A Red Ford Ranger

I spent a tiny potion of my afternoon reading up on the bike laws here in Miami. I feel it's only a matter of time before something happens where I get pulled over or am cited for a violation.
"Brett, please, you're not going to get a citation on a bike."
Yeah, well listen to this. Miami has a campaign going on to educate motorists on how not to react to cyclists. It's not working, but I'll talk about that later. First, a recent cyclist was given a citation for doing exactly what the advertisement was trying to show. Here is the advertisement. . The violation in question was that the guy was blocking the lane, which the advertisement, from the city, says is OK. He was told to move over to the right or ride on the sidewalk. Riding on the sidewalk, while legal in the state of Florida (except for when local ordinances preside) is just stupid. On my route to school, I pass through two school zones which have four schools in them. Me riding on the sidewalk puts erratic little kids and their sweet Latin grandparents at risk. I'm also clipped in and often cannot see around bus stops other oblivious bikers who do not pay attention.
All of that said, people on the road here for the most part tolerate me, at best. There are a few who do not like me. These people are the ones that cause problems, like today. One stupid,yes stupid, driver put a lot of people at risk today. One guy on a minivan tried to switch lanes at a traffic light causing a red Ford Ranger to slam on his breaks, and then me locking up mine. It wasn't enough and I clipped the back of the truck and nearly into that minivan. I was able to un-clip myself and lucky for me the guy in the minivan had his window down.......

Bloggers note: I consider myself a nice guy. But when I ride my bike I become something that sometimes surprises me. The other day I yelled at a woman in a blue CRV. It was like my 'survive at all cost' personality came out. The scenario was set up like this; I was in the left turn lane waiting for the light to change. I was the lead vehicle turning into a two lane road. As that lead vehicle I have the choice to which lane I want to turn. I chose the right lane, as I always do. Well the woman behind me decided to floor it to try and get in front of me in that same right lane. So picture me going to the right lane and she, going much faster, in a heavier vehicle, behind me into that same right lane. She tried to not make eye contact but after the third "HEY!!!" she finally looked up and then there was an exchange of words. Of course I can't lip read Spanish. Back to the minivan.....

With his window down I proceeded to tell him that his actions were not appreciated and that they could potentially cause harm.


So, what I really want to say is this. Be mindful of cyclist. Yes I have a vehicle but I'm trying to save some cash and cut my carbon emissions by ten percent so I don't blow up. Also, you should try biking for trips under two miles.