Details to follow
So...
I got in a bike accident yesterday.
First things first, I seem to be fine right now. I was worried that I'd broken my tailbone, but I think that I mostly landed on muscle and that I've mostly got muscle soreness. I'll be getting fully checked out tomorrow (probably some nice x-rays), but I'm not going to an emergency room for something that doesn't hurt too much. Though come to think, the area of my backside that was hurt was right where the chain sits, so I wonder if that wasn't part of what happened.
As for the accident itself, it was entirely my fault. I was in a hurry to get home and my mind was elsewhere, so I wound up running a red light when I didn't have as much visibility as I thought I did. After I'd gotten through the crosswalk I looked over to see a guy going probably 10-15 above the speed limit (30) through his green light.
This is the part that keeps replaying in my mind. My thoughts were totally stuck: "I cannot stop in time. I cannot speed up to pass this car, and he cannot brake. I am going in front of that car and I will be crushed." I don't recall what I did or what decision I made exactly--I must have braked and turned to make it a glancing blow--but the next conscious thought I had was realizing that I would hit the side of the car instead of going in front. Bracing for impact, and being incredibly relieved that I'd laid it down, I wasn't going in front of the car or under the tires.
Then, of course, i was on the street in the middle of an intersection, sharp pain in my lower back, but on my feet and dragging my bike out of the intersection as fast as I could (what with there still being oncoming traffic) while muttering about how that was completely my fault.
The guy pulled over and was completely cool about it all. He made sure I was okay, I apologized about his car (though it looked like I didn't cause any damage, just some wipe-away black streaks). He double-checked that I was all right, and I told him I was fine, just needed to sit down for a bit, which I did. Then tried to fix my bike; a passerby a few minutes later stopped to help, but noticed that the sprocket was bent so I wasn't going to get anywhere. He told me about a local bike shop around the way, but I was 8 blocks from home so I said I'd just walk it back and have it fixed up here. Overall, the front sprocket, the front fender, possibly the front wheel, and the magnetic post that holds the bike together when folded, all are bent. But it looks like the damage should be reparable.
My damage should be reparable. I was lucky.
I was lucky to react the best I could after making a very stupid decision. I was lucky that the driver was totally friendly and sympathetic. I was lucky that, for all the people who may have called me "white devil" around here, there are still others who are totally happy to stop and help a fellow cyclist fix a broken bike, or talk cheerfully with the guy walking a broken bike home. So I feel -- good, actually, about people; because people impressed me yesterday.
I got in a bike accident yesterday.
First things first, I seem to be fine right now. I was worried that I'd broken my tailbone, but I think that I mostly landed on muscle and that I've mostly got muscle soreness. I'll be getting fully checked out tomorrow (probably some nice x-rays), but I'm not going to an emergency room for something that doesn't hurt too much. Though come to think, the area of my backside that was hurt was right where the chain sits, so I wonder if that wasn't part of what happened.
As for the accident itself, it was entirely my fault. I was in a hurry to get home and my mind was elsewhere, so I wound up running a red light when I didn't have as much visibility as I thought I did. After I'd gotten through the crosswalk I looked over to see a guy going probably 10-15 above the speed limit (30) through his green light.
This is the part that keeps replaying in my mind. My thoughts were totally stuck: "I cannot stop in time. I cannot speed up to pass this car, and he cannot brake. I am going in front of that car and I will be crushed." I don't recall what I did or what decision I made exactly--I must have braked and turned to make it a glancing blow--but the next conscious thought I had was realizing that I would hit the side of the car instead of going in front. Bracing for impact, and being incredibly relieved that I'd laid it down, I wasn't going in front of the car or under the tires.
Then, of course, i was on the street in the middle of an intersection, sharp pain in my lower back, but on my feet and dragging my bike out of the intersection as fast as I could (what with there still being oncoming traffic) while muttering about how that was completely my fault.
The guy pulled over and was completely cool about it all. He made sure I was okay, I apologized about his car (though it looked like I didn't cause any damage, just some wipe-away black streaks). He double-checked that I was all right, and I told him I was fine, just needed to sit down for a bit, which I did. Then tried to fix my bike; a passerby a few minutes later stopped to help, but noticed that the sprocket was bent so I wasn't going to get anywhere. He told me about a local bike shop around the way, but I was 8 blocks from home so I said I'd just walk it back and have it fixed up here. Overall, the front sprocket, the front fender, possibly the front wheel, and the magnetic post that holds the bike together when folded, all are bent. But it looks like the damage should be reparable.
My damage should be reparable. I was lucky.
I was lucky to react the best I could after making a very stupid decision. I was lucky that the driver was totally friendly and sympathetic. I was lucky that, for all the people who may have called me "white devil" around here, there are still others who are totally happy to stop and help a fellow cyclist fix a broken bike, or talk cheerfully with the guy walking a broken bike home. So I feel -- good, actually, about people; because people impressed me yesterday.