Every cyclist knows the feeling when you ride through an intersection or pass a driveway, and seeing the oncoming driver not see you. You immediately perk up and make yourself big, and then you try talk to the driver in your head by saying something like “you better look up and make eye contact w/ me”, and then something like “if you hit me I’m going to sue you for everything you’ve got”.
You might even be using some expletives in your head.
Yesterday at the least likely spot on my ride I was pushing myself at 26 mph in the hammer as hard as I could when this car shot out in front of me. On her damn cell phone the lady slams on her breaks when she sees me. This does nothing for me because she’s now completely tee’d me up, and I’m less than 20 feet away and closing. I squeeze as hard as I can on both breaks, and within a second my back tire skids out from under me and then the front tire putting me at a 45 degree angle, and perpendicular, sliding towards her car. My bike slowed and the forward momentum of my body pushed me backup to 90 degrees and I whipped my front wheel 90 degrees in hopes to recover parallel to the road. I missed breaking a leg, or worse, and her front bumper by a couple of inches.
My heart rate monitor spiked from 180 to 195 immediately and I couldn’t stop shaking. And when this lady pulled up next to me at the intersection she didn’t have the decency to roll down her window and apologize. So the light turned green and I gave her the bird as I went on my way.
This applies to everyone: get off the damn phone! There is no need to be talking on the phone when you drive. Wait until you get to your destination and make that call.
This week’s Rosie Award goes to people who drive while talking on the phone, and those damn girls who try and text message while driving. You know who you are!
At one point in my life I was huge Michael Vick fan; in part because he played at VT and because of his athletic abilities on the field. But now I have absolutely no respect for him or his family. He disgusts me!
I read a very interesting article by Mark Kriegel on FoxSports.com about Nike’s lack of corporate responsibility when it comes to the athletes they sponsor, and the chances of Vick ever winning the PR game of his life. Screw the Super Bowl, if he can’t prove to the public a clear path to innocence he will be crucified! Kreigel puts dog fighting in a very succinct light when he wrote:
Still, the fact is, there is no way for Vick to win here. Even if he wins in court, the damage will be severe. A bar fight, a substance abuse problem, all of that can be dealt with. But in the public’s mind, dogfighting is somewhere between wife-beating and the ultimate sin, point-shaving.
For the sports fanatic points shaving is an ultimate sin, but for a father and a husband being a wife-beater is disgusting.
A few hours after Kreigel’s post Nike announced they were suspending the release of any marketing communication regarding Vick’s new shoe, but not the release of the actual product. Nike you disgust me too. Vick does afford due process, but why don’t you send a clear message to athletes that their off the field images and the money they make are tied just as intrinsically to the image on the field? Why weren’t the shoes suspended? Change the name of the shoe! Sending such a message has nothing to do w/ due process, but everything to do with corporate responsibility (which they so proudly boast on their site). Very sad.
Vick and NIKE get the Rosie Award.
Dick pound gets my first ever Rosie award for sucking! The president of WADA opens his mouth and does nothing but destroy people’s reputation without warrant. He will be leaving WADA soon, but the damage has already been done. Read Washington Post columnist Sally Jenkins rant about Pound’s abuse at the bully pulpit.
Dick deserves a public flogging. Congratulations you have won the first ever Rosie award (Rosie awards are given to people, companies, ideas and products that I think suck).
