The other day I was making a “soft” (rolling) stop at a stop sign, in preparation for turning right. Although it's illegal, people do it all the time. This time I almost ran over a bicyclist who was coming from my left.

I did not see him because he was perfectly hidden by the front left post of my windshield. He was moving from left to right, I was turning right, and the post and cyclist lined up perfectly during my (non-)stop. I came within inches of hitting him, and who knows what injuries he might have suffered.

Another time I was hurrying to turn right at the corner of Fayette Drive onto Fountain Hills Boulevard. I looked left and right, but because I did not totally stop, I did not see a bicyclist coming from my right, riding against traffic on Fountain Hills Boulevard. Again, this time my right windshield post hid the bicyclist from view as the two lined up. Disaster again narrowly averted.

I vowed that from that day forward I would “rock the shocks,” i.e. stop at stop signs until I could feel the car rock back on the shocks, and only then look left and right. I implore all drivers to do the same. When you are well and truly stopped you feel in control, and there is no chance of an unfortunate line-up of moving windshield post and moving object (bicyclist, motorcyclist, pedestrian) that could lead to disaster.

Come on, what's your hurry? You already live in the Best Little Town on Earth (TM). With absolutely no power vested in me, I hereby declare May 2023 as Rock the Shocks Month. Give it a try.