I’ve been away from Sydney for a few days of relaxation* in the Hunter Valley, so today was my first bike commute in nearly a week. And boy, was it a doozy.
First up, the usual texting drivers – for the record a Supagas delivery truck with P-plates and a dented, semi-legible front number plate (13 SUPA?) and a white Toyota Corolla plate BLT77K right behind the truck – both fiddling with their phones on Liverpool Road Ashfield.
Business as usual. This stretch of road is almost guaranteed to produce at least one or two texters. I’ve even been in a ‘conversation’ with one for more than half a kilometre. I say ‘conversation’, what I really mean is I yelled at her to put her phone down for half a kilometre and she gaped slackjawed at me and carried on texting.
Next up in today’s gloroius commute, a Mercedes driver AYV 97T who appeared in my left-hand line of vision as I was about to go into a fast left turn at Hawthorne Parade, forcing me to abort the turn and head straight on for fear of being rear-ended mid-corner. Typical case of following a rider too closely. Again, just business as usual. These things are so common that they’re just water off a duck’s back these days.
No, the one that really annoyed me was this
Yes, that’s right. Another rider making an idiotic attempt to pass between me and a row of parked cars. Ordinarily, I’m the one making the passing maneuvers going up this hill, but after the stupidity of the first few kilometres and because I’d only just finished my holiday and frankly had a bit of a hangover, I was trundling in low gear and not really caring.
Our friend here tried to excuse his stupidity with some mumblings about me being too far out – the video clearly shows I wasn’t – while I made it completely clear that this shit wasn’t on. If you’re passing, call it and go to the right.
To be frank, I don’t think it sank in.
So yeah, cyclists can be idiots too.
* relaxation: drinking lots and lots of wine in the middle of nowhere. Bliss.
