You know, I don't think that was my fault man

I had to go to the doctor today to get my prescriptions renewed.  She likes me to check in every few months to make sure everything is working properly and I'm still doing well.

I left her office a little before five and got ready to leave the parking lot.  I backed out and I'm cruising along at about 8 miles an hour, looking for a CD for the kids.  I like to leave the location via an exit where I can turn left on a quieter street to an intersection where I can turn left with a signal across a very busy street.

As I'm motoring towards the exit I like to use, there's a place where I have to go into a curved section of road into another parking lot.  Basically,  I make a right to go the direction I want to go. As I'm approaching this turn, I see a man on a bicycle in a bright yellow shirt behind me, he's also in the parking lot.  But he's a good distance behind me so I go ahead and make my right.


After I made my right turn, the guy in the yellow shirt on his bike is right behind me waving his arms around.  I frown at this, because where the hell did he come from?  He was back THERE.

I get to the exit I like and he pushes his way through some dead tree branches to come up to my passenger window so he may yell "What? You don't see me?"  I considered yelling "What?  You don't see my bright blue CAR that was IN FRONT OF YOU?"

But I had my kids with me and I didn't want to get into it with him. I said "I'm sorry" he looked at me some more I said "I apologize" and he rode off.

On the way home I really thought about what happened.  It's not my goal to almost hit a person who is trying to reduce their carbon footprint and stay in shape at the same time.  I know that Austin is a big bicycle town and it's important to keep an eye out for them.  So, I thought about it and wondered if I could have done something differently.

I had checked my mirror before I turned, he was very definitely behind me and to my left.  I was going really slow, even if I was driving a fast parking lot speed, it would be 15 miles an hour.  I know a cyclist could easily pedal that fast.  I think what happened is that he tried to get in front of me on my left and didn't make it.  

Then he got mad.  And that's fine.   I understand you get frustrated because cars don't look, don't share the road, won't move enough to the left so you can ride safely.  I know I need to share the road and that I am not the only vehicle on the streets. But, um, aren't you supposed to share too?  Dude, I ask again, did you not see my CAR in FRONT of you?

Amanda's beauty tip of the day:  If your white anklets are looking dingy and you don't like bleach, boil them with a lemon wedge.  Make sure your dirty socks aren't taking attention away from those kickin' stompers!