Anthony Clarke: Stupid Things for Bad Reasons

(Make great stories).

Today, I was riding to Safeway on my beloved bicycle (I named it the S.S. Cavalry.), and I had my iPod on. I was listening to this great song, "The Bird and The Worm" by The Used, (protip: that's a link) which is a rather short song. A mere 3 minutes, 17 seconds in length (despite the video). I decided to challenge myself. To get all the way to safeway before the song ended.

Now, I don't bike slowly, and Safeway isn't exactly an epic journey, but even so, 3:17? Quite a challenge.

So, I biked along, feeling freaking epic as I did, and then I see the crosswalk isn't going my way. It's too busy being run over by cars. At a gap, I cross to the midsection, which lies in between a pair of islands (in other words, it was legal for me to be there). I sit there, thinking "shit, I'm not gonna make it," because the cars coming from the other direction continue. But, to my surprise, the prius in the front of the lane closest to me stops. Thanking him and whatever god there may be, I ride on.

Only to see a crossover in the next lane, flying towards me at 40 miles an hour.

The lady in the silver white car slams on the brakes, which really wasn't the greatest for the tires (but I'm not freaking complaining). She then starts yelling at me, from inside her car. Presumably, this was loud and audible, but the song was still playing. I pedal on. She pulls beside me (I'm on the sidewalk at this point) to continue yelling. I shrug, and respond, but quietly, so I doubt she knows that I took the prius stopping as a signal to go.

I told the story to everyone I met that night. Including you lot, now. Comments keep me warm at night.