Itsjustb

I commute via bike nearly every day, and decided to ride on Friday despite some iffy weather (about 35 degrees and rain the previous day).

Less than a mile from my house I must have hit a slick patch of road (it's newly paved and seems to always have a film of water for days after it rains) and suddenly went down with no warning at all. The SUV behind me--which had been giving me plenty of room, thank God--saw me go down and pulled over.

The SUV was driven by a really really nice lady. By the time she and her female passenger reached me I was already in shock and bleeding pretty well from (I learned later) a nice hole in my eyebrow and another in my cheek. They refused to let me go home and go to urgent care on my own. They insisted on getting me to an ER. One brought my bike over to a house at the scene and made sure the lady there would watch it. The other gave me clean washcloths out of the back of their car and helped me stop the bleeding.

They couldn't take me to the ER themselves because they had their foster children (!) in the back of the car and had to get them to school. Instead, they took me the fire house down the road and left me in the care of the paramedics, who took me to the ER.

The two ladies who helped me flatly refused to give me their names or phone numbers when I asked, saying that they really hadn't done anything special, or anything that "everyone else would have done."

I'm thinking they may have been honest-to-God-angels. I mean, foster kids? Helping me off the road? Refusing to leave their info?

I'm gonna have to work hard to earn back the good karma I spent Friday. And I'll be a lot more hesitant to bash "all drivers" from now on.

btw, the final tally was 8 stitches in my eyebrow and 3 more in my cheek, plus a bruised shoulder and road rash on hip and shoulder. God knows, it could have been a lot worse.

Little Darwin

I'm glad to hear that you are on the road to healing, and about the number of things that went right.

Thanks for the uplifting report!

Wulfheir

How's the bike?



j/k glad to hear you are pulling thru. it's nice to hear there are still good people out there.

scottmorrison99

It's nice to see that basic human decency still exists. It's too bad that we are suprised when someone shows compassion for another person. Isn't that the way things should be? Just remember to "Pay it forward." Do something nice for someone you see that needs help. It's just the right thing to do.

jyossarian

That's a good story. Glad there are still kind people out there willing to go out of their way to help someone in need, like everyone here on BF, right?

spunkyruss

I'm sorry to hear of your accident, but thank you for reminding us that there are still some good people in this world.

spunkyruss

................ and if you hit your head then you should ask Santa for a new helmet.

webist

Driving an SUV no less!

This being a positive thread about an SUV driver, it will likely never reach 3 digits in posts. Now if the title was "Cyclist Impedes SUV Driver's Progress," it would attract a lot more attention.

spunkyruss

What really shocked me about the wole SUV thing was that this driver actually sounds like she needs an SUV to transport her foster kids. Far too many SUVs are carrying nothing but empty space.

(Insert jokes about the empty space between many SUV drivers' ears here).

As far as the title goes, I hate to admit that you're probably right!

JASON R. TOMSIC

WOW! This really IS a season of miracles! Hope you're OK and I really do wish the two who helped you "GOOD KARMA."

bullethead

Very good to hear that I'm not the only one who thinks "cagers are people too" (I usually keep such thoughts to myself)

2manybikes

Sorry to hear about your injury. Thanks for posting a nice story.
It is a story for the season.

chipcom 

+1

eofelis 

+1

Marge

wow I'm glad you made it. What a great Christmas story.

2manybikes

Maybe this should be a sticky just until after new years? It does add to the holiday feeling.

oboeguy

Warms the cockles, what can I say? I once had an SUV driver take me and bike to the train station (out in Westchester) after a freak chain jam destroyed my bike's drivetrain. They're not all bad, you know!

Dchiefransom

Glad to hear you're okay, and that you "ran into" some of the nice people out there.
Watch out on recently paved asphalt. All of the oil takes a while to leech out, and it's slippery in any slight rain for quite a while.

KeithA

That story put more Yule time spirit in me than anything so far this year and I'm always pretty full of good cheer. Really special and reaffirming.

The physical injuries will go away with time, but the memory of the act of kindness will last a lifetime.

NextLevelMentor

Just remember the Reason for the Season is CHRIST. With all the talk about Karma it appears many here have not found Christ or taken his message and life story to heart.

Just remember.... Standing outside the Cafe is still not lunch! You can know Jesus the Christ and be an awesome Cyclist....

He Lives

landstander

Quite a coincidence that it was a pagan holiday first...

Roody

Most of the people who don't stop to help are Christians also.

patc

The "season" exists because early Christians appropriated the date and rituals from existing pagan rites. If you want to push your religious views on people (in a cycling forum no less) try to get your history straight first.

patc

Nice to know there are still good people out there.

MicheleC

No, some of us have found great joy and fulfillment in practicing one of many other religious faiths. Karma is actually a concept that fosters right action (morality) and, as such, is a good thing. I'm proud to be a Buddhist.

I respect Christians and I'm sure many of them ARE awesome Cyclists. Let's all become awesome Cyclists, while respecting one another's different beliefs and opinions.