one of the "tools" strapped to my bike. He and I should both be very happy I kept calm and he was polite or he would be replacing the door on his cage as well as the windshield and I would be posting today asking for someone to bail me out of jail.
Moral of the story, stop at signs and lights, STOP don't roll through, and please look both ways. I think everyone one in drivers ed should be required to take a motorcycle awareness class. Then they may be more aware and not kill one of us, a kid, someone's pet, or anyone they failed to see because they didn't look.
Please everyone, please, look while you drive. Stay off your phones, no texting, stop when you should, and turn your head. Be safe for us all.
Oh, and look what Chickey did to my leg while organizing the garage and forgetting I had let my bike warm up. Dumb move!
Read more...
