esrosedotblog

CLOSE CALLS

Today's bike ride was fraught.

I took off a bit late with some light, not sunup light but light.

I had no more than turned onto Palm Canyon and went into the left lane to turn into LaVerne than I heard a car on my ass and turned only to see a headlight even closer to my ass.

I got that 'here it goes' feeling. I was helpless.

But the car swerved and went into the right lane and stopped. I suspect she missed me by a hair.

The woman driver was shaken.

So was I, quite frankly, and so I turned off and stopped.

My upset was offset by my gratitude at not getting hit with her car.

She had followed me out of the same street, just after I turned, and was entering the left lane to make the exact same maneuver that I was.

Only she did not see me.

I did not see her either as she was not in the picture for me. Not on the left as I entered Palm. Not in a lane at all as I turned into the left.

Until I heard her.

I had no time to make a move and any one I might have made might have put me in greater harm's way.

I asked if she saw my red light flasher. She said no.

I looked. It was not on.

It had died. On at the house, off on the road.

A whole set of circumstances. Adds up.

A couple of things. Don't assume because there is no one in either direction on the road you are turning into that there is no one going to be on the road from a sidestreet or from the same street you have just come from. On your tail but blind corners all around.

Double check the batteries.

The bottom line is that you cannot assume other drivers are on their toes. She should have seen me. I could see traffic hundreds of yards ahead. Light enough out or not she just didn't see me. I wasn't supposed to be in that lane.

She probably turns out every day into the lanes, makes her two turns and is on her way. All reflexive. As far as I know she wasn't on a cell phone. That would have been worse.

Just be grateful for the save wherever it came from and now look another couple of ways. Especially behind on turns.

The other close call?

There was frost this morning out on the golf courses.

I slowed to a crawl when I got to wet spots making sure that there was no ice on the sidewalks.

There wasn't but it is enough of a worry that I won't be going out that way anytime soon until we get some warmer AM weather.

You might remember that I slipped off the bike last year and bunged up my left side and twisted my left leg.

Learning from my experience.

Labels: bicycle