The only one who knows of this is my wife, and she knows how extremely upset I was at the time, but has anyone here - a bike commuter - actually hit a bicyclist when driving a car? I commute by bike as often as I can, but I have to use the car when I need to go to another office or the customer site, or I am meeting someone someplace, or for a variety of reasons I need to commute by car. But when I can I'll take the bike, a 28 mile round trip, and a very nice ride mostly on trails.

It was last winter, rainy and dark. I was turning right. He came across the road and whacked into my left front. He did not fall, and in fact did not seem to be in any way hurt. His right pedal tore into my left front bumper lamp. He sat on his bike, leaning on my hood and calling me every name in the book. He pulled his bike away from my car and was screaming "call the police - call the police." I drove around the corner and parked. Some woman appeared out of nowhere and started taking a bunch of photos with a mobile phone, then she vanished. I assume she communicated with the guy at the time but I did not see her do so.

At his point I suppose I could have got belligerent myself! He was dressed in black from head to foot, even his bike was black. He had no front lamp but he had a weak rear blinky lamp. No reflectors or anything that would make him visible. I was quite happy to call the police and I said so. I asked him if I could examine his bike for damage and that I would cover any, but he refused to let me near his bike. Despite this, I was able to effect a cursory examination but I saw nothing wrong. He at this time calmed down and started riding off, I gave him my information before he did so and told him to contact me if there was anything he found damaged. He never did. Last I saw of him was him riding off with that feeble lamp blinking sneeringly at me.

I should have - could have - said a lot that may have even helped him in the future, especially about his dress and night gear. I did not. I was too shaken to really be very intelligent.

The damage to my car cost me $270.

I have never been hit by a car but I have been hit by a truck. I was riding in Italy, ironically from the rental I was staying in to a store to buy some replacement wine glasses we had broken. I was returning with the new glasses when a truck turned right, in front of me, and hit me. For reasons I have never understood the bike seemed to stick to the side of the truck. He accelerated up a hill with me glued a few inches from his rear wheel, I was thumping my fist on the side of the truck, but he did not hear. At some point the bike broke away from the truck and I literally went flying. It was a whole mess of cuts and bruises and the bike simply needed straightening up. The new glasses were all broken and I returned to the store to get some more when I went into shock. I recognized what was happening and went and sat outside until it all passed - shaking like crazy. But I remember it like it was yesterday and feel very close to people on bikes who get hit by cars or trucks. It is utterly terrifying - there really are few words to describe it!

Anyway, I felt for this guy, I know what it was like although he never even fell over - still it is frightening. So I have been on both sides of this argument, and neither are pleasant. Anyone else been there?