In fact, they are considered so lucky, they are often kept as pets.

I am here to apologize…

I did something really foolish the other day. I managed to maneuver my 2200 lb. cage over and into the path of a motorcycle driver. My fault… I totally accept responsibility and want to sincerely apologize to the driver of the Ninja that I almost had the accident with.

The fact that the motorcycles front headlight was not on is not an issue. The tennis shoes the driver was wearing should have been more than enough to catch my eye. His small neon green colored back pack should have registered in my rear view like a beacon, not to mention the white little half-shell helmet the driver had positioned on the top of his head. I will, however, take exception to his use of dark docker pants and black non-reflective jacket as a possible reason I might have moved over on top of him.

Speed was also not an issue. I was in stop and go traffic and was getting annoyed at the “blue hair” in front of me that allowed the full length of a football field to open up between her vehicle and the 18-wheeler in front of her. As I crept along at barely three miles an hour, I saw an opening and maneuvered left to another lane. That’s when I moved over onto the motorcycle driver that was splitting traffic at about 40+ miles per hour.

His horn sounded… there was skid of tires… shouts of obscenities… I was totally at fault. Thankfully, I was able to move quickly ahead into the other lane giving the rider enough room to adjust…

Totally and unequivocally my fault, no pun or humor intended. I allowed myself to get distracted and annoyed and almost removed a fellow rider from the street. I sincerely apologize… humbly…

After a short amount of time to allow for my “near-miss adrenaline rush” and outright anger to subside, I started reflecting on the incident. Here are my thoughts…

No matter what… no matter when… as any kind of vehicle driver, I have to be constantly aware of what is happening around me and pay special attention to the fact that there are motorcycle drivers (and vehicle drivers for that matter) out there who may not have the type of machine under them that I have. They may not be as well protected or visible when they ride a motorcycle as I am. They may in fact, be doing something totally stupid and expect everyone else to watch out for them, unlike many of the drivers I know.

As a motorcycle owner/driver, I must be constantly aware and watch for those who like to live life on a very fine edge.

I must remember that these people carry a pet cricket in their pocket.

Until next week…