bad girl again

I was riding on a nice road that is slightly downhilly, 30 mph speed limit,
and approaching the street's first stop light. Since I was getting close to
the intersection, I am now firmly in the lane, and then a black Cadillac
Esclanade seems to think that it needs to be precisely where I was, and
muscles me out of my spot. I don't argue with large vehicles with drivers
bent on homicide. My emotional response: indignance.

A block or two, and we're at the next light, waiting, and I'm right behind
it. I decide I'm going to do the grafitti thing again, [emotion now:
impudence] and I pull off my glove and write the word "SMILE" on the damp
dust on the back window. I start to draw multiple smilies, and I can tell
that I have both amused the kids in the car and agitated the driver. But
what the heck -- she intruded on my personal space, so I see nothing wrong
with intruding on hers. And I'm being nice. I'm not writing, [ahem], "*&%$
you", which could have been my sentiment. Instead, I'm writing "smile", and
making happy faces.

As it so happens, since the road is sort of downhilly as I said, and there's
various lights and traffic, I end up being behind the Caddy for a couple of
miles. My average speed was probably about 26, and the car would start to
pull away from me, but I'd catch up pretty easily, and we'd be together
again, idling at the next light. I could tell my presence was really bugging
the driver, and the kids were egging me on.

It was fun. I finally turned off to the right to climb Bel-Red Road, and the
Caddy sped away.


--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
please substitute yahoo for mousepotato to reply
Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm
Personal page: http://www.geocities.com/cpetersky/
See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

"Claire Petersky" wrote: (clip)I pull off my glove and write the word
"SMILE" on the damp dust on the back window. I start to draw multiple
smilies, and I can tell that I have both amused the kids in the car and
agitated the driver.(clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^
Great story. Not only did you have the pleasure of the actual
experience--you have entertained the rest of us as well. And that wasn't
the end. Realize that she got home and had to wash the smilies off that
window, which must have infuriated her even further.

So you've got hundreds of people smiling, and she's ****ed. What could be
better?

Leo Lichtman wrote:
"Claire Petersky" wrote: (clip)I pull off my glove and write the word
"SMILE" on the damp dust on the back window. I start to draw multiple
smilies, and I can tell that I have both amused the kids in the car and
agitated the driver.(clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^
Great story. Not only did you have the pleasure of the actual
experience--you have entertained the rest of us as well. And that wasn't
the end. Realize that she got home and had to wash the smilies off that
window, which must have infuriated her even further.

So you've got hundreds of people smiling, and she's ****ed. What could be
better?


And.. you know it's ****ing her off even more when her kids remind her
of how much fun it was to be chased by that bicyclist.

Leo Lichtman wrote:

"Claire Petersky" wrote: (clip)I pull off my glove and write the word
"SMILE" on the damp dust on the back window. I start to draw multiple
smilies, and I can tell that I have both amused the kids in the car
and agitated the driver.(clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^
Great story. Not only did you have the pleasure of the actual
experience--you have entertained the rest of us as well. And that
wasn't the end. Realize that she got home and had to wash the
smilies off that window, which must have infuriated her even further.

So you've got hundreds of people smiling, and she's ****ed. What
could be better?

Not only that -- in such situations, you can force people to make a choice
between changing their attitude, or acting inappropriately in front of their
kids. Most sane people will choose the former, and learn something in the
process. Yoda would be proud!

Matt O.

"Claire Petersky" wrote in message link.net...

You made me smile. Not for the first time...

"Claire Petersky" wrote in message
link.net...

A block or two, and we're at the next light, waiting, and I'm right behind
it. I decide I'm going to do the grafitti thing again, [emotion now:
impudence] and I pull off my glove and write the word "SMILE" on the damp
dust on the back window. I start to draw multiple smilies, and I can tell
that I have both amused the kids in the car and agitated the driver.

Good for you, Claire. Too bad the driver didn't take a hint from the kid's
reaction.

Claire Petersky wrote:

[Eloquently written anecdote snipped]

Bravo, Claire!

Take heed, though. There will be a driver out there who draws no
distinction between the word that you chose and any other that you might
have written and and takes umbrage at the perceived affront.

Remember:
- your emotion was indignance; your mode of expression was relatively
benign.
- not every indignant Escalade driver, or (help me, Zoot: what're they
called? Scud ----'s) will be so temperate

Congrats on your upcoming publication, btw!

Neil

On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 05:17:25 GMT, Claire Petersky
wrote:

I was riding on a nice road that is slightly downhilly, 30 mph speed
limit,
and approaching the street's first stop light. Since I was getting close
to
the intersection, I am now firmly in the lane, and then a black Cadillac
Esclanade seems to think that it needs to be precisely where I was, and
muscles me out of my spot. I don't argue with large vehicles with drivers
bent on homicide. My emotional response: indignance.

A block or two, and we're at the next light, waiting, and I'm right
behind
it. I decide I'm going to do the grafitti thing again, [emotion now:
impudence] and I pull off my glove and write the word "SMILE" on the damp
dust on the back window. I start to draw multiple smilies, and I can tell
that I have both amused the kids in the car and agitated the driver. But
what the heck -- she intruded on my personal space, so I see nothing
wrong
with intruding on hers. And I'm being nice. I'm not writing, [ahem],
"*&%$
you", which could have been my sentiment. Instead, I'm writing "smile",
and
making happy faces.

As it so happens, since the road is sort of downhilly as I said, and
there's
various lights and traffic, I end up being behind the Caddy for a couple
of
miles. My average speed was probably about 26, and the car would start to
pull away from me, but I'd catch up pretty easily, and we'd be together
again, idling at the next light. I could tell my presence was really
bugging
the driver, and the kids were egging me on.

It was fun. I finally turned off to the right to climb Bel-Red Road, and
the
Caddy sped away.


Good response to a bad driver.


--
Bill (not always politically correct) Baka

Bill Baka wrote:
:: On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 05:17:25 GMT, Claire Petersky
:: wrote:
::
::: I was riding on a nice road that is slightly downhilly, 30 mph speed
::: limit,
::: and approaching the street's first stop light. Since I was getting
::: close to
::: the intersection, I am now firmly in the lane, and then a black
::: Cadillac Esclanade seems to think that it needs to be precisely
::: where I was, and muscles me out of my spot. I don't argue with
::: large vehicles with drivers bent on homicide. My emotional
::: response: indignance.
:::
::: A block or two, and we're at the next light, waiting, and I'm right
::: behind
::: it. I decide I'm going to do the grafitti thing again, [emotion now:
::: impudence] and I pull off my glove and write the word "SMILE" on
::: the damp dust on the back window. I start to draw multiple smilies,
::: and I can tell that I have both amused the kids in the car and
::: agitated the driver. But what the heck -- she intruded on my
::: personal space, so I see nothing wrong
::: with intruding on hers. And I'm being nice. I'm not writing, [ahem],
::: "*&%$
::: you", which could have been my sentiment. Instead, I'm writing
::: "smile", and
::: making happy faces.
:::
::: As it so happens, since the road is sort of downhilly as I said, and
::: there's
::: various lights and traffic, I end up being behind the Caddy for a
::: couple of
::: miles. My average speed was probably about 26, and the car would
::: start to pull away from me, but I'd catch up pretty easily, and
::: we'd be together again, idling at the next light. I could tell my
::: presence was really bugging
::: the driver, and the kids were egging me on.
:::
::: It was fun. I finally turned off to the right to climb Bel-Red
::: Road, and the
::: Caddy sped away.
:::
:::
:: Good response to a bad driver.

I disagree. She was lucky. A really bad driver could have acted in such a
way to hurt Claire. Playing with cars is a bad idea, imo.

On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 10:22:51 -0500, "Roger Zoul"
wrote:

I decide I'm going to do the grafitti thing again, [emotion now:
::: impudence] and I pull off my glove and write the word "SMILE" on
::: the damp dust on the back window. I start to draw multiple smilies,
::: and I can tell that I have both amused the kids in the car and
::: agitated the driver. But what the heck -- she intruded on my
::: personal space, so I see nothing wrong
::: with intruding on hers. And I'm being nice. I'm not writing, [ahem],
::: "*&%$
::: you", which could have been my sentiment. Instead, I'm writing
::: "smile", and
::: making happy faces.
:::
::: As it so happens, since the road is sort of downhilly as I said, and
::: there's
::: various lights and traffic, I end up being behind the Caddy for a
::: couple of
::: miles. My average speed was probably about 26, and the car would
::: start to pull away from me, but I'd catch up pretty easily, and
::: we'd be together again, idling at the next light. I could tell my
::: presence was really bugging
::: the driver, and the kids were egging me on.
:::
::: It was fun. I finally turned off to the right to climb Bel-Red
::: Road, and the
::: Caddy sped away.
:::
:::
:: Good response to a bad driver.

I disagree. She was lucky. A really bad driver could have acted in such a
way to hurt Claire. Playing with cars is a bad idea, imo.

I have to agree with Rog. In fact, iirc, there's a law having to do with
'tampering' with a car that the driver could have invoked in defense for
doing something like throwing it into reverse and backing up, claiming 'a
panic reaction to the tampering with "my kids in the car"', or some a-hole
thing. I wouldn't put it past the cops to buy it, either. ;-

It's just not a good idea.

On a similar note:
Today I got a message on my local boad that another rider was hit in town,
making that a total of six riders hit in the past three days.

quote
I would also like to add that 6 commuters have been hit within the last 3
weeks alone. everyone turned out fine, but bikes were destroyed. about 4 or
5 where within qualified saftey regulations (lights, helmets, safe) - some
were at night, some were not (even more interesting) - most moving, two
even stopped; tho, specifically, an interesting case happened last night
when a friend with lights and helmet was turning from fontaine rd. onto
summit st. managed to spie a fast approaching light on his shirtsleeve, so
he turned around and saw a big ol' car speeding his way (he was on the
yellow lines in the middle of the road, waiting to turn) - thus he jumped
off just in the nick of time, the bike went flying (literally) , and
luckily he was only grazed by a side-mirror. the guy never even slowed
down, even after hitting the bike.

Nevertheless the bike is destroyed, seeing this after he went to pick up
the thing some hundred feet away.
/quote

Not trying to be alarmist, but just emphasizing the wish to stay safe out
there.

-B