coffeejo
Ælfrēd
- Location
- West Somerset
Earlier this evening, I was waiting for the lights to turn green at a junction, when I saw a young lad cycle onto the pavement to avoid the lights. I mumbled something under my breath but promptly forgot all about him. A few minutes later, however, making my way up the road, I saw him just ahead and since he isn't the world's speediest specimen on two wheels, I easily pulled past him. Again, his existence fell out of my head until I pulled up at some more traffic lights and he cycled straight through them.
I muttered something even more uncomplimentary, a little louder this time, and pulled smartly away as soon as the light turned green. I won't say that I made a particular effort to catch him up, but I didn't exactly take it easy, either.
Anyway, it wasn't long before I had him in my sights and I was rapidly closing the gap when he suddenly sat a little straighter in the saddle, pulled his shoulders back and put some real effort into turning his pedals. The reason for this sudden shift was not due to my chasing him, but was in fact walking down the pavement on the other side of the road. A gaggle of teenage girls, wearing the barest minimum and making sure the world knew it.
The timing could not have been more perfect.
A quick glance over my shoulder revealed an empty road behind us. I pulled out, put my legs into action and sailed past him at the very moment he looked over to make eye contact.
My hearing isn't brilliant, so I didn't quite catch what he said as I left him in my wake, but judging from the peals of laughter coming from the other side of the road, I suspect that his attempt to MTFU was dashed into a thousand pieces by someone who, alas, is frequently mis-identified as a twelve year old boy, especially when wearing denim cut offs.
I muttered something even more uncomplimentary, a little louder this time, and pulled smartly away as soon as the light turned green. I won't say that I made a particular effort to catch him up, but I didn't exactly take it easy, either.
Anyway, it wasn't long before I had him in my sights and I was rapidly closing the gap when he suddenly sat a little straighter in the saddle, pulled his shoulders back and put some real effort into turning his pedals. The reason for this sudden shift was not due to my chasing him, but was in fact walking down the pavement on the other side of the road. A gaggle of teenage girls, wearing the barest minimum and making sure the world knew it.
The timing could not have been more perfect.
A quick glance over my shoulder revealed an empty road behind us. I pulled out, put my legs into action and sailed past him at the very moment he looked over to make eye contact.
My hearing isn't brilliant, so I didn't quite catch what he said as I left him in my wake, but judging from the peals of laughter coming from the other side of the road, I suspect that his attempt to MTFU was dashed into a thousand pieces by someone who, alas, is frequently mis-identified as a twelve year old boy, especially when wearing denim cut offs.
