If you knew Swedish, you could read this sunshine story (http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/nyheter/story/0,2789,136328,00.html).

A cyclist in Malmö, Sweden, waited for a green light with a truck on his left. When the lights turned, the cyclist was going forward, but the truck-driver was turning right and didn’t see the cyclist – he hit him! But can you believe it, the cyclist got a grip on the bumper and hung there, between the two wheels, screaming for about 20 meters before shocked pedestrians signaled to the driver to stop. The cyclist didn’t get any fractures, only some grazes. Says the cyclist Magnus: ”I think the truck-driver was more shocked than I was.”

:eek:

Sounds like something from Indiana Jones.
Being pinned on the right like that is one of the all time worst situations that try my damndest to to avoid.
It's a strange story though. I always find Semi-Trucks a pleasure to ride among. They're big and scary but slow to start and not very eradic. I sometimes feel like a dolphin swimming around a whale though when I'm takeing the truck route home.

Originally posted by MadCat
Sounds like something from Indiana Jones.
Actually, the newspaper referred to it as ”something from James Bond”. ;)

Stories such as this are the reason so many of us obnoxiously position ourselves away from the curb, particularly at intersections.

That's one lucky cyclist. A story follows about taking care of yourself and even then you never know what's really coming at you.

I have a couple of friends (husband and wife) that were run down while walking across an intersection a couple of years ago. They were walking on the crosswalk and a driver turned the corner right into them. It happened so fast that they got hung up under the bumper of the pick-up truck and dragged for 40 feet. The driver was physically impaired (uses a motorized scooter to get around the sidewalks of town) and didn't even realize he'd hit them until people ran out and banged on his window to get him to stop. It was physical and emotional hell for them for over a year, and they still suffer from some pain. Lucky they are alive to tell about it and they don't have kids to worry about. They had a good lawyer and were compensated enough to help them in the future.

You never know what's coming at you or how impaired or stupid the drivers on the road truly are. May we all be fortunate in our favorite endeavor of cycling. Stay safe out there.

Originally posted by bikeman
I have a couple of friends (husband and wife) that were run down while walking across an intersection a couple of years ago. ... The driver was physically impaired (uses a motorized scooter to get around the sidewalks of town) and didn't even realize he'd hit them until people ran out and banged on his window to get him to stop.

Does the clown still have a driver's license? Perhaps he should be using that scooter for all of his transportation needs!

Originally posted by John E
Stories such as this are the reason so many of us obnoxiously position ourselves away from the curb, particularly at intersections.

I agree. Just about every time I come to a stop, I make sure that I'm in the lane with no cars next to me. That way everybody knows where I am and I know where they are.

There was a thread earlier about cutting around cars that are stopped. I think this illustrates one of the dangers of doing that.

andy

Recently in Los Angeles, some semi-famous actress murdered a young boy crossing a street by the worst maneuver--switching lanes to avoid stopping behind properly stopped traffic. Unfortunately, it being LA, she being famous and the kid not, she'll do the OJ and walk on the MURDER rap.