Famous Last Thoughts

We had a snowstorm of mammoth proportions slam into Toronto today. Snow and ice pellets arrived about 2 pm. We've got freezing rain as of now. I decided to wait until 6:15 to leave work because the streets were a parking lot.

I made reasonable time considering I was in second gear the whole way home.

As I approached the last major intersection before the turn off for my house, I thought to myself "Hey. That wasn't a bad drive at all." I proceeded through the intersection and having no cars on my right, still did a quick shoulder check and moved into the right lane.

I'm driving for about five seconds when all of a sudden I hear some pounding noise. My first thought was that I'd run over something, until I realized it was coming from the back right of my car. I turn around and it was some dude on a bike.

Yes, it's a major winter storm and IT'S SOME DUDE ON HIS BIKE.

My next thought was "Where the heck did you come from?"

I think he was alright though. I observed in my rearview that he certainly had enough wherewithal to give me the finger while he continued riding.

I'm ranging between feeling bad I scared him [I certainly don't blame him for the pounding. I would have done the same thing.] and feeling profoundly annoyed that he was

1. Stupid enough to be on a bike at night in the middle of a raging snow storm
2. Had no lights on his bike at all
3. Was wearing all dark outer gear.

That being said, he was at least one up on the other guy I passed. He had all the above AND headphones on.

He was moving at a fair clip. It was no mamby pamby bike, so I suspect what happened was that as I moved into the next lane, he sped up and ended up in my blind spot.

The Marine was a bike courier for several years, rain or shine. I asked him what he thought about this. He said that frankly this guy's an adult. If he doesn't get that biking in a snow storm at night with no lights and dark clothes is a bad idea, that's his problem.

Well said Marine.

And at least there's always The Hoff to help ease the pain.