Almost got run over this evening

Not while riding my bike, but just crossing the street on foot. It's one of the smaller ones that intersect the busy stretch of E John St as it slopes from Broadway to downtown Seattle. Some asshole in a BMW made a turn at an insane speed. If I hadn't quickly jogged a few paces when I saw him coming at me, I might be missing a leg or two right now.

I just glared. I wish I'd had the presence of mind to curse at him or something.

There's just too many goddamn cars in this city. I've spent as much as an hour driving around looking for street parking in Capitol Hill. Lately, I've been thinking of getting rid of my car altogether. Bike lanes help out a bit to get around in congestation, but there's not nearly enough of them.

And drivers are fucking insane. The worst are the SUVs who will do anything to shave 20 precious seconds from their trip. I am absolutely convinced SUVs encourage people to be oblivious to what happens around them. That's what happens when you have the security of a tank. I mean, in an accident, it's someone else who will probably get hurt, not them. And it's not just bikes who are put in danger but pedestrians also.

I always seem to read that Seattle is great for getting around on a bike. But it's all relative. That may be true compared to say, Manhattan or Los Angeles, but it pales in comparison to places like Portland or Bellingham.