I almost...

I almost hit a motorcyclist

on my way to work today

I was on a stretch of road

with a small rise and a tight curve

so you can't truly see

what's coming the other way

the motorcyclist was coming towards me

at the crest of the hill

to the left as I drive is the driveway

of the conservatory

to the right there is a rather large fence

around a property that used to be

a pottery shop

and now is a home for someone

who parks his dump trucks (plural)

in the driveway

the motorcyclist was pulling into the driveway

where the dump trucks are parked

just below the crest of the hill

on the outside of the curve

he should have stopped

as he headed towards the crest of the hill

to make sure that

traffic was clear coming in the other direction

before he turned....

but he didn't....

we as motorcyclists

have a tendency towards

rolling stops

to avoid the work of balancing your bike

and putting your feet down

most specifically on stops

involving curves

hills when you are facing up

and

stop signs....

it's apparently a real issue at intersections

I've been told that statistically

more motorcyclists get ticketed

for rolling stops

than anything else save speeding....

(contrary to the popular belief

that we get hit for loud pipes or

breach of helmet laws)

but this boob

didn't even slow down

he just cut across the road in front of me

sort of gunning it....

when he realized that big silver thing

he was staring at

was the front grill

of the old woman mobile....

had I been going 10 over the speed limit

(which is also my wont)

I'd have hit him for sure

and it wouldn't have been pretty

as it was I slammed on my brakes

I heard a screeching

that didn't come from

the old woman mobile

and looked in the rear view mirror

in time to see the grill

of the truck behind me

who was doing well over

10 over

narrowly miss my back end...

and then the biker gets offa his bike

and flips me the bird....

my heart

she go

a pit

a pat!

sheesh!

this whole thing really bothered me

maybe cos I am attending a memorial

for fallen riders

on Sunday

maybe cos

even tho I'm on 3

I have a tendency towards

rolling stops

the same as everyone else

maybe because

I try to

no longer subscribe

to the thought

that the best defence

is an offence

and maybe because

I coulda killed that idjit

and even tho he was at fault

that even tho he spent all that money

making his machine all sleek

and low slung and fat and cool

and very little money on

protective leather

or a dot helmet

or boots

(there was none of the above)

and spent all that time and money

getting all those tattoo's on his sleeves

and learning to ride

just as cool as Jesse James....

in his Converse sneakers

and tshirt

that in spite of all that....

if I'd have hit him head on like that

even at the speed limit

he'd have likely died

and I'd have had to carry that load

for the rest of my life....

I can only hope

I really learned a lesson today....

the question is

what lesson would it be?