Every Honk

I was out for a little night ride with my disco lights on board to try and tame some squalling new brakes and a car that was passing me gave a quick sharp honk as he passed me.

Now I've been honked at a lot. I'm guessing it's something that people that ride scooters, mopeds and motorcycles have in common. People can't really see them at least they can't see them as well as a two ton piece of metal that can make their car insurance and their leased car become more expensive. I used to take these honks as an insult.

"Get off the rode you gay mother fucking bi cycle rider!"

The thing is that when I'm in my car (the rare occasion that I'm actually in my car) I always want to give a little honk of encouragement. I don't because I'm sure they'd flip me off, but I always feel like I should do something.

I don't take honks as insults anymore because of this. I always just try and give a friendly little wave like they were just saying hello. This way if they are saying hello I'm not the asshole and if the person in the car is trying to be a dick and thinking "Hey buddy, it's not like this thing can go any slower. I know the speedometer goes as low as ten, but that doesn't mean I can actually drive that slow" they won't get the satisfaction of thinking that they made me mad. On this particular night, I was wearing an old boonie cover with the desert MARPAT. Along with the full beard, shants, and well the bicycle, I look like a crazy Iraq war vet, or Afghanistan vet. While I'm a vet, I've been to neither place and as far as the crazy is concerned you'll have to ask my shrink. 

I see every honk as encouragement no matter what, because that is what it is, encouragement. If the person is being nice and telling me "way to go," than I can feel proud of cycling around. If the person is being a complete sociopath on his way to a stroke, than I'll be even more motivated to ride my bike, so this asshole can't get home in time to see the beginning of "Dancing with the Stars."

Go mash some pedals and fuck the haters.