Close Call

His bumper was a foot away from me on the bike and he wasn’t slowing down or changing direction, that kind of “close call”.

In over a year of cycle commuting this was only the 2nd close call and potentially the most dangerous. The 1st one was on Des Meurons where a lady pulled out of a back lane turning left and swung way over into my lane cutting me off bad enough that I had to hammer to a full stop. I thought she was going to hit the curb or go right over it! I saw it coming, but still no fun.

Tuesday morning I was heading into work early and was on the road at about 6:30 am expecting a quiet ride in. I’m just coming off Lomond Blvd. and about to turn right onto Paterson and I see this small off white 1/2 ton truck heading east on Patterson towards me. He’s already crossed the centre line and is cutting the corner like he’s Mario Andretti on a Formula One race course. I’m not exactly small, it’s pre-sunrise but already quite light our and I’ve got a high intensity blinker on the handle bars. I think he’ll see me and move over but no. Next thing I know my wheel is on the curb and his bumper goes by less than a foot away.

I look back and then he slows down and looks back. I can’t really see the person, the windows are tinted and we both carry on. It’s certainty an early morning wake up call. My mistake was assuming he’d see me and change course, a very bad assumption as it turns out. Sadly, it makes you start thinking about every motor vehicle as a threat.

I hope next time I’m quick enough to take more decisive and defensive actions to avoid a close encounter of the painful kind.