the daily snivel
Whammo
I think of myself as an extremely safe and conscientious cyclist. I do not ride on the sidewalk, I always wear my helmet and use bright LED front and rear lights at night, and I certainly don't do anything fucktardedly stupid like riding with earphones on and music blaring. I also obey the rules of the road fastidiously, because when you travel on a road the best way to stay out of harm's way is to make sure other drivers are aware of you and can understand where you're going without surprises. It's kept me safe and accident free for over seven years of awesome cycling, and made me a better and more confident driver, too.
I recently bought a brand new bicycle to replace my beloved but failing Norco Olympia, which is now out to pasture because it simply no longer made sense to continue sinking money into it for the repairs that were becoming increasingly common and expensive. So I went to McCrank's here in Ottawa and had them put together a shiny new Kona Fire Mountain for me. It is an incredible bike -- very sturdy and strong, but light and agile. I'm 6'3" and have a big frame, and I ride an hour each day, so it's important to have a bike that can take some punishment and support my pasty self. This bike has been nothing but a pleasure to ride, and it makes my daily commute to work so much more enjoyable than taking the bus (not to mention I thoroughly burn off any background stress and frustration while motoring up hills and dealing with the idiosyncracies of downtown traffic, so I'm even more relaxed than normal).
Add some sweet black fenders and you've got my bike.
So I try to be prudent about biking. I have a Kryptonite New York lock, which apparently can withstand power tools for ten minutes, and although I loathe quick release-wheels and seats, I keep my front wheel and my seat with me in my office during the day.
My new job has me working long hours, which is nothing new, but I get paid to work those long hours, which is. Previously, my long hours at the Clinic were simply a labour of love, whereas here I love the job and can bill up to 10 hours a day (and even that is seen as short by the other junior lawyers, who can bill up to 12). I won't tell you how much I make because it would frighten you and jinx me (but I'm being paid to make the world a better place, I promise!). As a result, though, I frequently leave work after dark, and so I'm always careful to attach my front and rear lights and make sure they are visible and bright.
Last night I left around 10:00 pm and took my usual route down Laurier Avenue here in Ottawa towards New Edinburgh, where my secret lair can be found. The lights were against me, however, and it seemed like I was stopping at every intersection with a red light staring back at me. But stop I did because, as I've said several times here already (sense a theme?), I am a safe and conscientious cyclist.
Not far from the University of Ottawa, I was stopped at an intersection when the light turned green. A car passed ahead of me as I rode into the intersection, and a car in the oncoming lane was waiting to turn left as I went. Suddenly the turning car accelerated into the intersection right at me. I yelled and tried to swerve out of the way, but the momentum of the car won the race.
Whammo.
The words "it all happened so fast" are a cliché but no less apt.
I was knocked onto the ground and off my bike. Worse, the driver in her panic got out of the car with the vehicle still in gear, so it continued to crawl forwards on top of me. People were yelling at her to put the car in park (certainly I was), and onlookers quickly came to the scene. In what must have only been a few seconds (but which seemed much longer), I was able to get to my feet and drag my bike out of the way. The driver kept apologizing, telling me that she had been so blinded by the lights of the oncoming car that she didn't see me, and I (in shock and a little pain but happy to be on my feet and apparently uninjured) kept trying to reassure her. Kind strangers offered to call 911, but I assured them I hadn't hit my head of suffered any injuries. Someone else reminded me to check on the condition of my bike, and we discovered the front wheel had been warped and wouldn't turn more than a revolution. The driver gave me her contact information and offered to pay for the damage, which seemed to resolve everything.
At that point I just wanted to get home. I was full of adrenaline and not quite composed, and I didn't want to be a spectacle any longer. My bike was no longer rideable so I had to call a cab to bring the two of us in, and as the evening wore on and I reassured a couple of friends that I was safe and well, I reflected a bit on the situation.
Clearly the driver wasn't really paying attention. You look into the intersection as you turn, and before you turn you make sure the way is clear, and then you make double sure before you hit the gas. I wouldn't dream of turning left, whether in a car or a bike, without looking to make sure there was no oncoming traffic. I'm sure I was hidden briefly by the car that passed me, but it's no excuse for turning without thinking. I'm also trying to think of ways to ensure I stay more visible, because I don't want the next situation (however not at fault I was) to be even worse.
Flash forward to today. It is murderously hot outside. Today is the kind of day where a glass of ice water doesn't stand a chance.
I am at home now, contemplating whether to take my bike into the shop and/or go to work. I'll probably do both.
I'd like to offer a few thoughts in closing, while I pop Advil and keep an ice pack on my knee, which is sore and a little swollen and took most of the force of my fall.
First, to drivers: look where you are fucking going. Pay attention. Don't stare into headlights and always, ALWAYS, keep your eyes scanning, especially at intersections, and look into the turn. Take a Young Drivers course if you need to refresh yourself on that.
Second, to cyclists: wear helmets, always. I was lucky enough not to hit my head in this accident, but if I had, the helmet probably would have been the difference between calling a cab home and waking up in 10 years after a dramatic coma. Or going from being a lawyer to being a janitor.
Also, assume the person in the car ahead just doesn't see you. They're probably thinking about the long day they had and the stupid thing their boss said and what they'd like for dinner, and so they probably don't.
I recently bought a brand new bicycle to replace my beloved but failing Norco Olympia, which is now out to pasture because it simply no longer made sense to continue sinking money into it for the repairs that were becoming increasingly common and expensive. So I went to McCrank's here in Ottawa and had them put together a shiny new Kona Fire Mountain for me. It is an incredible bike -- very sturdy and strong, but light and agile. I'm 6'3" and have a big frame, and I ride an hour each day, so it's important to have a bike that can take some punishment and support my pasty self. This bike has been nothing but a pleasure to ride, and it makes my daily commute to work so much more enjoyable than taking the bus (not to mention I thoroughly burn off any background stress and frustration while motoring up hills and dealing with the idiosyncracies of downtown traffic, so I'm even more relaxed than normal).
Add some sweet black fenders and you've got my bike.
So I try to be prudent about biking. I have a Kryptonite New York lock, which apparently can withstand power tools for ten minutes, and although I loathe quick release-wheels and seats, I keep my front wheel and my seat with me in my office during the day.
My new job has me working long hours, which is nothing new, but I get paid to work those long hours, which is. Previously, my long hours at the Clinic were simply a labour of love, whereas here I love the job and can bill up to 10 hours a day (and even that is seen as short by the other junior lawyers, who can bill up to 12). I won't tell you how much I make because it would frighten you and jinx me (but I'm being paid to make the world a better place, I promise!). As a result, though, I frequently leave work after dark, and so I'm always careful to attach my front and rear lights and make sure they are visible and bright.
Last night I left around 10:00 pm and took my usual route down Laurier Avenue here in Ottawa towards New Edinburgh, where my secret lair can be found. The lights were against me, however, and it seemed like I was stopping at every intersection with a red light staring back at me. But stop I did because, as I've said several times here already (sense a theme?), I am a safe and conscientious cyclist.
Not far from the University of Ottawa, I was stopped at an intersection when the light turned green. A car passed ahead of me as I rode into the intersection, and a car in the oncoming lane was waiting to turn left as I went. Suddenly the turning car accelerated into the intersection right at me. I yelled and tried to swerve out of the way, but the momentum of the car won the race.
Whammo.
The words "it all happened so fast" are a cliché but no less apt.
I was knocked onto the ground and off my bike. Worse, the driver in her panic got out of the car with the vehicle still in gear, so it continued to crawl forwards on top of me. People were yelling at her to put the car in park (certainly I was), and onlookers quickly came to the scene. In what must have only been a few seconds (but which seemed much longer), I was able to get to my feet and drag my bike out of the way. The driver kept apologizing, telling me that she had been so blinded by the lights of the oncoming car that she didn't see me, and I (in shock and a little pain but happy to be on my feet and apparently uninjured) kept trying to reassure her. Kind strangers offered to call 911, but I assured them I hadn't hit my head of suffered any injuries. Someone else reminded me to check on the condition of my bike, and we discovered the front wheel had been warped and wouldn't turn more than a revolution. The driver gave me her contact information and offered to pay for the damage, which seemed to resolve everything.
At that point I just wanted to get home. I was full of adrenaline and not quite composed, and I didn't want to be a spectacle any longer. My bike was no longer rideable so I had to call a cab to bring the two of us in, and as the evening wore on and I reassured a couple of friends that I was safe and well, I reflected a bit on the situation.
Clearly the driver wasn't really paying attention. You look into the intersection as you turn, and before you turn you make sure the way is clear, and then you make double sure before you hit the gas. I wouldn't dream of turning left, whether in a car or a bike, without looking to make sure there was no oncoming traffic. I'm sure I was hidden briefly by the car that passed me, but it's no excuse for turning without thinking. I'm also trying to think of ways to ensure I stay more visible, because I don't want the next situation (however not at fault I was) to be even worse.
Flash forward to today. It is murderously hot outside. Today is the kind of day where a glass of ice water doesn't stand a chance.
I am at home now, contemplating whether to take my bike into the shop and/or go to work. I'll probably do both.
I'd like to offer a few thoughts in closing, while I pop Advil and keep an ice pack on my knee, which is sore and a little swollen and took most of the force of my fall.
First, to drivers: look where you are fucking going. Pay attention. Don't stare into headlights and always, ALWAYS, keep your eyes scanning, especially at intersections, and look into the turn. Take a Young Drivers course if you need to refresh yourself on that.
Second, to cyclists: wear helmets, always. I was lucky enough not to hit my head in this accident, but if I had, the helmet probably would have been the difference between calling a cab home and waking up in 10 years after a dramatic coma. Or going from being a lawyer to being a janitor.
Also, assume the person in the car ahead just doesn't see you. They're probably thinking about the long day they had and the stupid thing their boss said and what they'd like for dinner, and so they probably don't.
