7-7-07 Not So Lucky in the Lumberyard
Warning: The following account probably has a bit of lumberyard bias in it, although I tried to be somewhat objective:
So the youngster and I went grocery shopping Saturday. We're getting ready to leave the parking lot and turn right onto the county road. The car in front of us drifts through the stop sign and starts turning right. I look left to see if there is any oncoming traffic while inching up to the stop sign and....crunch. Crunch? Oh shit! What are you still doing here? The car in front of me stopped.
Out pops the geriatric psycho bitch from hell with a thick New Jersey accent, "What the hell are you doing?? It's a brand new car and tomorrow I'm supposed to go to Miaaaaaaaaaami!" I hate to stereotype, but she was so....stereotypical obnoxious snowbird retiree moved to Florida.
Then she calls the cops, which I have no problem with. I can see it's my fault. I mean...I did hit her. But why? Why couldn't she stop at the sign like she's supposed to? Why did she pull into the county road's bike lane turning right before she stopped? It was my mistake for assuming she'd keep going, and not keeping an eye on her, but still....
Then we both start calling home. I called the wife to come and get the groceries before the cold stuff spoils. She called, who I assume was, her husband. I didn't hear that conversation, but the youngster did. He told me later. "She said you rammed her bumper, and then she called you all kinds of swear words." OK. No big surprise there, but yeah...I rammed it all right...at two miles an hour.
The wife came, got the groceries and the youngster and went home. Both cars have minor bumper damage. I got a ticket for careless driving, points, which I haven't had for a good 20 years, a $200 deductible, and a few days of inconvenience. Oh joy. I could take some safe driving course which will remove the points from my record, but that option costs more than the ticket, and I think, with car damage, won't help my insurance rates (which will go up), so why bother? I'll have to call the insurance company and ask.
On the good side...Saturday morning I did 56.31 miles of MS150 preparation. What I'm more proud of - after 25 miles I checked the average speed. 17.7 miles an hour. After 50 miles I checked it again (OK, granted, with more than two checks in between). 17.7 miles an hour. That would be approximately 15 miles an hour faster on a bicycle than I rammed the bumper of the potty mouthed granny from Jersey who hasn't grasped the concept of a stop sign. Then I slowed down at the end and finished at 17.4 miles an hour, but still...I was pleased about that. This average doesn't adjust for stopping at lights, or slowing around corners and having to rebuild momentum. It counts everything....so 17.7, or even 17.4 is pretty damn good, I think. The big difference from Wednesday, in my opinion - very little wind Saturday morning.
ps. later in the day - I did call the insurance company, and apparently it does matter. My rates are going up either way, but they'll go higher with the points....so I guess I'm schoolin'.
So the youngster and I went grocery shopping Saturday. We're getting ready to leave the parking lot and turn right onto the county road. The car in front of us drifts through the stop sign and starts turning right. I look left to see if there is any oncoming traffic while inching up to the stop sign and....crunch. Crunch? Oh shit! What are you still doing here? The car in front of me stopped.
Out pops the geriatric psycho bitch from hell with a thick New Jersey accent, "What the hell are you doing?? It's a brand new car and tomorrow I'm supposed to go to Miaaaaaaaaaami!" I hate to stereotype, but she was so....stereotypical obnoxious snowbird retiree moved to Florida.
Then she calls the cops, which I have no problem with. I can see it's my fault. I mean...I did hit her. But why? Why couldn't she stop at the sign like she's supposed to? Why did she pull into the county road's bike lane turning right before she stopped? It was my mistake for assuming she'd keep going, and not keeping an eye on her, but still....
Then we both start calling home. I called the wife to come and get the groceries before the cold stuff spoils. She called, who I assume was, her husband. I didn't hear that conversation, but the youngster did. He told me later. "She said you rammed her bumper, and then she called you all kinds of swear words." OK. No big surprise there, but yeah...I rammed it all right...at two miles an hour.
The wife came, got the groceries and the youngster and went home. Both cars have minor bumper damage. I got a ticket for careless driving, points, which I haven't had for a good 20 years, a $200 deductible, and a few days of inconvenience. Oh joy. I could take some safe driving course which will remove the points from my record, but that option costs more than the ticket, and I think, with car damage, won't help my insurance rates (which will go up), so why bother? I'll have to call the insurance company and ask.
On the good side...Saturday morning I did 56.31 miles of MS150 preparation. What I'm more proud of - after 25 miles I checked the average speed. 17.7 miles an hour. After 50 miles I checked it again (OK, granted, with more than two checks in between). 17.7 miles an hour. That would be approximately 15 miles an hour faster on a bicycle than I rammed the bumper of the potty mouthed granny from Jersey who hasn't grasped the concept of a stop sign. Then I slowed down at the end and finished at 17.4 miles an hour, but still...I was pleased about that. This average doesn't adjust for stopping at lights, or slowing around corners and having to rebuild momentum. It counts everything....so 17.7, or even 17.4 is pretty damn good, I think. The big difference from Wednesday, in my opinion - very little wind Saturday morning.
ps. later in the day - I did call the insurance company, and apparently it does matter. My rates are going up either way, but they'll go higher with the points....so I guess I'm schoolin'.
Labels: It's all about me
John put this out here at 7:13 AM
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