“It Takes the Cake” = To be the most outstanding in some respect, either the best or the worst.

This is just another crazy story from my life.

I went to my friend’s; we were going bike riding. I showed up with the bike pants, shoes, etc. My friend – well she wanted to maximize her tan, so she wore a bathing suit and flip flops. (Sun on the feet must be important, and I just don’t know this.)

We started biking on the rail trail.

At the first street crossing, one biker did not know about the street guards on the trail (a pole in the middle of the path with a bicycle seat on top). He hit the pole, flipped his bike and was on the ground bleeding. He had a group of people around him, so we pressed on.

The second street crossing had lights. We had to wait for the light to change. Rather than waiting by the light, I (foolishly) decided to ride along the side of the road, and return when the light changed.

As I rode along the road, I watched a car that was approaching the line of cars stopping for the light. I noticed that the car started veering off the road and was heading straight at me. It kept slowing down, but kept coming. Eventually it hit me, slowly, and came to a stop.

I fell onto the hood of the car. I was surprised. I backed myself off the hood and away from the car. I was fine. The female driver opened the passenger window and asked if I was all right. Then she apologized, and told me that she could not stop the car, because she had a wedding cake in the back.

As excuses go, that was a novel one – but really? You hit someone with your car, so the cake isn’t ruined? Other bike riders on the trail could not believe what she did. It probably looked really strange – this lady went out of her way to hit me.

As I look back, I realize that she gave me an unusual story to tell, and thankfully I was not hurt. But her excuse – well that “takes the cake”!