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Tuesday
July 3, 2007

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Anyway, this story is out of order but if things went smoothly from a to b to c to d to e to f to g to h to i to j to k to l to m to n to o to p to q to r to s to t to u to v to w to x to y to z we probably wouldn't be where we are now would we?

That's it--I'm fed up.   Yesterday, walking our bikes up Fremont Ave after a pleasant pedal to Golden Gardens, Sarah and I saw flashing lights ahead--fire truck and ambulance.    The ambulance raced past, siren wailing. I knew someone was in there.    By placement of firetruck and police car my guess was somebody'd got doored.    A fellow was there with a camera; I asked him what had happened. Bike was coming downhill, car turned left in front of it, cyclist flew over hood, hit windshield and smashed it--which was probably lucky as it absorbed some of the impact.   "Well then, it's totally the driver's fault," I said. The guy claimed it had to do with the cyclist suddenly emerging from shadow into sunlight, an idiotic defense.    I badmouthed bad drivers some more before it was revealed that it was the excuse-making man's father (in the car ahead of him) who had turned in front of the cyclist.   Dad appeared unfazed as he inspected the smashed windshield of his white convertible.    Son said it was OK, they had insurance, that was how insurance worked: "...We all pay into it then take some out when someone makes a mistake..."  Spoken like a tv pundit, regurgitating false reasoning, leaning on the letter of the law to justify unconscionable acts.    It made me incredibly mad.    The equivocator said he knew what it was like because he too was a cyclist .    When Sarah got doored, the moron who hit her also said, all sympathetic-like, "I ride a bike, too," as if that would make everything all right.    In fact, it only makes it worse--if you were really a cyclist, you would have looked before opening your door. If you were really a cyclist, you would acknowledge the dreadful negligence of anyone who cuts into the right of way, mangling both bicycle and body.    Listen, any driver who hits a cyclist or pedestrian ought to have license suspended for no less than 3 months. Would you support a citizens initiative to have such legislation passed in Washington state?    Tonight, at University and 1st, I had the little green walky-man and crossed, suspecting that the guy already pulled into the crosswalk, attuned only to vehicular traffic, wasn't going to look right before turning right on red. Sure enough, he gunned it and I had to leap over the corner of his hood. I landed and yelled, "You stupid motherfucker, why don't you look where you're going?!" and gave a mighty karate kick to his driver side rear as he screeched away.    To the people still waiting at the same red light I said, "You saw that, didn't you? I had the green." To which they nodded somberly, having seen.    Which reaffirms the necessity of eyewitnessing.    Tonight at Alibi we watched CARAVAN/PRAGUE, a worthwhile documentary shot, edited, and narrated by Zack Winestine.   It is ideal for group viewing followed by discussion. It's got me all worked up to take action against the dumbasses that make life barely bearable here in the Entitled States of America....