September 2, 2009
1. 3 PM.
2. Time for my daily bike ride.
3. I’m coming down the street toward a stop sign.
4. Car coming the other way. We both slow. He stops. I don’t have to. Yet. Don’t want to, really.
5. I’m wearing a light blue jersey. Black shorts.
6. My bike’s red. Pink handlebar tape.
7. Nothing metal about me.
8. The guy in the white car sticks a hand out his window.
9. “Uh-oh,” I think. “Here it comes.”
10. Because every bicyclist has tales of encountering assholes.
(not that we’re all perfect, ourselves.)
11. He leans toward his open window as he drives past.
12. Yells, “Slayer!”
13. The only thing I can think is, “Dude, if you only knew!”
Does my voice here remind anyone of a certain Roadie Poet? Wild.
Adelle Laudan
September 2, 2009 9:48 pm
One of those moments you scratch your head for days about. Happy T13!
.-= Adelle Laudan´s last blog .. =-.
Journeywoman
September 2, 2009 10:17 pm
LOL! I love it!
.-= Journeywoman´s last blog ..Thirteen about the house =-.
bunnygirl
September 2, 2009 10:34 pm
LOL! The world is always a strange place, but sometimes in a pretty cool and surreal sort of way.
.-= bunnygirl´s last blog ..Audrey’s Adventures Downtown =-.
Ann
September 2, 2009 11:36 pm
Whew. I was afraid you were going to explain the stitches, or something like that. Yes, life is strange… and people are even stranger. 🙂
P.S. I sent you a package, finally, you should get it tomorrow or so. See I have been thinking of you, it was getting you, package, and post office into the same brain cell.
.-= Ann´s last blog ..Weekend Update =-.
life's journey
September 3, 2009 12:10 am
Hmm it makes me smile. Happy T13. mine is ready.
.-= life’s journey´s last blog ..Young Money Magazine =-.
Alice Audrey
September 3, 2009 12:34 am
It certainly does.
.-= Alice Audrey´s last blog ..13 Recent Purchases =-.
Thomma Lyn
September 3, 2009 12:41 am
LOL @ “dude, if you only knew!” 😀 And yup, I’m reminded of Roadie Poet!
.-= Thomma Lyn´s last blog ..Bumblebee and Butterfly (and Writing Update) =-.
sandy
September 3, 2009 5:19 am
cool to me sandy
.-= sandy´s last blog ..Thursday 13 – thirteen things my birth color says about me. =-.
Hazel
September 3, 2009 6:10 am
encountering assholes led me to thinking of Road Rage
.-= Hazel´s last blog ..No Unauthorized Dust Allowed to Collect =-.
Hootin' Anni
September 3, 2009 6:25 am
Hmmmmmm, I had visions of you wrecking you bike and full of scratches and scrapes and maybe even some asphalt embedded under your skin.
My 13 this week is all about Labor in a funny way. Hope you can stop by to visit with me. Happy Thursday. [PS…you’ll need to scroll down below my Thursday Thunks to find my list of 13]
.-= Hootin’ Anni´s last blog .. =-.
Chrissie
September 3, 2009 6:47 am
I never expected that ending 🙂
(Slayer is a heavy metal band that in the 80’s my boyfriend used to listen to and I hated)
susan
September 3, 2009 1:33 pm
You’ve since seen the error of your ways, right, Chrissie?
she
September 3, 2009 9:02 am
i just spent 4 days in nyc – i heard many a random comment like that! lol.
happy tt!
.-= she´s last blog ..Thursday 13 #53: 13 of My Favorite Posts =-.
AD
September 3, 2009 12:14 pm
🙂 something in my head predicted that end
Click here for my Thursday Thirteen
mantiz
September 3, 2009 12:22 pm
Slayer! 😉
.-= mantiz´s last blog ..Hopeless Self-justification… =-.
susan
September 3, 2009 1:33 pm
Yup. I sorta dig them, myself. I have fond memories of Tom Araya from my old radio days.
Kimberly Kaye
September 3, 2009 1:32 pm
Sometimes you just wish you could figure out the workings of someone’s mind.
.-= Kimberly Kaye´s last blog ..I Am… =-.
Sophia Parkwood
September 3, 2009 1:32 pm
Oh my! Thanks for the laugh. Some people never cease to amaze me. Happy Thursday!
.-= Sophia Parkwood´s last blog ..Thirteen Places I Want to Visit. =-.
Celticlibrarian
September 3, 2009 1:54 pm
Roadie Poet FTW!
(I can see RP rolling his eyes at the guy and thinking, “Seriously, dude?”)
.-= Celticlibrarian´s last blog ..13 More Characters/ 13 More Shows =-.
Harriet
September 3, 2009 4:14 pm
Wow! You had me hooked!
Have a great day!
http://iamharriet.blogspot.com/2009/09/looking-for-harley-giveaway.html
Heather
September 3, 2009 4:49 pm
Nice to read a funny bicycling story for a change. There have been too many incidents here lately, and I still cringe just thinking about one hit they showed on local news, captured by a bus cam. Maybe if more people (both cyclists and drivers) saw that they would understand how important it is to slow down and obey traffic laws.
.-= Heather´s last blog ..Thursday Thirteen 123: Quotes from WILD MIND =-.
Happily Retired Gal
September 3, 2009 6:11 pm
Love your poetic story … very picturesque ;–)
Thanks for dropping by HRG earlier. I’m sorry your sister had to evacuate due to smoke from the wildfires. This time around (with no off-shore winds blowing) the smoke isn’t right around us … but looking inland we see it hanging over the mountains and at night we see a ridge of fire along the mountain tops. Sad and scary … especially for those immediately affected. Sounds like they’ll be burning for a few more weeks. Hopefully the winds won’t kick up. We could sure use RAIN.
Hugs and blessings,
.-= Happily Retired Gal´s last blog ..T-13 Haiku Sky Watch Friday =-.
BeadedTail
September 3, 2009 6:19 pm
Not at all what I expected but I loved the suspense and the ending!
.-= BeadedTail´s last blog ..Thankful Thursday! =-.
Devilish Southern Belle
September 3, 2009 6:45 pm
What an awesome true story! I’d love to ‘meet’/come across cool, strange people like that. But I don’t ever grab anyone’s attention.
Petula
September 3, 2009 7:13 pm
Okay, I know I’ve been a little brain dead lately so I’m just going to pretend like I know what’s going on. Slayer? Something Poet? OMG, I need a serious life-long nap!
.-= Petula´s last blog ..Low back exercises =-.
Carmi
September 3, 2009 10:49 pm
I love how you built the tension to the moment of surprise. Sounds you had a much better experience than I did: a couple of weeks back, a passing motorist beaned me with a full packet of ketchup. No reason other than he wanted to be a d—head.
So I called the cops and they paid him a visit. Ah, the joys of cycling!
.-= Carmi´s last blog ..Aged =-.
Gattina
September 4, 2009 1:55 am
I learned a new word ! I first had to look into my dictionary to know what “slayer” meant before I could laugh, lol !
PS Your local Newspaper title also earns an award !
Julia Smith
September 4, 2009 12:58 pm
I love how the story flowed. It had tons of tension at the beginning. All the details made me worry that a crash was imminent.
.-= Julia Smith´s last blog ..Thursday Thirteen – 122 – 13 Reasons to Read Wicked Little Game by Christine Wells =-.
Raven
September 5, 2009 10:42 am
That is hilarious!!
.-= Raven´s last blog ..The Millstone of Humiliation and Some Good Music =-.
Luanne
September 5, 2009 3:45 pm
Love it!! But here’s a scary bike story from Canada…
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/former-ontario-ag-under-arrest/article1271489/
.-= Luanne ´s last blog ..100+ Reading Challenge =-.
Bob-kat
September 6, 2009 7:56 am
If he meant that to bea put down that asshole so missed the mark! Now, if he had called you something like Paris Hilton I would have recommended kicking his car door in, LoL!
.-= Bob-kat´s last blog ..Feeling doggy =-.
susan
September 6, 2009 8:08 am
Bob-Kat, I think he was sharing his excitement, that’s all. At least, that’s how I took it.
.-= susan´s last blog ..Trevor fiction: Keys (The Early Days) =-.
Brenda ND
September 9, 2009 10:24 pm
Interesting encounter. You never really do know what others are thinking. Happy TT!
.-= Brenda ND´s last blog ..School’s In: 13 Quotes about Education =-.
Darla
September 10, 2009 9:04 am
*whew* I was so afraid it was going to be something terrible. Pretty funny. Maybe he’s like Shallow Hal, and can see your inner rocker? 🙂
.-= Darla´s last blog ..TT #132 =-.