One of my least
favorite things in the world is dying. No, no – not death. Dying.
Specifically, when it's me. More specifically, when it's me doing the
dying and someone else doing the killing. That's when you know life
sucks.
Just a little bit
ago I found myself just a reaction away from death. A little slower,
perhaps a little more tired or had I been distracted and I wouldn't
be here to type this out, relating how one man in a SUV nearly killed
me because – why the hellz not?
The weather is dry,
the sky is blue and I was riding my motorcycle running a few errands
and grabbing a bite to eat. It was a normal day. I wasn't speeding
(as if I ever do that); I wasn't in the canyons subtracting from my
chicken strips nor was I acting the fool in any way, shape or form.
In fact, I was merely leaving a parking lot via a one-way exit when a
man in a SUV decided he couldn't wait until the corner to turn into
the parking lot, he had to come in the exit.
Now, you have to
understand, this is a dedicated exit from
the parking lot to the
street. From the street a sign clearly marks the exit as a Do
Not Enter.
In fact, the exit exits at an angle that should indicate to all
involved it's not meant to be entered from the street.
But
this jackass did. I can't recall exactly the make of the SUV, but it
was one of those luxury kind, reminiscent of a Lexus or BMW – more
egg shaped and less likely to be found with dirt under the tires. It
was some sort of metallic goldish color. Not red or rust, but more
beige than brown. I really don't know what color to call it other
than ugly. The windows weren't tinted so I got a good look at the
douchbag driving the thing. He was older than me, probably upper
forties or early 50s, graying hair and a blue dress shirt. He
actually had the audacity to wave at me as he drove around me.
Having
my helmet on he more than likely couldn't hear me through my shield
and his window and I doubt he heard my horn. From my rear view mirror
I watched his SUV drive through the parking lot. Angry, I exited and
rode around the corner to enter the lot from the proper side and then
drove through looking for his vehicle. I didn't find it.
 |
| Not Actual Sign |
Had
I not been paying attention, had I been just a little more slow on my
reaction time, I would probably be in a hospital right now if not
dead.
The
sad thing is, this isn't the first time this has happened in that
exact same spot. The last two times I was in a cage, either my full
size Chevy SUV or my friend's sedan. Both times wouldn't have been
good for anyone, but at least I was protected by a metallic cage
unlike today where only a helmet and leather riding jacket would have
protected me.
Not
that I'm complaining about riding at all. I take more precautions
than a lot of people and less than a few (I rarely wear head-to-toe
leather unless I'm carving the canyons). I'm complaining about the
jackasses who don't obey the traffic laws, who can't read signs or
who have decided that rules of the road are reserved
solely for everyone else.
You
wouldn't drive the wrong way down a one-way road, would you? Then why
would you enter an exit only? Each and every one of us relies on the
other's adherence to established rules to keep an orderly procession
and while some rules may be a little more flexible than others,
turning head on into traffic because you're a douche isn't one of
them.
