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Ever get hit with a left cross? Well, it's not good for a boxer, or a biker

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It's beautiful weather, and you have to get to the store before you go to the beach ... a movie ... your friend's for barbecue and beers.

So you have to turn left into a store ... or gas station ... or fast-food joint ... and look up ahead and see a bunch of cars coming toward you, and you want to beat them to the turn, cause it's a lot of cars and you know how those bastards are: all the ones behind those cars will speed up so you can't ever get into the store, too (I mean they have stores to go to, too); so you hit the gas and slide right in before they ever get to you.

Only it's a bad slide. You plow into a motorcycle you didn't even see because you were so busy thinking about that line of cars farther down the road.

Just turning left can mean a death.

It happens all the time. Headline: Motorist collides with motorcycle while turning into store.

Specifically, it happens a lot when the motorist is turning LEFT into a store and just doesn't see the motorcycle.

Why? Because you're late, or distracted, or stressed, or the sun is in your eyes or worse yet, buzzed.

Be nice, look twice

It's happened to me twice. And when it happens, you don't forget.

Once, when I was riding on Portland Street into downtown Rochester when an old gent turns left onto Signal Street. I swerved a couple of time and managed - I don't know how - to stop my bike resting right up leaning into his front left bumper.

"I didn't see you," he stammered. "I didn't even see you."

I muttered a couple of WTFs and road off to the side of the road, parked my bike and tried to slow my racing heart.

Another time, in Milton, I was heading north on Route 125 and someone pulled into the laundromat without a care in the world, or a blinker. Wow, that time I was moving a little faster - maybe 35 - and it was only a quick swerve into the southbound lane that saved me. Luckily, there was no one in the southbound lane.

I started to continue home, but then decided to go back and confront here over her turning habits, sans the WTFs, of course.

Again, "Sorry, I didn't even see you," she said earnestly. "I'm sorry."

Well, "sorry" was very nice, but it doesn't really cut it. Especially if you're dead or badly injured.

It's a long summer, so do a GOOD turn ... don't be a bummer.

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