Monday, March 1, 2010

Scorn in the USA

Once I left the relative safety of riding in Iraq, I knew it was just a matter of time before someone would swear at me, swerve at me or otherwise threaten me while I was riding a bike. It happened today in Orlando. I was riding on the shoulder of a 4-lane road and the passenger in a beat-up black Ford Focus called me a "Faggot M-F" or something like that. I am sure of the faggot part.

In an irony I am sure was lost on mid-20s losers in the car, there was nothing about their pasty faces that said military, so while they were accusing me of being some sort of sissy for wearing spandex, I was in Iraq last year and they were in their mom's basement trying to figure out who where they could get money for gas and beer.

Riding here also reminded me of Iraq. I rode for miles yesterday and today against a 15 to 20 mph steady wind and a completely flat road. The scenery was better than Iraq but the drivers are much worse. Even so, I prefer Orlando to Iraq because I can leave Orlando.

2 comments:

  1. I laugh in the face of people like that...what have they accomplished in life? I also wonder what it must be like to hate my life so much I have to project on a daily commute to my drug dealers house.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I would laugh except the bozos in question have a 3000-pound vehicle and I have a 20-pound vehicle.

    ReplyDelete

Back in Panama: Finding Better Roads

  Today is the seventh day since I arrived in Panama.  After some very difficult rides back in August, I have found better roads and hope to...