Watching softball not the road!

[DrBee]

I've already posted my crash story on the Open Topic board, but thought it was appropriate to add it here. A woman in a very big truck ran me off the road today. She was coming toward me and drifted all the way into my lane. She almost ran off the road on my side. My choice was get run over (thankfully I didn't freeze up - as Bikeless in WI pointed out) or go off the road down about an 8-10 inch drop off of the road. Thankfully my brain chose the latter. The bike suffered more than I did. The woman gets out and asks if I'm okay. I said a few choice statements like "what in the h*ll were you doing????", "I'm not worried about me, I'm worried about the bike", "how did you not see me - I'm wearing bright yellow", etc. You get the idea. She was very apologetic, helped me straighten the saddle, reset the chain, and offered to pay for all repairs. People here in MS are very likely to file lawsuits, so I guess she feared that. Or she was just nice. Hopefully she won't space out and kill someone next time.

[DeniseGoldberg]

Did you get her license? It sounds to me like this accident should be reported to the police (and to her insurance company too).

Obviously the first concern is your health (and the second is your bike) - and maybe this scared her enough that she will be more careful in the future. Yes, it's good that she offered to pay for the damage (and I hope that you take her up on that), but still...

--- Denise

[DrBee]

I'm definitely taking her up on that! I see what you're saying about notifying the police. You sound just like Mr. Fish. I have her contact information and have verified that by calling her as soon as I got home. At this point I'm happy that she's going to pay for the damage (and a new helmet). Most people wouldn't voluntarily do that. I'm still considering the police/insurance option.

[Duck on Wheels]

What's this about watching softball? Like, on tv? Or in a field on the other side of the road? Jeeeez, some drivers are inexcusably dumb!

Back to contacting police and insurance, tho' ... Where I come from (CA) I think the law is that when there's a personal injury accident the police HAVE to be called. Maybe even before you leave the scene. You've already left the scene, but you ought to call them anyway and clarify that. You can hardly be blamed for breaking that law, if it does exist where you are, since you were shaken up and needed to get some care and rest quick.

Then there's the insurance side of things. She's offered to cover material damages. Well, duh! But there's also whatever time you lose from work, for instance time spent at that clinic getting checked out on Monday (sorry to hear your ER is such a dangerous place!) and any work time you lose following whatever instructions you're given at the clinic. And then there may be so-called "general damages" -- pain, suffering, fear, inconvenience. I was in a car accident about 6 months back -- neck sprain, bruises, eye injury. In addition to replacing my mom's car and covering all my medical expenses, the insurance company has offered me about $2000 for time and general damages.

Of course, going the insurance route also gives some security to the guilty party. By accepting the insurance settlement you also guarantee that you won't sue. And the driver pays only the loss of insurance bonus, which may amount to less than the settlement. So for both parties' sake, you should get her insurance information and send in a claim, maybe preferably via your own insurance (so it's not you as an individual dealing with that company, but another company on your behalf).

[Technotart]

The other reason to file an accident report is so that the accident is counted in statistics. Doesn't seem so important - but if 1/2 the accidents are unreported, then cycling safety issues are udner reporesented by 50% for example.

[DrBee]

Good thoughts on the insurance and police. You made some excellent points.

About the softball - there is a new softball complex in the park that was build by the park commission. There were some teams prepping for a tournament this morning. That's where she was looking. It was well off the road - on my side of the road, hence why she drifted in my direction. It turns out she was on the front page of the local newspaper - she and her husband have worked together for the Park Commission (for irony - see above) for 31 years. My neighbor has met her and says she's very nice. I guess that explains why she stopped. It wouldn't look too good to have one of the boss's in the park commision reported for bad driving and nearly running over a cyclist IN THE PARK!!!!

BTW - I'm discovering new bruises by the hour. I think my knees must have hit together because I have symmetrical bruises (about 4x3in) on the inside of each knee. And one on my butt. Tomorrow should be a blast!

[Duck on Wheels]

Just to clarify my position re insurance settlement: I do not see an accident as an opportunity to make money, but the costs are real here and it's only fair that someone who caused them through some sort of recklessness should cover those costs. Which is why we have liability insurance. At least, that's how it works in this country. In Norway the costs are all pretty much shared by all of us through our taxes and we have virtually no liability suits and fairly inexpensive insurance.

[DrBee]

Sounds like Norway has it figured out.

*Warning - another rant about Mississippi* - I don't know where America rates on filing lawsuits, but I would imagine it is comparatively high to most places. Here in Mississippi, insurance rates are especially high because it seems like everyone sues. My former technician once sued someone for cursing at her in front of her kids in public. Seriously. I've never seen anything like it. This is a person that is a single mom of 3, has little money, lives with her mother, and has a lawyer with whom she is in regular contact. Malpractice for docs is outrageous. We only have 2 OBs in town and they cover an area about 50 miles wide. All of the family medicine docs had to give up doing deliveries because of the insurance costs. It's quite a place I live in, isn't it??? See why I've applied for a job elsewhere? *rant is over*

I think it's time to go to bed. I've taken another Aleve. Now I'm going to read my book on training for triathlons until I fall asleep.

[Trek420]

Norway does.

Tell them what they do with drunk drivers, sis. They ship them up faaaaar north for hard labor I think.

And safe? When I was there with my ex (not ex at the time) for the winter Olympics we went downtown and there in front of the Post Office in the snow was a baby carriage. Parents nowhere around, probably in the PO just did not want to carry the carriage up stone stairs. We look around, is the baby ok? Should we stay here? Ex stops someone and she asks someone, they say "No problem, the baby is quite safe everyone does this."

You see kids skiing at the age they walk here, walking uphill 70-80 year old women blow past me..

Nice country, good folks, wonderful baked goods, salmon in ways you've never had it before...just too dang cold.

[KnottedYet]

And they all know how to pronounce my name.... bliss.

Knotted is a Norweigan

[Duck on Wheels]

Næh, drunk drivers just go to jail. And there are way too many of them (drunk drivers, not jails) because many Norwegiansa are binge drinkers. But aside from that, yes, Norway is a safe and sane place. Mom and Dad kinda freeked out about the baby carriage outside thing, back when UK was newborn. I tried to explain that everybody does it, since babies are wrapped up too warm in the buggy to be comfortable inside. But M & D insisted on staying outside by the buggy because they couldn't accept that a little red rattle with "do not disturb" hanging from the buggy hood was enough protection. Amazingly, it is. Well, along with mosquito netting in summer and plenty of down and wool in winter.

[DrBee]

That's amazing! I can see why Trek420 and your parents were a bit twitchy about leaving a baby outside alone. I would be the same way. How nice to live in such a safe place!

[Trek420]

There was something in the news way back about a Scandinavian celebrity who was in New York at a sidewalk caffe and left her baby at the table while she went to pay the bill or kick the Paparazzi or.... The police got involved "child neglect, child abandonment, you can't do this ... "

and she said "but where I'm from you do "

Well yes, it's very different here but I remember thinking "well, yes they do and how nice that there are places that that's true".

Also their educational system and schools are pretty amazing. And all paid for which leads to.....drum roll...a very smart populace.

Who knew that would happen when all kids can go to college if they want to?

When Bikeless was at UC Santa Cruz for a year she brought her son (who bikes also~in fact he was literally bikeless via a bike theft here so he got the full US experience). He graduated HS here. That year didn't count in Norway, not advanced enough. He did improve a grade in English, and got to kayak Santa Cruz, juggle and do theatre.

But it's way too cold, and there'd be fewer softball playing women who bat for the other team (woops, don't say that here ), and I'd have to learn another language, and I couldn't ride as often which is most important

[DrBee]

For some reason, the US cannot seem to get the schools up to par. Where I live, you pretty much have to send your kids to private school. The public school system is horrendous. I've always been a strong proponent of the public school system, but when I moved to a place where the public schools are a joke, I find myself conflicted and enrolling my daughter that has been identified as "highly gifted" in private school. Regardless of if she was "gifted" or not, I'd still have to go with private school.

Do the play softball in Norway? I bet they are more open minded there - that's probably a safe bet.

[Trek420]

I've visited Norway 4 times so far, it's my turn to visit by many times over. UK & Bikeless of course can tell you more, my impression is they are pretty open-minded there about many things.

Children "out of wedlock" for example no big deal there, if the parents are happy and the kid is happy it's fine, no pressure.

I saw virtualy no homeless in Trondheim, it's not that there's no poverty but Bikeless explained to me in a country where temps drop to minus double digits you really need shelter for all.

And of course, quality medical care is free.

Norway's not as diverse as we are, that's why I like it here, especially in the Bay Area. Not just that there's a faaaaabulous Gay community, everyone comes here .... and brings their foods.

Race and class maybe another issue in Norway, I recall a long while back that Bikeless had issues with anti-Semitism with a coleague. It got bad enough that she left the dept (nothing was going to be done about the bigot).

and they do bike there, there's a ride from Trondheim to Oslo called "The great test of strength" an be done in two days although pro's do it in one, entirely self supported.