Steel Coffin: Americas automobile Addiction
I was headed west on Washington approaching La Salle when a cab number 2022 went past me and then stopped in front of me with a fare exiting the cab from the traffic lane. There were three cars parked illegally in the bus lane that I was riding in the left hand portion of. Just as I got to the door it flew open in front of me (we have all heard this story). My left handlebar was barley clipped and I went over the handle bars. My handle bars got twisted and I could immediate feel my right elbow swelling. On Fryday I thought that the worst of it would be abrasions, more on this later. As I got up the cabbie drove away even though I yelled at him to stop. The fare, this young guy wearing Dockers and a golf shirt comes up to me handing me a twenty dollar bill trying to make amends. As the cab drove away I saw him putting four twenties into his Dockers. I told him to "empty his pockets". I then went on with the fact that I had seen him with 4 $20 bills and I wanted him to "empty his pockets". Now I am a total nonviolent person but I could tell that this guy was actually scared of me and the fact that I was six inches taller and wearing sunglasses that he could not see through and my helmet and ready to throw my bike at him gave me a certain amount of pleasure. At this point he started to walk away and I grabbed him by the should and spun him around and put my face right in his. Just then one of these sightseeing trolleys pulls up and the driver sakes if I want him to call the police. I asked if he could hang out for a second and he does. I repeat "empty your pockets). He keeps saying that my bike is OK and that it was no big deal. I keep showing him my bleeding elbow and leaning over into his face repeating my new mantra "empty your pockets". Mr. Docker then reaches into his pocket where I see a crisp $100 bill. I then inform him that I had just seen his C-note and that I was letting him off easy with $80. He hemmed and hawed and then offered me $60 I said "settled" and he did not understand me second and then just forked it over. I then thanked the trolley diver for stopping, he had had his cell phone in hand the whole time. As I was straightening out my handlebars Mr. Docker has the stones to ask me if I know where he has to go to sign up for this shoot the bull 3 on 3 basket ball tournament. I then understood why he was getting out of the cab in a traffic lane, he had no idea where he was. When I woke up on Saturday my whole right side was sore but the swelling in my elbow had gone down considerably. I spent the day napping. Sunday when I awoke I much less sore but I now was stiff on the left side of my neck, no doubt I had been over compensating all day Saturday. My abrasions were completely cool by Sunday morning but to my horror I discover something floating across my left eye. Very disturbing. It is for this reason that I will most likely pursue the cabbie and the owner of the cab.