Last Friday found me taking advantage of one of those nice, mild January afternoons that come and go at random around here. Which is another way of saying I went out on my bike. As usual, I had started out riding more or less into the breeze so I would have a tailwind coming home (I’m such a slacker).
As I rode toward home along a straight one-mile stretch of road, I saw two or three school buses and some other traffic coming from the opposite direction. We were getting pretty close together when the caution lights started flashing on the school bus in front. I just knew it was about to stop, and its red lights would flash and its robotic STOP sign would swing out, and I would lose all that lovely momentum because I am a real stickler for safety when it comes to children, so of course I was going to stop at the first movement of that robo-STOP sign. I sped up a little, hoping I might dive past the STOP sign before it swung out but, since the bus was clearly rolling to a stop, I kept my hands on the brake levers too.
You might as well know that relations between those on two wheels and those on four-plus wheels sometimes become… well… tense. I have had motorists yell “Get that thing off the road!!” at me, when I was bicycling on the shoulder of a highway and nowhere close to being in the way. And once when a pickup truck ran over and ruined my $1200 bike, the cop who came to the accident scene did not file a report. Probably thought Ms. Pickup had performed a public service. The point here is, I was not optimistic.
Then something amazing happened. The bus braked to a dead stop, still flashing yellow, and sat there for another two seconds as I scooted by. Only then did the driver engage the robo-STOP and red lights. A motorist — driving a school bus, no less –had waited for me (a mere cyclist) to pass, even though it meant holding up a string of other traffic.
I felt like the feathered protagonists in Make Way for Ducklings.
So thank you, Ms. Bus Driver. Your kindness has brightened my day and renewed my optimism about the neighborliness of my fellowman. Not to mention helping me maintain my killer average speed. (Well, okay, that last item is an exaggeration.) Anyway, it was such a beautiful thing that I wanted to pass it on.
Today I am linking up this bit of sunshine with my wonderful friends over at Soli Deo Gloria.
Thanks for reading!
Tailwinds,
Jan
Jan C Johnson, Writer 
As a driver, I admit that I sometimes become frustrated with bikers. However, I do come from a family of bikers and have a deep appreciation for the maintaining of speed that you’re talking about. I’m so glad you were blessed by the bus driver.
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Hi, Michelle! Thanks for taking time to stop by and comment.
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I have mixed feelings for bikers – especially after we hit two cyclists in Colorado. When I am driving (especially in Houston traffic) I get very irritated at bikers creating traffic jams on the roads or not following road rules. Bikers not following road rules caused our accident. As a human, I respect their right to have a safe place to ride. So I am always very cautious around bikers and try to go out of my way to avoid them at all costs! Jan, not only would I wait a few seconds before manning the robo-Stop Sign, I would probably go down another street!
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I know, Cindy… I don’t understand people who are old enough to drive, getting out there on bikes and disregarding the traffic laws. It isn’t hard; the same rules apply to bikes as cars, with a few slight modifications because of bikes’ lower speed. I think we should teach bicycle safety in elementary school, AND cover bike laws in driver’s ed courses. Mutual awareness and respect would go a long way.
Anyway, it’s nice to know that if I get run over it won’t be by you! Thanks for commenting!
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That’s so nice..I love those small, random acts of kindness. Sometimes they mean the most.
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Thank you, Erin! I enjoyed your post today, too.
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You know, I think that the moments like these can serve as such inspiration for us to keep them moving on, paying them forward, to get out of our own heads and seek to serve others — with patience, a smile, or just a genuine, How are you?
I’m so blessed by this story today!
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Hi, Jen! You’re right, and it’s such fun to perform a “random act of kindness” and give someone else’s day a boost. Thanks for visiting.
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I’m so glad you shared this today! I love when we are surprised by the kindness of others.
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Thank you for stopping by, Amy! And I loved your post about your children sharing smiles.
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:)…lol! that is a ray of sunshine. Encourages me to spread more of that when I am out and about. Good job riding your bike. Just movin the body does it good;)
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Hi, Tiffini! I always like to make people’s day (and NOT in a sinister, Clint-Eastwoodish sort of way). Thanks for sharing.
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Funny how the driver’s simple act of noticing you created such a little window of grace. Ride safely and may the wind be at your back!
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Thanks, Kim. I guess we never realize how important our actions might be to others!
By the way, I love your January 19 post!
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