Actually, it was the bus that hit me.

I was riding downtown friday night, when I was officially hit by a Yavapai Tours bus. I was in the bike lane going straight through the fort valley road/humphreys street intersection headed to beaver street and downtown. Two yavapai tour buses were coming up behind me. The first one had plenty of room, and so he pulled ahead of me and went into the right turn lane, no problems.

Then, the second one, instead of waiting until I was at the light, pulled up beside me, and then swerved across the bike lane (which I was in) into the right turn lane. This slammed the bus into my left shoulder, and sent me across the right turn lane. Luckily, I kept control of the bike, but slammed my right foot onto the ground, and due to the flip-flops I was wearing, split open a nice gash on my right heel. I proceeded to come back around the front of the bus and give the driver a piece of my mind, to which he responded by honking at me, and inching forward as if to try and hit me again. I bolted when the light turned, and then tried to catch back up to him, only to drop a chain and have to walk my bike and my bleeding foot down to the bike shop to repair both items.

You know what blows my mind? I made eye contact with the driver right before he swerved over, so I know he saw me. What an asshole.

The unfortunate part of this is that I didn’t get a license plate number, and so the cops can’t really do anything about it. It’s been a while since I was run off the road by a car, but it’s definitely a first that somebody who drives people around for a living would be that much of an asshole. Not to say that your everyday driver has an excuse, but c’mon, this is your job. I’m sure all 75 people on that bus heard every expletive I shouted at him. I hope they at least stiff him on a tip for that.

I doubt they will.

I was fuming.

Scratch that, I still am.