Now HERE's something you don't see (or do!) every day...

[out_spokin']

Bicyclist saves motorist? Girl gets boy out of a big jam?

So late this afternoon I'm on the trail, commuting home at dusk. I approach a major intersection, 2 lanes each of high-speed traffic parallel to the trail, 2 lanes and a turning lane each way intersecting the highway. In the left-most (thru) lane, a minivan is stuck at the light, driver anxiously trying to restart the engine while also starting to get out of the car.

I watch the almost instant road rage form around him. By the time I get the signal and cross in front of him he's given up on starting the car and is half pushing, half steering, not getting ANYWHERE. I ditch my bike and backpack on the far side, run back to the middle lane, and let him know I'll help. There's no good solution, but the only realistic one is to jump at the green light, push the car a bit ahead, turn into the right thru lane, then aim it right down the highway and get it far enough down the turning/acceleration lane so that drivers turning right onto the highway have enough room to avoid the van and safely merge.

So just me, with biking duds, helmet, lobster gloves and all, getting up to a run and pushing this guy's van into the shoulder, highly aware that I'm counting on the other motorists to be safe (I think the novelty of the situation helped!) as I did my best to position myself on the most protected side of the van. I then jumped the fence, jogged back to get my bike, and rode back up to ask the driver if he needed a phone. He thanked me enthusiastically and showed me he'd already started dialing his phone, and I rode down the trail into the twilight, blinky red lights leaving the scene of a most unusual encounter.

[Melalvai]

A damsel on your trusty steed saving the knight in distress.

[OakLeaf]

What Mel said! Good job.

[Chicken Little]

You are brave- I always feel like a bowling pin out in the road on foot. Everybody is out to get me!

[Biciclista]

great story, thanks for being a good citizen!

[Trek420]

Great story! And good thinking, positioning yourself and him where you are safest. That's one driver and perhaps other drivers who saw this who will be protective of and thankful for riders.

You just don't see drivers doing this kind of thing often, but we do!

[out_spokin']

A damsel on your trusty steed saving the knight in distress.

THIS cracks me up!!

And yeah, I often wear my "good citizen cyclist" hat (helmet, really ) when I stop at stoplights, greet pedestrians, etc, but I can't help but hope that this guy and maybe even a motorist witness will bear extra goodwill towards cyclists going forward.

[maillotpois]

Great story!

[lph]

w00t! GREAT story, I love it!

[marni]

yay for bikers I always say.

[PamNY]

Excellent story! Thanks for sharing.

[JennK13]

Great story!

[Bike Chick]

Good for you! You gave all cyclists a good name by helping out. Perhaps the stranded motorist was someone who honked or cussed bicyclists and your good deed served to change his mind.

[smilingcat]

Love the story!!! How grand was that!