Ghost Bike dedication for Alice Swanson

I haven't posted anything on the accident at 20th and R, because I just don't really know what to say. I think I may have met Ms. Swanson a few months back, I'm not sure. But regardless, the whole situation is quite jarring. WABA did their ghost bike unveiling and press conference last evening. Eric Gilliland's comments largely echoed their press releases on the incident, and quite appropriately, were measured and moderate in tone. The rest of the WABA staff was on hand, passing out copies of their safe cycling booklet and the pocket guide to DC bike laws.
And here's the memorial. Note the size of the crowd, lots of folks turned out. Including friends and/or family, more than a few tearful folks left flowers. I just didn't have the stomach to capture them on film, so look elsewhere for that sort of thing.

I got myself into a frightening conflagration as I soft-pedaled my way home. I was approaching a line of cars stopped at a stop sign on S street eastbound, and passed the line on the right. About a block or two down the road, an old white Chevy van with a smashed in front-end and a bad exhaust system laid on his horn, was beating on his steering wheel as he passed me, and screamed about how he was going to kill me if he ever saw me on the streets again. Because I passed him on the right? I guess? I don't know, I wasn't holding anybody up, there was plenty of room to pass.

I was pretty ragged already, and pulled over to back down from the fight and take myself out of harms way. I know this is the logical thing to do, but I'm still stewing over it. I've been yelled at plenty of times, even been threatened, but the ferocity of this guy, combined with the events of the day, scared the crap out of me. Thanks to the pedestrian who witnessed it, and asked if I was OK. Everybody be safe.