Have you ever had a day when, when you get out on the road, it's like everything is trying to kill you? I had one of those days on my way to the Cape Breton Island Film Series last night...
It was raining heavily and the wind was incredibly high: SSE 45 km/h, gusting to 71. Fortunately, that was mostly behind me biking back into town from work so it was, for the most part, a tailwind. However, the slight wind out of the east created a bit of a crosswind from time to time, so some of the gusts would push me around a bit. However, with the roads reasonably clear, it didn't seem dangerous, and it wasn't... at least until I hit downtown...
Upon turning east from the Esplanade onto Townsend, between there and Empire Studio 10, I had three incidents in rapid succession:
1. As I approached the intersection of Bentick and Townsend streets, a car started to enter the intersection. If I hadn't blasted my Air Zound, he would have cut right in front of me and I would have went over the hood. I had the right of way and I have a very bright light on my helmet. There's no way he didn't see me, even in the rain. He apparently just didn't realize how fast a bicycle can go...
2. At the intersection of Johnstone and Prince streets, a pedestrian was crossing in the crosswalk. Well, maybe he was a Ninja. Certainly seemed like it, dressed completely in black as he was. I didn't see him until I was less than three seconds away and, given the way none of the traffic was even slowing down for him, I don't think anyone else saw him, either. I came literally within centimeters of hitting this "invisible man." Good thing I pay close attention to my line of travel...
3. About 150 meters further, at the concrete divider next to Sobeys, I encountered a shopping cart in my lane. Apparently, it had been blown out of the Sobeys parking lot and into the street. There was no time to stop. I was in the left lane preparing for the turn into Prince Street Plaza and there was traffic in the right lane. All I could do was move over in the lane a bit. Fortunately, this was enough. I hit it, but at an angle so I just deflected it away instead of going over the bars.
I was never so glad to get off the road as I was then.
Wind and weather last night were nuts. :(
