So, about that death wish...
Let me preface this with "it could have been worse."
On Monday Dan and I were riding our bikes back from the bank on our way to meet a friend for our weekly trivia outing. We were riding through campus when a woman came out of a parking garage toward the street I was on and didn't bother to stop at the stop sign or look to see if anyone was on the sidewalk. Dan was screaming at me, and I saw it coming and tried to speed up, but I didn't get completely out of her way. Her car made contact with my knee and the rear rack on my bike, apparently spun me ass over teakettle, and deposited me on my knee with my bike on top of me in the path of oncoming traffic.
I got to chat with the paramedics while Dan talked to the cops. We got a ride back to the house (our bikes too) in an ambulance. About 15 minutes after I got home I realized my knee was in a lot worse shape than it seemed when I was just sitting there on the grass next to the sidewalk. Fast forward 3 days through ER visits, insurance company visits, and lawyer consultations, and I'm sitting here at home stir crazy because I can't do a single thing I normally do to vent my stress and frustration. However, I am very lucky -- it could have been a lot worse. No bones are broken although my knee will require therapy at a minimum and possibly surgery, and I won't be doing any running or cycling for the forseeable future.
The moral of this story is that triathlons aren't dangerous. Sidewalks are.
Comments
I am SO glad it wasn't worse, Saska. This could have been disastrous. Ugh ugh ugh to stupid people. I suppose she was talking on a cell phone, too! :P
It has to be so frustrating, but your knee will get better. Hugs and good wishes!!!
Oh my gosh. How scary for you! Did the driver of the car stop after she hit you?
Yeah, I feel very lucky that I'm able to type this instead of being a vegetable. She wasn't talking on a cell phone, just not paying attention. To her credit she accepted responsibility for the accident from the very start and was quite apologetic; her insurance company is another matter but that's for the lawyers to sort out.
I hope it gets better in time for me to enjoy the summer. Thank you!
I hope your knee heals fully. Please, keep in touch.
I always, always, always wear a helmet. Always. Like, when I switch out my pedals and I ride around in my driveway to test them, I wear a helmet. No cyclist should ever be without a helmet. *stern look* My helmet has cracks in it from when I landed on the ground, but I don't even remember hitting my head.
I also always wear high-visibility safety gear. (In that photo I've taken off my helmet, but you can see it in my hand.) Unfortunately, all the visibility in the world doesn't mean anything when the driver isn't looking. :(
Thanks Pako. Yeah, the bus wasn't something I could do much about... the bike, I guess I could have done something about it by not riding, but I'm a cyclist. Or at least I was. *grim chuckle*
I promise to try and avoid any more dustups. :)