It’s been awhile since I’ve had a chance to post any videos from my recent rides.
I ended up deleting most of them this past month as I worked to catch up from my recent involuntary computer downtime. And anything that didn’t seem all that dramatic didn’t make the cut.
But here are a few that did.
First up, as happens far too often, a driver speeds up to pass me on Abbot Kinney, then cuts in front of me to make a right turn. He might have gotten away with it if he hadn’t had to stop short to let a pedestrian cross the street he was turning onto.
If I didn’t have good brakes — thanks Chris! — and more importantly, been prepared to use them, this could have had a different outcome.
Note to drivers — never count on a best case scenario to complete a move you shouldn’t have started in the first place.
Then there’s this one taken the same day while riding past the VA hospital in Brentwood, in which I discover just how it feels to be invisible, by nearly rear-ending a driver who pulled out directly in front of me.
Same notes about good brakes and preparation, same thank you to Chris, formerly of the Westwood Helen’s and now a rockstar bike buyer in the Santa Monica store.
And by the way Chris, if you ever need someone to review anything…
Finally, my videos tend to focus on stupid driver tricks, simply because that’s what I usually encounter on the streets. And what shows up well on video.
Trust me, I wish the video of the idiot who nearly t-boned me Thursday by making a left into the bike lane I was riding in on San Vicente had come out better so I could show it to you. But even though he finally stopped about a foot from my left hip, I was looking straight ahead at the time trying to get the hell away from him.
And the camera doesn’t show what I’m not looking at.
But riding north on Ocean through downtown Santa Monica that same day, I was annoyed to find a parking enforcement officer cruising in the bike lane ahead of me, and started searching for a break in traffic to go around him.
Until he evidently noticed me in his rear view mirror, that is, and courteously — and safely — pulled out of my way to let me pass.
And no, he wasn’t pulling over to write a ticket; he gave me a wave as I passed, then pulled back in behind me once I was out of the way.
Note to the City of Santa Monica — if you can identify this guy from the video, give him a medal or a commendation or something.
He makes your city look damn good.
If only all your parking officers — let alone drivers — would follow his lead, the streets would be a much safer place for all of us.
