Cyclists Can Say Thank You To Drivers With Bike Union Cards

I can understand road rage. Well, I don't have a driver's license, but I understand the rage part a bit.
Although I'm always a pedestrian or on my bike, I get very, very angry at certain drivers. I can't even count the number of times that I've had to snatch my children out of the way of cars barreling down on us as the car turns while we're crossing the street with a green light.
I usually let loose a barrage of invective not suitable for childrens' ears as those cars race past... not very satisfying, however, as the words just bounce off vehicular steel, unheard and unheeded.
More satisfying -- and anger-reducing -- is smacking the hoods of vehicles that are nudging toward me to turn as I cross the street on a green light. Or smacking the trunk of cars that have turned in front of me with just inches to spare.
I figure if you're close enough that I can smack your car while I'm in the designated crossing area, then your car is close enough for a well-deserved reminder of the rules of the road.
In part, my anger is fueled by a fierce protectiveness that all Mothers seem to develop the second that they give birth.
Part of it is fueled by having been hit by a truck that was turning illegally as I crossed the street legally. Pedestrian: concussion and two broken wrists. Driver: small fine and two demerit points for "failure to yield to a pedestrian."
And yet another part of it is fueled by the atrocious near misses that I witness every time I get on my bike and venture out on the road.
Okay -- rant over.

A new campaign freshly launched by the Toronto Bike Union, however, reminds me that most of the drivers who I encounter are polite and thoughtful.
As with many things, it tends to be the horrifying encounters that you remember, especially in this case because it literally involves life and death.
So the Bike Union's Cyclists Paving The Way campaign is brilliant. Here's the idea behind it:
"Let's focus on the positive for a change.
We're printing 5,000 beautifully designed Thank You cards to help roll out this driver appreciation campaign.
The idea is for cyclists to give a thank you card to drivers who treat them courteously and respectfully on the roads.
More information can be found here. Cards will be available for pick up at our office at the Centre for Social Innovation 215 Spadina Ave. Suite 400... additional locations listed on our website."
What a fabulous idea! And a good reminder that, the majority of the time, I share the road peacefully with drivers who are considerate and polite.
Cheers,
Vanessa