this morning I made a few risky moves... the tailgating unmarked police car was stealing too much of my attention

this little map shows a bit of my morning route
avoiding Georgia Avenue and the Morning Rush Hour Traffic
each morning I contend with the same set of variables
it can be easy to predict that car drivers will act without factoring the cyclist into the equation

so... down 3rd Street
onto New Hampshire Avenue
New Hampshire has bike lanes
cars are pulling out of their parking spaces
cars headed the same direction as me take right hand turns without factoring in Bike Lane Traffic

onto Grant Circle than onto 5th Steet
cars dodge potholes without factoring in the guy on the bicycle
the bike lane is not he sanctuary that people think it is
approaching Randolph Road all cars swerve into the bike lane avoiding potholes

I avoid potholes and cars
then onto 5th Street past Quincy I take the full lane and ignore the bike lane
too many cars coming onto 5th from side streets stopping after the stop line... never knowing if they will make a complete stop
too many cars dipping into the bike lane to take their right hand turns
too many risks with car doors opening... people stepping out... cars pulling out... for me to ride in the bike lane

I take the full lane
the emotions of the car drivers passing on the left are not hard to decipher
they are irked by me
I am irked by them
but really... my safety is more important then their feeling about me
this is not a popularity contest 
and really
I am not looking for their approval
their respect would be nice... but that is asking too much


at one point on 5th Street as I pass the Armed Forces Retirement Home on my left
there is no time to daydream about DCCX
there is an open lane to the left
why does this car not pass me
I am not pedaling full throttle
coasting a bit I glance back
at first glance I do not realize it is an unmarked police car

only when I move to the center lane pushing the yellow light then running the red do I see the tags
the DC on the tags have me thinking that this is a DC Police car
my running the light was debatable
their driving actions were nothing short of suspect

as I arc the turn on Park Place passing Kenyon merging traffic does not yeild to me
had I not adjusted
I would be typing this from a hospital bed rather than from my desk at work
the cop is still behind me

now I run a light a little more sketchy than I should
but I am angry
I want the officer to pull me over
I would question why they harass me instead of protecting me
that car was out of line... the PEST CONTROL car that merged but did not yield is a menace

running that light...
I lose my tail
the cop is behind me
stuck at the intersection

I forget about all of this until I break for lunch and type this to you

PUBLISH AND POST without a glance