Having thought about this for 4+ days and having read your responses, I'm about where I was when I started.
On one hand, I think the other rider was incredibly careless and thoughtless.
OTOH, I just never imagined that someone would do a u-turn without making sure it was safe to do so. I was unprepared to respond as quickly as I (think I) would have to other threats. THAT was a critical factor in the crash. If either of us had stopped, there would have been no collision.
What bothers me now are questions like:
- What other craziness am I unprepared for?
- How can I prepare for the totally unexpected?
- What's the proper time for announcing myself?
-Etc., etc., etc.
BTW, I went out yesterday and damn well said 'on your left' to everyone I passed (although I said 'Thanks' to the 2 guys walking abreast who looked back at the right time and shifted to single file). I was passed by only 2 riders - one announced himself, one didn't. Maybe the rider who said 'on your left' read this thread.
