A (Nameless) Public Shaming

Yesterday on my way into the radio station I encountered slow traffic on what is usually the best part of the ride in. There’ s a lovely wide curve on a decline of Springbank after Commissioners Road and it’s normally ripe for a little acceleration and “wheee!” from my inner child. For whatever reason yesterday, it was stop and go. So I stopped and I went like everyone else. A Mini Cooper pulled in behind me off a side street and the woman behind the wheel apparently decided that the single eastbound lane had enough room for both of us; she pulled up beside me on my right, and continued to drive alongside. Her driver door was inches from my pantleg.

My mood went from peaceful to furious in an instant. I honked and I yelled “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”. She gave a meek little wave and eased back behind me. Her license number stuck in my head without even trying: NUC MED1. I have no way of knowing whether she had some sort of Monday morning brain fart or was so impatient about the slow traffic that she simply didn’t give a crap that I was riding a vehicle with virtually no protective qualities or whether she has no idea about the rules of the road but what she did was dangerous. She encroached on my space. I have a right to the entire lane, not just the far left side of it. She is extremely lucky that I hadn’t decided to move to the centre of the lane, which is my absolute right, as she pulled up alongside me. It’s no exaggeration to say I was steaming mad and probably would have punched her, given the chance. I have very little tolerance for people whose stupidity puts me in peril. In NASCAR terms she was Kyle Busch and I wanted to go all Kevin Harvick on her.

The incident passed and she stayed behind me until her turn, a few blocks along. There will be no ticket, no tangible evidence that she made such a bad move. Maybe this is her thing, when she gets to motorcycles she thinks a mini and a moto should pair up? She’s wrong, of course. And she needs to know that. So, NUC MED1, here’s your public shaming! You’re dangerous and your stupid (impatient?) move could have cost me dearly, and I’m not talking about dollars. I have always believed that too many people are given the so-called privilege to drive a vehicle and you have just proved me right.

2 thoughts on “A (Nameless) Public Shaming”

  1. Truly glad your safe and survived this near miss. NUC MED1, likely is suffering with spring fever which causes tunnel vision with the result she likely didn’t anticipate anyone being out on a motorcycle this early in the season.

    I’m not trying to make excuses for NUC MED1, she clearly was in the wrong.

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