The Backup Plan

On this morning's ride to Sandy Springs I got a huge cramp.  A real nasty one.  I thought about riding through it but after about 100 feet I decided to engage the backup plan.  

As a bike commuter you've always got to plan ahead.  Flats, mechnical failures, or even a turn in the weather might force you off your bike.  My backup plan is to take the bus to the Sandy Springs station.  So as my cramp intensified I stopped at the nearest bus stop, waited for the bus and began to stretch.  And I waited, and waited, I know the bus schedules pretty well and I knew the bus was running late.  Then it came barrelling over the hill and nearly flew right past me.  I loaded by bike on the rack, (got to love MARTA's bike friendliness) and began one of the most harrowing bus rides of my life.  I mean this was slapstick comedy, sterotypical third-world bus driving, kind of crazy.  The bus driver flew down the roads far in excess of the 35 mph speed limit.  We hit a dip in the road and by heart jumped as I heard the rack hitting the asphalt.   Needless to say I was relieved when we finally reached the train station.