Weekly Near-Death Experiences

[SpeedRacerOnline]

- It seems like I have at least one near-death experience every week when riding. My commute is a pretty simple one; through a small rural city (~4,000 people), around a curve by the airport, 30 miles of almost perfectly straight and mostly flat 2-lane highway, then 2 miles into a larger city. The most naturally dangerous part about it is the curve by the airport where deer cross frequently, so I'm always extra careful there. Aside from that, such a simple commute should be safe and easy...but peepel iz dum.

- Yesterday, as I was going around the airport curve (after the deer section), I saw someone coming to a stop sign on a side road. They were moving fast enough that I expected they weren't going to stop (happens a lot in our area), so I let off the throttle. Then, I saw the driver look my direction, hit the brakes quickly, and stop at the intersection. "Oh good! Now I can move on" ...only the idiot stops, and just as quickly hit the gas again and pulled out in front of me! At that point, I didn't have time to stop, nor did I want to try to slide to a stop on a curve, and there was a car coming from the other direction...pretty much screwed. In a flash of God-given inspiration, I whipped the bike to the right of the van and managed to ride the 2-foot edge of pavement between the white line and the gravel around the curve and the van. I was SOOOO pissed...and terrified! It was another 10 minutes before I got home, and my wife knew something was wrong because I was still shaking. Looking back, though, I really wish I had a camera because when I play it back in my mind, that was some pretty good driving, if I do say so myself. I hope I never have to do it again, but I thank God He gave me the idea and ability to pull it off that time!

- So, how about you? Share your stories, and feel free to brag about the sweet moves you pulled at the last second to save yourself. You're alive; you've earned that right!