I’ve stayed away from documenting my close calls as of late because it’s the holiday season and I don’t want to make my mom upset(she worries, it’s kinda’ her job), but I can’t stay silent after the last week or so.

There has been ample discussion of drivers, my passionate distrust of school buses and minivans along with the perils of dodging hypodermic needles flying from windows but those close calls never really bothered me.  The one close call that I just can’t seem to let roll off my back is this one(repeatedly).

The pedestrian couple who can’t get out of their own way nevermind mine!  I’m sure this is not isolated to cycling, anyone can relate.  We’ve all dealt with them but on a bike it just seems a bit more dangerous.  Allow to paint the picture you’ve all seen a million times a regular looking (to mildly ragged looking) couple attempt to cross the street, nowhere near a cross walk or signal of any kind.  The young woman appears to have never crossed a street before and is entirely too anxious about her impending doom.  Meanwhile, her male companion is cool as a cucumber with complete disregard for the fact that the street is busy and dangerous.  He appears to have struck some sort of deal with the city that pays him by the minute for being in the street.  Inevitably, between his complete lack of urgency and her hyper active darting back and forth while repeatedly hurrying him across then pulling him back(which effectively means he is standing still about 1/4 across the road), I’m totally screwed.

If I stop, they aren’t going to go but if they do cross it’s at his snail’s pace of a walk.  Any sudden movements by me, such as swerving, only serves to send her into a further frenzy and increase the odds that she will run into me.

What ends up happening, you may ask?  I slow down, hold my line and split the uprights! I don’t know how but that’s how it almost always plays out and now I’ve just accepted it and actually aim for the human field goal.