A great way to start the day is by lisetening to NPR. Morning edition with Rene Montagne and Steve Inskeep, it's like music to my ears.Last Tuesday I happened to pay attention to a special tribute to April 15th - Tax day to you Yankees.
Other notable things that happened on Tax Day:
The Titanic sank
President Lincoln died
Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball
and...
David falls victim to the dreadful right hook
Yes - a right of passage for all bicycle commuters. I was hit by a man who was taking his child to school. It happened very fast - so fast there was no way I could react.
The man was apologetic, but didn't speak english very well. I think it may have been slightly more satisfying if he had been more indignant - so I could've been justified in yelling at him. Conditions as they were, I only managed to talk to him very condescendingly while looking at him like he was walking around in a prom dress or something.
He eventually left - and because I had only minor abrasions and my bike was fine, I pedaled my way to school. Right back on the horse!
The rest of the way to school I was a nuclear bomb with a minuscule fuse. I was just waiting for someone to look at me the wrong way and I would've unleashed the fury of a thousand... shrieking eels.
More carnage photos below [don't worry, they were taken with my cell phone and aren't that scary]
This image brought to you by the folks at Samsung, and Hanes.
Stinger - it's a jungle out there
All in all - it was a good learning experience. It's given me some nice memories. One last thing to mention - apparently, my ipod has an amazing sense of irony. The song it was playing on random shuffle mode when I got hit - Under Control by the Strokes.
post script:
I was wearing a helmet. Really glad I did. I think I may have hit my head, not sure. My helmet cracked a little bit on the side, and I'm not sure if that happened from the aforementioned incident, or when I slammed it in disgust after being hit.
post, post script:
Oh yeah - if you guys are drivers. Be freaking careful. Us bicyclists are happy folk with people who love us. Give us some space and be cautious, would ya?
14 comments:
As I read the link to the definition of the "Right Hook" I realized I almost do this all the time. Here's my advice to bicyclists everywhere: Drive faster. The reason I try and pass and beat you out is because you guys drive SO SLOW. I feel like if i wait, i could add seconds to my commute. And since i'm always late, those seconds count.
craig. i can't speak for all bicyclists, but i will anyway:
don't do that!
it's really freaking dangerous and your going to righthook someone when you inevitably underestimate their speed. not all bicyclists ride slow. i'm often riding in excess of 20 mph.
slower than you, but definitely quick enough to be misjudged.
This all reminds me of this YouTube video. The guy that hit you should have watched it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47LCLoidJh4
I'm glad you are alright.
I was furious when I found out. I am glad you are ok. I always slow for bicycler's. Please be careful.
serena,
thanks for being furious. i was furious too.
;)
Dang Dave! That sucks. I almost always slow down when passing a biker or swing out a bit (if there is room). I had never though about the right turn problem before so now I will. You guys make me nervous ;) I am terrified of hitting a biker. My kids are with my 90% of the time and I not only would feel horrible for hurting someone, but it would probably scar my kids for life. I will be even more extra careful from now on, if that is even possible...
mia,
thank you for using caution. you don't have to drastically change your driving habits around us. just be mindful to give us 3' or so and that's fine. anything less, (like hulk hogan, charles barkely told us) is uncivilized.
I'm glad you're alright.
And hopefully you're joking about wearing a Hanes undershirt. Pretty sure that's not an appropriate alias for (ahem), you know.
angeler.
rest assured, i'm still rocking the g-units.
but i wear hanes shirts... when i ride to school/work. i pack the others in my bag. i get sweaty and such, so i use them and let them dry off during the day.
that way, my other shirt(s) are less wrinkled, sweaty, and smelly, if at all.
Wow, David I'm glad you're all right.
I have to drive extra cautiously around bikers, even when I'm in a hurry or not in the mood, because I have a biking advocate bumper sticker on my car. (I forget if it's "give bikes the right" or "bike=car", I never actually look at it.) So if I drove like an a-hole and around a biker and they saw that sticker, the irony would be too great, and I'd be a real jerk.
Yay for helmets. I am so glad you were wearing one.
Hey, welcome to the club. i remember when i was right hooked as my face almost hit his passenger window and my body bounced off the side of his car. all i could think was what a horrible person he was, and then we was all apologetic and not speaking english super well and i think i muttered the line "don't worry, it happens." that is not what i meant to say when he hit me.
thanks meghann, i looked up meghann and jo the other day to recommend a friend your apron services, and was sad to learn that that the duo is now defunct?
g-unit... man, where have you been? it's been a while.
David, I really feel for your experience. Last summer I rode my bike to work many days (5 miles each way), so there were three things that stuck out to me from your post:
1. HELMETS--YES YES YES. Always. I ride a moped now, and can't believe people are more concerned about their hair, appearance, or reputation than they are about their life. So good job.
2. I appreciate your plea to drivers from the biking world. Although I was biking in Provo and not LA, you expressed my sentiments exactly. Most of the time drivers in the right-hand lane didn't NEED to move slightly to the left when they passed me, but when they did, I really appreciated it.
3. I have a small abrasion on my left elbow right now, and boy, is it taking a long time to heal.
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