Hit by a suburban!! (I'm OK)

[Running Mommy]

Thanks all, and yeah it was kind of funny. I mean really the only reason why I ended up on the ground was because I was clipped in on one side and the nick to the front wheel caused me to lose balance.
My neighbor came down lastnight to make sure I was ok, and this morning when I was coming in from my run I saw the oldest kid out putting out the garbage can. He told me that they were going to bake brownies for me. I told him that there was really no need and that I was fine, but thank you. I also asked if his younger sisters were ok or if they were scared by it. He said that the youngest one was scared at first but then she saw me laughing so she knows I'm ok.
I have to say again that this is the nicest family you will ever meet. My son plays at their house all the time, and yes there are seven kids! They are very religous and I've been told that in their religion the more kids you have the higher up in heaven you will go. I'm thinking that mom and dad are headed to the front of the class!
Now one other funny thing. This morning when I was headed out for my run my son said "Don't get hit by any suburbans mom" and we had a chuckle. So I was running through the residential streets and I came upon a lady that was climbing into her already running SUBURBAN!! I picked up the pace a bit to pass so that she wouldn't back into me! Could you imagine???!!! I think that Chevy has it out for me!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I think we Amaericans should take a clue from Europeans and make more cars that are closer in size to bicycles.

Obviously a family with 7 kids actually needs a large vehicle, but I see so many gigantic heavy RV's and pickup trucks driving around all day long with just one person in them- what a waste of our world's precious gasoline and oil. These are vehicles that are not being used to haul hay or lumber in- they are spotless. Why such massive 11,000 pound vehicles just for everyday errands??- just for going to the office, the bank, the drugstore.... oooh don't get me started....

[Running Mommy]

Oh Lisa I'm with you!!! I actually am hoping that my house up here sells so that I can move to the bottom of the hill and be closer to things! I'll be able to ride to the grocery store so I'm already looking at bike rack/ pannier options and thinking of picking up a cheapo bike I can attach them to. I ride whenever I can, and when I do have to drive down the hill I plan my trip carefully so that I get everything done and don't have to make extra trips or circle back for things.
But yeah, the gas guzzlers just get to me! Unf. it's a part of the american culture. Imagine if everyone was forced to park their car one day a week. It would be mutiny! That might be the one "cause" that would get people riled up!

[onimity]

Yea, it's no wonder she couldn't see you in so large a vehicle. I'm glad that you weren't seriously hurt and hopefully this will teach your friend that her car has a lot more blind spots than she realizes. I saw a thing on the news a while back where they had 20-some schoolchildren behind an SUV and the driver had no clue that they were there, he couldn't see them in the mirrors or through the windows.

I regularly have cars, but usually very large trucks and SUVs do things that would kill me if I'd have taken my right of way. And I think visibility is a big issue.

IMO these huge cars put a lot of people in huge danger, not to mention the awful gas mileage. Lisa, you are so right on. I do not understand why in a country with so much wealth and so many opportunities to improve the world we squander so much of both in building bigger, less-efficient cars and feeling like we *need* to drive them everywhere, even to places less than a mile from home. Often the big cars don't have any more space for people or things than a small car. They just have more armor.

I am glad that gas prices are rising. I hope that one day they are equal to the actual cost of all this gas that we are burning. OK, I'll step back off that soapbox.

RM, maybe you should encourage this family to start biking places together as their penance. Then they don't have to take that monstrously huge car everywhere.

Anne

[chickwhorips]

I'm glad to hear your ok. I know how some people drive down there. Not saying your neighbor is one of them. Glad all of you (including the kids) are ok.

[Tuckervill]

Obviously a family with 7 kids actually needs a large vehicle, but I see so many gigantic heavy RV's and pickup trucks driving around all day long with just one person in them- what a waste of our world's precious gasoline and oil. These are vehicles that are not being used to haul hay or lumber in- they are spotless. Why such massive 11,000 pound vehicles just for everyday errands??- just for going to the office, the bank, the drugstore.... oooh don't get me started....

Well, there could be other explanations. My husband drives an F150 crewcab pick up with the short bed. To give you an idea of how big it is, it is built on the Expedition/Escalade frame.

He doesn't fit in anything else. This is the smallest vehicle he can drive with any sort of comfort, and it's still not ideal. He's 6'7" with a 37" inseam. No, he doesn't play basketball.

I do my best to offset his gas-guzzler by not driving so much, but hey, we can only do what we can, you know? I try not to judge to harshly.

Karen

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

He doesn't fit in anything else. This is the smallest vehicle he can drive with any sort of comfort, and it's still not ideal. He's 6'7" with a 37" inseam. No, he doesn't play basketball.

I do my best to offset his gas-guzzler by not driving so much, but hey, we can only do what we can, you know? I try not to judge to harshly.

Karen

Whoa that's one big dude! I can see how he would need a big vehicle.
He'd be hitting his head against the ceiling in any small car!
At the other end of the spectrum....I saw a tiny teen girl who looked about 16 the other day, driving a HUGE rv- she could barely see over the steering wheel. She was talking on her cell phone (illegal here in NY but apparently no one pays attention to that law) while driving one-handed....made me kind of shudder as I passed by her on my bike....