Hit by a car and other insanities...

[Pedal Wench]

Just got back from an amazing week of riding in Miami, including two rides down to the Keys. Had always heard that Card Sound Road was an accident waiting to happen, but it turns out, the neighborhood right around my BF's house was the most dangerous!

I was heading straight down the lane in a somewhat busy retail area. A woman in oncoming traffic turned left right into me. I tried to swerve around the back of her car, but she stopped when she realized she was about to hit me. I managed to land on her car (yes, in a intentional attempt not to hit my bike on the ground.) A bystander came over to help me untangle from the bike, and the driver came out of the car, yelling at me that I hit her car! (A BMW, by the way.) THREE bystanders, including a security guard all starting yelling at her that SHE hit ME! She said that she was turning and I should have stopped. Again, the bystanders yelled that I had the right of way. So, then she changes her tune to well, sorry, but she didn't see me. Oy. I was okay, bike was fine, so we let it go. I think she finally got it because then she just kept asking if I was okay, and if the bike was okay. Then, she tried to make me feel better by saying that I was in really great shape. WTF????

Then, my BF and I were riding down a road and I heard a lady yelling at me - the usual, "get on the sidewalk" talk. "I've got a student driver here - you need to get out of the way." When I pulled up to the next stop sign,I tell her that if she is teaching this kid how to drive, she needs to learn the law. Flabergasted, she just keeps saying that I should be on the sidewalk. I tell her that it's the law that I have right to be on the road, and she needs to teach her kid about the 3-foot law - of which she says she's never heard of. She said that she'll have to go home and read the law. Yeah -- do that!

Miami has some amazing riding, but some crazy drivers!

[PamNY]

Yikes -- that certainly qualified as crazy. Glad you are okay. I admire anyone who cycles in Miami. I used to live there and I've never seen such crazy driving before or since.

[indysteel]

Pedal Wrench, I'm glad you're fine.

I'm not sure exactly what you mean in that you "just let it go," so I'll offer a bit of unsoliticed legal advice to anyone who is ever in a similar situation. No matter how uninjured you and/or your bike may seem, always, always, always get the other party's insurance information, name, vehicle information, etc. Get any witnesses' information, too. Get a police report if you can.

Just like with auto accidents, sometimes injury--especially soft tissue--doesn't manifest itself right away. I know from personal experience that there is a bit of delay. Never tell someone at an accident scene that you're okay or admit that you are at fault.

I don't say that in an effort to be needlessly litigious. Rather, it's just a matter of protecting yourself should you, in fact, be injured or your property damaged.

[jobob]

Gah. It's scary how downright clueless and pathetically self-absorbed some people can be.

Very glad you weren't hurt.

And I'm glad there were bystanders around who were willing to drill some sense into that woman.

And you no doubt were in incredibly great shape compared to her, I'll bet she was the type who drives around the parking lot for a half hour to find the closest possible parking space.

[TsPoet]

My BF has a comeback for the "get on the sidewalk" shouts that's become somewhat famous (as-in I heard people talking at my place of work about it - people who don't know him!).
His response -
"Get on a bike!"

[jobob]

Brilliant!