Dear So and So

[Tuckervill]

Dear Fleas:

Please DIE.

My animals thank you.

Karen

[sundial]

Lol!

[MM_QFC!]

To the 26-yr old woman who hit me with her car –

I was on an easy, fun bike ride with my DGF on a local bike trail, on a recent Sunday afternoon, when I encountered you in a most unwelcome and traumatic manner. You chose to get behind the wheel and drive your car that same day, knowing that:
1) its brakes needed repair
2) you also chose to speed well above the speed limit, while ignoring numerous caution signs posted on both sides of the road and in advance of the crosswalk, alerting drivers to a bike trail crossing and pedestrian crosswalk
3) as well as reaching into the back seat to play with your 2-yr old nephew!
4) you told the police at the scene that you regularly smoke pot and indeed, had smoked some the night before, so they promptly took blood and sent off a toxicology test; DUI charges are pending per the prosecutor.

Hello! Can we say you ran right into me and my bike, as well as my DGF’s???!! I know that it wasn’t intentional, but geez, how careless can you be??

I know that you also benefited from our cycling fitness and good health, as you didn’t kill us and get charged with 2 counts of vehicular manslaughter (although I’m so very grateful to have not died as a result of your gross negligence and recklessness too!). Every witness (8) spoke of your excessive speed and their horror in watching what they thought was a double fatality, when they watched our bodies and bikes thrown in the air from the force of your car hitting us.
I learned soon after that you have a long history of traffic infractions and criminal cases – 1 case still open from just a couple of months ago – yet, you still thought it your right to get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle and put so many lives at risk??! Wtf! When the he!! are you going to learn to abide by the rules of the road and drive in a safe manner and stop being a threat to society whenever you drive??? There isn’t any question about you being 110% liable here and I’d say that you’re in pretty deep sh*t right now…too damn bad, as I’m trying to deal with the all-too-many ways that you’ve negatively impacted/changed my life this year…

I’ve been riding my bike, as an AIDS rider, since 1997. I have thousands and thousands of training miles, plus AIDS ride event miles as experience; I’ve ridden across numerous states, mountain passes, cities, back roads, trails, long suspension bridges, tunnels - every type of road surface and in widely varying traffic situations and I have NEVER had an experience like this! Prior to your really stupid and dangerous decisions/actions, I’ve never been in an accident, been hit by a car or caused an accident. Every year, I’ve raised money for AIDS services and research, now totaling over $100k.
In 1997 I committed myself to this cause as my main community service and each year, I raise money, train and then do the multi-day event ride – all to end AIDS in our world.
Within a few seconds, you have caused me lots of physical injuries, destroyed my bike and changed my life in that I was unable to move much at first, now I am unable to ride and I still do not have my broken bike returned to me yet, as the prosecutor is retaining it (in the evidence room at the police dept) for your trial. That bike was not just a high-end custom bike, which was my long-saved-up-for and well-researched dream bike, but more so, my main tool in my community service activities. You see, I cannot be an AIDS rider without my bike, or being able to ride. You took so much from me and I don’t want to hear any more horror stories or warnings about how your insurance company will try to get away without replacing my bike, as the law only provides for them to pay me the “market value” for what you destroyed so violently (and right under my azz, no less!!). You won’t find my Seven model listed on eBay or Craigslist anywhere, as it was built only for me and it was a personalized, time-consuming process to design and build for me and most custom owners don’t choose to sell their one-of-a-kind machines.
I don’t wish you any ill and am glad that it was me whom you hit and hurt and not an elderly person slowly walking across that crosswalk or a parent pushing a baby stroller, as the outcome would’ve certainly been fatal and it’s good that we were all spared that. I DO hope, though, that you’ve learned from this whole experience, so that it’s not repeated by you ever again.

(I realize that this turned into a novelette - that she'll (the ditwad driver) never read, but it helped to vent anyway...thanks, TE buddies
Mary

[imdeanna]

(I realize that this turned into a novelette - that she'll (the ditwad driver) never read, but it helped to vent anyway...thanks, TE buddies
Mary

Actually Mary...You should print this and give it to your Attorney.

Someday you may get to tell her TO HER FACE how much more than just physically she injured you!

Keep writing/venting now...(and keep it) you'll be glad you did later!

[maillotpois]

Actually Mary...You should print this and give it to your Attorney.

+1.

You do have an attorney, right???

[mimitabby]

+1.

You do have an attorney, right???

she has an attorney who specializes in Bicycle cases !

[maillotpois]

Excellent!

[MM_QFC!]

+1.

You do have an attorney, right???

Yep, I do...and I've been keeping a very detailed journal per his counsel too.

The thing is, if either or both of the 2 insurance adjusters have even a pea brain, they'd realize that, regardless of whether the law only provides for me to get "market value" for my custom-made Seven, they'd do better and get off a lot easier to just replace it for me, doncha think?
I may've suffered a mild concussion but never lost consciousness and was lucid, observant and responsive throughout. They'll be unhappily surprised by all that I know and share if we don't agree and go to trial. Besides, the prosecutor is already prepping a number of charges against the driver; wouldn't you assume that they would choose other than going the 'lowball route' and trying to get out of replacing what she so recklessly destroyed, so as to let me recover more quickly and look forward to riding out of their radar screen sometime soon?

[Blueberry]

I've discovered the logic and insurance adjusters rarely go hand in hand. Sadly.

Glad you've got an attorney - keep taking care of yourself. Out of curiosity, does Seven save all the specs so your bike could be "re-created" - if so, might want to go ahead and get them to price it.

CA