The Chainlink

A mother engrossed in her phone...

...with her infant baby in the back seat was stopped at a red light on Halsted this morning.    I spotted her as I slowly rode up to red light at Monroe.  I shared with her the universal mime for 'hang up the phone' and gave her a thumbs up, too.  No finger.  No words.  Just a sarcastic smile.  I believe even when you're stopped at a red light, you're still driving -- driving distracted by your cellphone -- with your baby in the backseat.  

She didn't appreciate my mime, became irate and gave me the finger.  I can't recall if she yelled at me at this point, but it was clear she was furious.  

In hindsight, it was probably best that I keep my thoughts to myself, but instead I yelled what I was thinking: "Tell your friends.  Tell your friends that you were on your cellphone driving with your baby in the backseat."  I may have yelled it a few more times than necessary, but the idea of her telling her friends about her distracted driving with her baby in the backseat gave me such delight.  That and I didn't appreciate her giving me the finger.

So, the light turned green and we headed our merry way north down Halsted.  A few blocks later, as she passed me around Lake, she cruises by, windows down yelling something that I couldn't hear.  Then, at the red light at Halsted/Milwaukee/Grand, she waves her phone at me and yells out the passenger window, "I'll call the police!  You're harassing me!"  I yelled at her to go ahead and call the police.  Then I invited her again to tell her friends this very story.

As we headed out separate ways, her north on Halsted and me waiting for the light to change so I could head northwest down Milwaukee, I wondered: would she tell her friends about the time she was driving distracted by her cellphone down Halsted with her baby in the backseat?  If she does, I doubt she starts it the same way I do.  

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Permalink Reply by Jaik S. on September 19, 2013 at 12:02pm

If that's the case...I was harassing the yelling at a cab driver this morning for driving in the bike lane while I was riding to work.

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on September 19, 2013 at 12:24pm

On the plus side, maybe you saved her getting a ticket for using the phone.

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on September 19, 2013 at 12:28pm

Is there a point to the story?

Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on September 19, 2013 at 12:44pm

Think how much better the world would be if we all followed the rules AND minded our own business...

Permalink Reply by PFEggs on September 19, 2013 at 1:00pm

Good point.  Lesson learned.

Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on September 19, 2013 at 1:36pm

OP:

Permalink Reply by Drewbacca on September 19, 2013 at 6:14pm

Yes, a thumbs-up! Personally, I liked it. Two thumbs up to the OP!

notoriousDUG said:

Is there a point to the story?

Permalink Reply by Thedutchtouch on September 19, 2013 at 7:57pm
All you accomplished was giving a driver a reason to dislike cyclists. She was stopped at a red light, yes she was breaking a traffic law, but not at all affecting you or your life, and you harassed her unnecessarily.

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