Matariki

Seriously?

Dave Cutter

Yeah seriously! You can reject any reality you want... and create your own. If you're too smart, quick, cleaver, fit, strong, spry, or whatever it is that makes you invulnerable..... more power to you.

I myself have known injuries. I make errors and mistakes just like all humans and I can not control the actions of others. I am also stuck with only "normal" skills and powers. So... I get ouchies. And someday... I will die. But I am thrilled to read that this isn't the case for everyone!

CliffordK

There are 300,000,000 people in the USA.

Not all of them put 3000 to 5000 miles a year on their bikes. 1 in 100? Anyway, that leaves one with 3 million avid cyclists and commuters.

I have a better chance of winning the lottery than getting killed by a car on any particular day.

It does add up over time. Say 100 rides a year for 50 years adds up to 50,000 bike rides in a lifetime.

However, also consider statistics such as "Car Accidents Claim a life every 15 minutes". "Smoking claims a life (in the USA) every 48 seconds".

Of course, all of those 300 million people in the USA will die sometime due to some cause.

CliffordK

Perhaps I should just live life in a padded room.
Turn into a living blimp.
And die at age 40 due to arteries sludging up.

Motolegs

We have the advantage. Cagers are a slow witted lot.

downwinded

Or you could just bash your head against a wall until your lifeless, which is very similar to trying to reason with DC.

cobrabyte

wphamilton

You named it yourself ""have grown old and my perspective is no longer based on hope or wishful desires."

You ARE denying reality with this senseless worry. Death is inevitable. Taxes are inevitable. Much of what you imagine "life's misfortunes" to be are not inevitable. Serious injury while cycling is one of those things.

rumrunn6

if the driver didn't know he hit you he's a dumbass or was intoxicated, or was even intentional. lots of possibilities. he should have driven well clear of you. put it in writing with a couple video frame prints and mail a copy copies to whoever you think would record it. then forget about it.

Dave Cutter

Your absolutely (and pointlessly) correct! The odds of being killed or injured while cycling... or about anything else is very limited. Don't pretend that I am proclaiming cycling as dangerous... I am not. I am advocating enjoying life.

noglider 

If you know you are taking a risk, you know you risk something bad happening. I wouldn't say it will definitely happen to you, but there may be a benefit in looking at it that way, because it may hurt a little less when it happens. You don't want to say, "How could this happen to me?!" when you should have known that there was a possibility of it. And you must know; I mean I don't think you're deluding yourself. So if you are taking a risk, it is of something. Take inventory of what that is. Injury is on that list. Does it annoy you that I mention it? If it does, are you ready to ride in traffic?

no motor?

Fair enough, you can continue to live your joyful oblivious self centered existence and the rest of us can work to make the future a better place for others while we wonder why you spend so much time and effort letting everyone know how you feel about things. Or as someone else put it "(T)he only thing necessary for the triumph [of evil] is for good men to do nothing."

Dave Cutter

Joy is a deliberate emotion... it's interesting that you chose to use the word "Joy" with "oblivious". Like if we all knew as much as you.... we'd be too smart to be happy?!?! But thank you for your permission for me to folly in my joy. I like being... happy.

No one I know thinks of me as self-centered... I'd say just the opposite. I'd say volunteer work at the bicycle co-op was better bicycle advocacy than whining about how police don't work hard enough. And my work for the defense of my country might have stalled evil... at least as much as your posting on an Internet forum. But.... I'd guess you'd know best.

Thank you for your feedback.

Dave Cutter

+1

I am sure nether of us feel bicycling to be particularly dangerous. But cycling does have inherent risks... that just cannot be negated or as a practical matter ignored.

I know some feel that cycling could somehow be made safer. Bless their hearts. If they are right I wish them luck with their efforts.

But for now cycling isn't for everyone. Today... if we can't willfully accept the inherent risk and truly enjoy the experience of riding a bicycle. The time could be better spent elsewhere.

acidfast7

Honestly, I would post the video on YouTube from a new account and let it get around the internet.

Be sure to have no identifying information associated with the account or the clip.

The police will be forced into action, especially if it makes it here:

https://www.******.com/r/bicycling/

This guy turned himself in ...


cyclist says "get off the phone you muppet."

no motor?

I remember seeing this before, evidence like that is hard to argue with. Whatever happened to the driver here?

acidfast7

Man voluntarily goes to police after van driver is filmed punching cyclist | Environment | The Guardian

I still don't use a camera as I'm a large bloke and people won't take a swing at me. Especially when they hear my American accent and when I use the word "g-u-n." They usually stop in their tracks

acidfast7

interesting if you look at the still frame at the top of the article (that's quite a wide load on the bike). i'm sure it pissed off the driver quite a bit.

no motor?

Thanks! This shows what can happen when there's enough public outcry to get the cops to do their job.

acidfast7

i agree.

op should post vid.

Sullalto

OP doesn't have a video. That's an issue, the cops are too lazy to get it.

I would fuss a bit, see if you can get something done. So the guy has a record in the future, and won't get the benefit given to somebody with a clean record.

Also, I've seen accounts of similar accidents resulting in broken pelvises, ribs and collarbones. Just because you didn't get hurt doesn't mean somebody else won't.



That said, I do have a fatalistic view of cycling. You're going to get hurt sometimes. By a car, by debris, by poor maintenance, by poor bike handling(maybe yours, maybe not), by poor decision making, maybe all of them. It's going to happen. Prepare as you feel is reasonable, heal as necessary.

I have good friends who are equestrians...after a fall, I was talking to them. They were very concerned about how I was handling the psychological trauma of falling off the bike. Being the good friends they are, offered to push me down as many times as necessary until I was comfortable getting back in the saddle.

squegeeboo

Alright, finally got some video editing software. I do swear in it, so, don't play it at work with out headphones?

Like I said, not a huge deal, but still a hit and run, and still my first actual accident with a car.

downwinded

Wish that could be posted somewhere. Would also be nice if you could zoom (and bring in focus) the license plate.

squegeeboo

It's on youtube...

PatrickGSR94

Where the heck did that van come from? There was no van in the front of the queue on your left. It was behind you I guess, trying to get past before the right lane ran out?

It seems odd that you were doing well controlling the right lane as you approached the intersection, but then as you crossed it seemed like you were up against the curb. That probably gave the van driver the impression that they could squeeze past you.