Do you flirt with a slab?

Much of the Brew City streets are littered with what is know as "the slab"I just made that up. On occasion it can come out and bite when it needs to feed during the summer months. However, during the cold hard winter it turns rabid with a constant desire to chew on 23's. I have yet to encounter a winter where "the slab" hasn't taken me down at least once.

Thanks to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, I carry this subtle discomfort when making my daily commutes through town. Every so often a slab will try to suck my wheel in, as if to say "See ya next winter!".

In order to cope, I kind of make a game out of it. Like "the Slab" is a real sexy sLaB...you know? With long L's and nice B's. I'll do a little flirting here and there, never revealing my true disgust. Kind of like a tease: Lateral bunny hops, Sometimes just a little lift of the front wheel, even a fake "ignore". Yup, a f a k e ignooore.

Windlake is the route of choice on most mornings and is also where most of my flirting takes place. It is a wide and quiet street that creates the shortest distance from my A to my B1. This morning's turn in question is this very nice and wide 100 degree turn that carries me from easterly(pre-turn) to north-northeasterly(post-turn). Keep in mind that I OWN this street because I take it close to 4 days per week. Huh!

While at the apex of the turn, I always stay out of the "curb lane" and creep to about the center of the with-traffic lane. As you can see above, dirt, gravel and glass keep not only me, but everything out of the outer "curb lane". I also stay to the left of the outer most man hole cover(again, above). Wouldn't you?

Ok. At 8:08am I exit the turn. BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!!!!!!!! I immediately look up(as if I ride looking down) to see if there is any oncoming traffic. Low and behold there is none. Wohoo! I sit up, put my arms out and looked to my left. I begin to signal the women through much like I did during my days as an Air Traffic Controller. Very sarcastically I might add due to the fact She had not only 3/4 of her lane, but the entire oncoming traffic lane as well to make a safe pass.

We spent the next 30 seconds riding side by side and barking back and forth:

Me: Make the Pass! You got the room!

Her: Curb Lane! get in the Curb lane!

Me: "Put that cigarette out and both your hands on the wheel!"

Her: Oh Yeah! keep in mind I am riding no handed :)

She stormed off hoping to never to see me again. Well, as fate would have it. I stroll up to a red light only two intersections later. There she was - round 2.

I place my hand on the her door and lean into her open window:

"Why on earth to need to pass me on the inside of a turn?!?!"

She replies: "This is why I hate you guys, you think you own the road!"

Well. I am pretty sure I wasn't at fault for riding the way I was. I am certain she wasn't at fault either for beeping her horn. I put it as, we both just needed to let off a little bit steam. And that is how my morning ended.

Nice