The Serenity of arrogance part 2
What emotion other than pure arrogance could allow a cyclist to be hit by two eggs thrown from a car and continue riding along with no reaction other than a mild fit of laughter? Well, perhaps there's a touch of cynicism (pragmatism?) in there too, I've been around here long enough not to expect much else.
Anyone who's cycled any number of kilometres in Queensland or specifically on the Gold Coast has probably experienced this at one time or another. A car passes the same as so many others do, but this time there's something different, something comes flying out the window. What's your reaction? Shock? Anger? Fear? Well, once you've experienced it a few times, those reactions become muted.
Sometimes there might be a mild irritation at not getting a licence number (although I could have done tonight if I'd really wanted to). However, one or two posts on the bike-qld list last week have finally convinced me that this would be a complete waste of time (I'll save the police the trouble of shredding the report because I'm benevolent), so the irritation is also muted.
What's there, is actually a form of amusement. Think about it, these cletii have hurled two eggs with all their might (well, there were more than two, but the others missed), and they still couldn't hurt a skinny little weakling like me! Nor could they ruin what had been a very beautiful ride, not to mention the eggs they wasted. It seems they didn't enjoy their night as much as I did, oh well. I guess someone has a "small one", something with which I sympathise not at all. Ha ha ha ha ha!
Still, it's only the second time I've had anything thrown at me this year, in a touch over 17,000km of riding. That's a pretty positive result by Gold Coast standards.
posted by Chris L @ 9:38 pm
3 Comments:
I had a water balloon thrown at me last week as I was cycling home.
I was in a back street and the water balloon missed completely.
The interesting thing was that as I went past a side street I saw the car. I slowed down and watched them. They spotted me and they seemed to be slowing right down but not stopping. The only reason anyone would have been in those streets is if they were heading home. I think they had seen me at the end of their street and they didn't want to stop at their house because then I'd know where they live. Maybe I'd tell mummy and daddy what they'd been up to or do something nasty to their car late at night.
They tried to scare me for a bit of fun. Without even trying I'm convinced I had them even more scared.
I win.
You know, that story reminds me of one incident I had on a blazing hot July day (yes, we get those here) in 2003. I'm trying desperately to cool down on a ride, and a bunch of morons come along and squirt me with a water pistol, somehow thinking this was going to bother me!
Sometimes I think being that stupid is punishment enough in itself.
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