Look Out Guy

I run red lights while biking home after work. I'm as careful as possible. I look for traffic, even coming the wrong way down a one-way street. I check for pedestrians and other cyclists, and if it's safe I'll go. I make sure there's enough room for me to cross in front of oncoming traffic even if my chain falls off, but I assume I can run pretty fast if my life is on the line, so it's not like I'm too, too far out front. Sometimes, after making sure it's safe, I'll stand up and pedal a couple times, then look over and see that I'm way out in front of the oncoming traffic and I know I'll make it without incident, but then I look back and the person on the huge old rusted out cruiser that was standing next to me at the red light has also started pedaling. Perhaps because they saw me take off and assumed our light had turned green, but now they're nearing the middle of the street and there are still cars coming. I always think, "Uh oh, I just killed that person." So far none of them have died, or even gotten hit. And after they make it I think, "Well, if they had gotten hit, I'm not even sure it would have been my fault."

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