On a sunny Sunday afternoon, I was going down the twisty road of Palos Verdes East. It is an awesome, fast descent well worth the 2-mile switchbacks you have to climb before that.
The patch of Palos Verdes East I was riding is a 2 way street (one lane going up and one lane going down) with no bike lane. Not only was there no bike lane, there wasn't really any shoulder to ride on. The shoulder was about 6" wide and covered in mud and sand making it very slippery. So, to be safe, I was riding in the lane. It is my right as a cyclist to take up as much of a lane as I need to ride safely at my discretion. I'm not doing anything illegal here.
Things got really hairy after I heard the car honking behind me. While I know my rights as a cyclist, I also know some people really don't like cyclists and don't want to hear about our "rights," and those people usually don't have the patience to drive behind us. Therefore, I scooted over to stay close to the white line so the car could pass me. They don't have to deal with me, and I don't have to deal with them. It's a win-win for both of us. Right? I was trying to be nice by "sharing the road." But the asshole driver did not stop honking. He kept honking more and more and drove up next to me. Next thing I know, he started to drive closer to me so I had to move over onto the white line and into the non-existing, slippery shoulder. As I rode on the white line with the reflector bumps, I almost lost control. Who knows what might have happened if I crashed. I might have slid in front of the truck and become the biggest roadkill of the day. I might have flipped over the fence and fallen off the cliff like Frank Schleck. Fortunately nothing happened. I held onto my bike and slowed down enough to let the asshole go (as I screamed obscenity at him, of course.)
I was angry at first, of course. But soon after, I was really scared. I was shaking.
While I'm an adrenaline junkie and seek out thrills and speed in crazy sports, I know I am very cautious and safe when it comes to all my so-called "dangerous" sports like cycling and snowboarding. I've never been afraid for my life while participating in these sports. Unfortunately though, no matter how safe and careful you are as a cyclist, there are bad, stupid, evil assholes out there who don't respect the law, or more importantly, your life. And, that's just how it is.
It is my biggest regret now that I didn't think to look at his license plate number. I was so desperate trying not to crash I didn't even think about it till much later. We can be only so careful, and these assholes won't stop harassing people. All we can do is to take their plate numbers and tell the cycling community to watch out and let the law enforcement do their work and build up a case against them.
I don't mean to scare you with this post, and I'm definitely not saying that you shouldn't ride on PV at all. As a matter of fact, you SHOULD ride the PV loop! It is a beautiful ride, and it's one of my very favorite rides. But, know that the crazies are out there, and you need to protect yourself. Be ready for anything... and if you see an aggressive driver harassing the cyclist(s), let the local police know. And, I hope one day, the drivers and cyclists can really coexist on the streets of Los Angeles. Until then... Ride safe!
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