This morning I was able to leave earlier for my commute, and I was excited about getting to work earlier than normal. What I didn’t realize is that I was about to meet a whole new group of auto commuters. A half hour makes a big difference on who you see! Usually I have a friendly crowd of parents dropping their kids off at the elementary school; however, today I rode among the high school car commuters.
I was riding down a snowy street when I noticed a pickup approaching from behind. I got over as far right as I could, so he would have plenty of room to pass. But instead of giving me room, he purposely tried to force me into the snow bank! I could see him looking in his mirrors, making sure he got as close as possible without actually hitting me. Luckily I stayed on my bike and didn’t give him or his buddy the satisfaction of an accident.
Before I could think of what to do, they were gone from sight. I had a camera handy, but they were going too fast to get it out in time. I was glad I didn’t catch up with them, because an altercation with two young kids isn’t what I need on my way to work.
It’s hard to turn the other cheek with attempted murder. What do you all think would be the best way to handle this situation? It seems like it may be a good idea to keep a pen and paper handy to record a license plate. Does anyone keep a little “self defense” handy?
Another lesson learned here was that altering the time of your commute can make a huge difference. It might be wise to experiment with different times, and pick the best one if you survive!