bad driving friday

What is going on? is it a full moon or something?
In my 25 minute ride to work this morning I saw three completely stupid driving moments.

  1. Riding up my own street, when a 40ish woman in a silver Camry (WOJ750) approaches a stop sign, takes a look at me – literally 5 metres away, decides I’m no threat and pulls out in front of me as she flips the bird and then tears off down the street leaving me jamming my brakes and turning sharply to avoid being hit. I’m guessing she had just dropped her child at the catholic school down the street, so it’s likely I’ll see her again. Any suggestions on how I should greet her next time?
  2. Next, waiting at the Dawson Street crossing on the Upfield bike path. There’s only one car coming – a black Toyota Prado with its lights on (OK, so I should have spotted the signs then!). I see that the lights have turned yellow so I assume they’ll be stopping and turn my attention to crossing with my green light. The light turns green and I’m just about to start when I realise that instead of stopping, she’s gunned the Prado, through a now very red light, across the rail crossing and bike path at about 60km/h, shocking everyone around. All this right outside the Victoria Police Traffic Branch!
  3. Strike three was on Royal Parade, waiting with quite a crowd at the Cemetery Road lights. The lights change and everyone struggles to get going in the confines of an inadequate cycle lane when a MCC utility zooms through the left slip lane to pass a bunch of cars that haven’t got moving yet. Only missed my handlebars by about 30cm and driving at about 40km/h he had no idea whether one of those cyclists might wobble out of their lane. So much for the 1800-SAFETY bumper sticker!

Three very stupid people – no damage done, but the odds are it will happen one day.