Crashed again

[mimitabby]

LPH

I am so sorry you crashed, I hope you are okay!

[divingbiker]

Wow, that's scary, lph! I think the cars coming out of driveways and cutting through lanes of stopped traffic are among the biggest dangers we face when commuting. I do a lot of yelling at people doing that.

[Geonz]

If you were on the sidewalk, you'd have driveways and cars not expecting you there, either.
The more I commute, the more I am sensitive to places like that... would another option have been to be a car, not a bus and use the car lane and wait with them?
But that's the biggest problem... "small" mistakes of inattention are big deals. Getting that concept through to auto culture is a real challenge. However, there's more sensitivity about drunk driving, right?
Personally I think I can have the biggest effect being out there riding - because the more people see bicycles, the more they expect to see them - and participating in teh planning process, and sometimes writing letters to editors, etc. However, dealing with "the general public" is very tricky because sometimes all that does is activate and solidify bad attitudes towards us and get some drivers thinking we need to be put in our place... which doesn't mean we should capitulate - the same story is true of any oppressed minority, after all... but well-timed, well-placed courage is teh order of the day. (Makes me want to go read the Power of One again )

[sbctwin]

Wow, just reading about your mishap created knots in my stomach. I go down a very steep hill on my commute home and it is plagued by people making right and left turns in front of me. I too, try to be as careful as possible, knowing that at anytime, I could be hit. Once I am down the hill, I have found, for my safety, I ride the sidewalk in this short stretch till I can get to a side road. Everyday there seems to be a new "challenge" that has presented itself. I am glad you were able to stand up after your collision and that your bike is ok.

[lph]

Ah well, I dunno.
Riding in the car lane isn't really an option there, in morning traffic the line there is several hundred metres long and it takes several light changes to get over the intersection. Staying back in line with the cars would take the patience of a saint, and kind of defeat the point of biking in the first place.

The sidewalk is narrow, goes up and down over driveways, and has a lot of pedestrians.

I know I'd be safer just riding slower, but if I really feel I have to brake down all the time just in case of a driver doing something strange I'd want to stop biking altogether. I think I'm going to have to look for an alternative route.

To add insult to injury - the only place I'm hurt is IN MY EAR! It's swollen with dark bruising. Couldn't it be someplace notcieable so I could get a little sympathy??

[RoadRaven]

Bad luck, lph, and great to see you still have a sense of humour

Road~ wishingyouanincreasinglyswollenearand muchsympathy ~Raven

[Jenn]

OMG, I am so glad you are ok, how scary!!

[Tri Girl]

Wow- super scary! I can't imagine how frightening it was to see that car coming and know you're going down (well, up then over then down ).
Soooo glad you're OK!!!
You have our sympathies, whether we can see your ear or not. Hugs to you. Keep on biking defensively- one way or another people will notice us and take note. I just know it'll happen one day...