Stupid %#$@! Redneck Pick-Up Driver

Ok if you know me well you know that I do not generally curse or call people names (at least not out loud) but tonight was one of the exceptions. Grrrrrr...But let me start at the beginning of what was mostly a very nice evening.

Dave and I were headed to the Chipotle in Havertown to help our friend Kristie raise money toward her efforts to go to Nicaragua with Buildon. I wanted to get some bike time in tonight as well. So I left on my bike and asked Dave to time his arrival for 45 minutes later. I mapped a route and off I went.

There was no way around spending some time on Route 1/Township Line Road for a bit but I had been on this same stretch of road on Saturday when I rode to my sister's soccer game. 5 pm on Tuesday has a different traffic volume than 9 am on Saturday but the shoulder is wide for most of the ride and I never felt unsafe. Drivers were courteous and I was paying attention to where I was. Still, I was happy to make a right on to quieter residential streets shortly after passing the State Road cut off.

Then I travelled mostly Marvine Road which runs parallel to Township Line (RT 1) through to Lansdowne Avenue. Every intersection has a stop sign which was a nuisance but every driver I met there was courteous and let me go on my turn. Two actually waved me ahead of their turn which they certainly did not have to do and I appreciated it all the more.

The left turn onto Lansdowne Avenue was not fun. I got off and walked across, then went right back on to Route 1 and - according to the mapping program - the restaurant should have been a block down on the left.

It wasn't.

When I first saw the map I had trouble picturing a restaurant where it said it would be. I called Kristie to get help. She wasn't sure where to go from where I was so she was going to check and call me back. Before she was able to do that, a kind woman pedestrian stopped and offered assistance. The woman told me I wasn't the first to be sent the wrong way. The restaurant was brand new as was the shopping center and the mapping programs weren't quite on board yet. No worries I turned around and headed the right way. Again on Route 1, again having to cross Lansdowne but never feeling unsafe. I was very aware of the traffic but everyone behaved so it was all good.

I arrived at the shopping center and navigated my way through it. I came to a stop sign and stopped. The car at 90 degrees - which was their first - went through. I looked one more time to be sure and saw a pick up coming the other direction to the  stop sign. He wasn't close to the stop sign yet. I proceeded through. Pick up not only decided to ignore the stop sign AND cut the corner so when I reached halfway across he was headed right for me. I shouted, he stopped. Then he proceeded to roll down his window and scold me. I was FURIOUS. (and scared and shaking). I yelled right back at him. "I was there first!" (by a long shot) "Yeah, well you are gonna be the first to get killed" was his reply and he drove off.

Sheesh! Dave arrived shortly thereafter. We put my bike in the van, had a nice meal with friends for a good cause and Dave drove me home. I was calmed down enough by the end of dinner to cycle home but it was getting dark and I don't have front light yet. Plus the temps tonight were right on the edge of where my ears hurt in the wind. I needed covering.

Still with the messed up direction to the restaurant I put in 8.5 good miles. Riding was the perfect follow up to extended hip opening work we did in yoga class last night that left me a bit sore this morning. It was a good ride and a good evening ... except for Stupid %#$@! Redneck Pick-Up Driver.

There were way more nice drivers on the road than him. Thank goodness.