I had a pretty severe accident back in April of 1982. I was 21 years old. I was riding to work in the morning. I decided to take a slightly alternate route, and I turned left. An oncoming car hit me head-on. I don't remember the impact, and I don't remember the ambulance ride. In fact, I don't remember what I was thinking, other than, "Hmm, I think I'll go this way for a change." I woke up on my back on a stretcher with a doctor standing over me. He told me he had witnessed the impact. I flew in the air and landed far from the impact. The driver got out of her car, put her hands on her head, and just shrieked and wasn't useful in any way.

As luck had it, I was bruised and very slightly cut, but otherwise fine. I was in a lot of pain, but having just cheated death, I was compulsively making jokes and was in a totally giddy mood.

It was four weeks until I got back on a bike again, because walking was difficult. But I feel I was lucky overall.

Given that I was crossing oncoming traffic, it's likely the accident was my fault, but I don't know anything. Maybe the car driver crossed over to the wrong side and it was therefore her fault. There was a horrible runaround from insurance. The driver was not the car owner, and the car owner had not paid his premium. The insurance company refused to pay. Everything was very shady, and I wasn't skilled at defending my rights, so I didn't learn anything. I don't even know if there was a police report.

Being 1982, bike helmets were rare, and I was a rare cyclist to wear one. Lucky thing. People thought I was silly to wear a helmet until then.