Commuting - I got stung by a wasp ...

... on the neck on my way home today. Within seconds the pain was unbearable and I swear I could hear ringing in my ears. Since I was in a trail/parkway, I decided to keep pedalling until I get to an exit where I could be picked up by using my cell phone. As I pedalled, the cool breeze somehow felt good and soothed my neck. I decided that I was fine and pedalled home.

Eight miles of my 13.5mi (one way) commute goes through a parkway that runs parallel to a river. It's great because I don't have to deal with traffic. I do have to deal with joggers, roller-bladers, pet dogs, and on some days, ducks, geese, birds, stray cats, bugs, and wasps.

This is one of the things I like about bike-commuting, the little challenges that come with it ;)

Lucky you aren't allergic to stings. A sting on the neck could swell enough to restrict blood or air for some people. Life-threatening!

OK. I'll bite. The Swiss often wear shirts that only open at the collar. (the bottom is one piece - typically worn by farmers) One nice spring day I was riding and it was hot...so I had the shirt open as much as it could be opened...so that I was basically wearing an enormous wasp scoop. I was fairly fit at the time, and late for work, so I was booking along at 20 mph, and scooped up a wasp into my shirt. It didn't sting me right off the bat, as it was probably a bit dazed, and wanted to get out, but there was no escape. I didn't crash, but I wasn't happy about it.

You might want to get yourself checked out for allergies. My son has some, and we keep some antihistamines around just in case.

Take care,
Tom

Several times wasps have bounced off my sunglasses and body parts on the way home but no sting yet. I keep thinking "What if one went right down my throat?

On a group ride a few weeks ago as we were coming to a stop at our turnaround, a wasp or yellow jacket somehow flew up INSIDE my sunglasses. I didn't panic, but I definitely wanted him out before he could sting my eyeball or something. I quickly reached up and closed my eyes for a split second as I whipped the sunglasses off. I didn't get stung, but unfortunately the rider in front of me had slowed faster than I realized so I touched his wheel and went down in one of those REALLY embarassing slow motion falls. Luckily he didn't go down; I would really have felt bad about that. As gentle as that fall was, I bopped my head pretty good and really appreciated my helmet. I don't know if the blow was hard enough to cause a skull fracture, but let me say it was close enough I would not have wanted to find out.

I wasn't riding but I once had a wasp fly up my pant leg. I am SO glad he flew down into my hiking boot to sting me!

Like our friend from Switzerland, I have caught a wasp in my jersey. At the time I was blazing down a hellaciously steep hill known as "the Wall." It is probably a 12% grade. I was making close to 40 mph when something hit me in the chest. Hard.

I could feel it crawling around in my jersey, but couldn't do a thing about it until I reached the bottom of the hill. Naturally it stung me. When I came to a stop, I grabbed the wasp out of my jersey, pretty much crushing it. I threw it to the ground. All in all, I'd say the wasp got the worst end of the deal.

I picked the stinger out of my chest and started to pedal up the next hill. The sting hurt something fierce! The word "anaphylaxis" went through my mind. I began to wonder if aerobic...(shoot! make that ANaerobic)...effort would spread the toxins faster. I was having trouble breathing. Was that just from the hill I was climbing?

Twelve miles later, I ended my ride. Except for a sore spot on my chest, I was fine. I laugh at myself now, but for a short while, I was afraid the authorities would find me dead by the side of the road, swollen up like a sausage, a mysterious red welt on my chest.

Baltazar. The same thing happened to ME last saturday about 20 miles from home, it was a stretch of road with no houses and I had already been on the bike for two hours so I was pretty hot. The comments Racerx made were going through my head so decided to make a detour that went through a built up area. If I had felt even slightly unwell I would have pulled over and just knocked on a door to get some help ( i don't carry a phone).

I was riding next to a gal a couple years ago when when a wasp flew down her tank top and went to work inside her bra. I didn't realize what was happening when she suddenly stopped her bike and started screaming. I stopped and turned around just in time to see more than just the wasp getting liberated. I didn't know if I should offer her a hand or turn my head the other way, so I did the manly thing and stood there stunned doing neither!

Originally posted by blwyn
I was riding next to a gal a couple years ago when when a wasp flew down her tank top and went to work inside her bra. I didn't realize what was happening when she suddenly stopped her bike and started screaming. I stopped and turned around just in time to see more than just the wasp getting liberated. I didn't know if I should offer her a hand or turn my head the other way, so I did the manly thing and stood there stunned doing neither!

You lucky dog! ;)

The valiant thing to do would have been to grab on tight to the goodies to protect them from clear and present danger :love:

Originally posted by baltazar

The valiant thing to do would have been to grab on tight to the goodies to protect them from clear and present danger :love:

Especially if you want to get swatted like the wasp... :D

Ellie

I've been stung a couple of times, but occasionally I've had wasps go in the vent of my helmet. Luckily my pate is not very hirsute so they come out, but I've yanked my helmet off a few times.