Accident!! What do I do now...?
 

So I was doing everything right this morning: signaling, stopped at all the stop signs, wore a helmet, everything legal and how I always try to keep it...

Waiting to cross the street, with cars coming, a guy on another bike comes flying down the sidewalk and slams into me. There were bushes so I couldn't see him until the last minute. His response: "Man, you were right in the path, you block me, look what you did!" My response: "You know, you're not supposed to ride on the sidewalks here." Him: "I can ride anywhere I want." He then said, "Are you ok?" to which I responded "No" and he straightened his handlebars and took off.

My right-side pedal and crank arm were hit so hard that the pedal is dented at the end, the crank arm is bent and there is a large nick in the chainstay. I was able to walk it the last quarter mile to my office, where I called the police and filed a report. I have no idea how to get home, how to fix this and what to do. I'm on the verge of crying right now and have a bad enough day ahead of me to begin with (need to confront landlady tonight, might be moving due to house being condemned and little money {I'm a student})

Sorry, I know people have had worse than me, but I've never been very good with stuff like this...ever since I was doored in Philadelphia a few years ago...

Ouch, that sucks man. Sorry to hear that. What type of crankset do you have? I may have something I can spare to get you going. I wouldn't worry about the chainstay unless it's cracked. What's your frame made out of?

I would seriously try and find that guy and make him pay. Or take it out of his hide.

Keep your chin up dude. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger.

A bike shop may also have a loaner crank arm, or even one that you can have. It never hurts to ask.

I'm no mechanic, but if it was me, I'd pull the crank arm back close to its original position. Yup, you may damage other stuff like the BB spindle or the BB itself, but it beats walking the bike home unless you have another way to get it home. Check for cracks at the BB shell and chain stays and all over, make sure your brakes work and go slow.

It's a Bianchi Bergamo, my baby, with a 7005 aluminium frame. I couldn't see any cracks, but I just got off the phone with the guy who I take all my bikes to for big repairs and he said he would look at it this afternoon.

What was really scary was the guy that hit me seemed like the type that one does not want to mess with: I'm a scrawny, 165lb white guy and he was a big, scary looking black dude. I'm by no means racist, but when he shouted at me that I was in his way after the accident, I was afraid to say anything because I didn't know if he would try to pull something on me...I mean, this part of New Brunswick is not exactly the safest area to be in...

Thanks for all your kind words. It's nice to know that there really are supportive people out there...

In retrospect, calling the police to report the accident would have been the thing to do. But if he insisted on leaving I guess tyou'd be out of luck.

Fix your bike, and watch out for sidewalk idiots. Luckily next time he is sidewalk riding he'll probably hit a car, it will go quite a bit differently then.

Wow, that does suck man. Don't worry, he will get his soon enough. Just goes to show what kind of stuff your made off for not resorting to beating his butt.

-Nate

Hey guy, thank goodness you're physically okay (I hope)..

Guy that wacked into you will probably live a 'short brutish life' if that's how he rides/drives that sort never survives very long. Also it sounds like he got scared and took off after the shock of what he did kind of set in..i'll bet he's in a heap more worry than you..

Get the bike fixed-up best you can, good thing you've got good help with that, and good luck with the landlady. Sounds like the place is a 'dive' if it's being condemed.. Could you maybe stay at home for a while? or a friends place? Even friends parents? Anything 'till you get back on your feet again..

You'll feel better with the bike fixed up. Try not to get too down, today sucked but tomorrows another day.

Cheers!

Thanks everybody! The meeting with the landlady didn't go so well from a policy standpoint, but I finally got a copy of my lease (after 8 months of living here) and my housemate and I decided to look for another place together.

As for Babadahs (the bike), I took it to the shop and Van, at The Bicycle Rack in Hightstown, NJ, (I know, shameless plug, but this guy rocks!) said he'd fix it up no problem, and that the frame looks good.

You know, like maddyfish and heywood said, this guy probably will come into his own misery for his actions. As much as that kind of bugs me that things always have to end that way, I'm hoping it will be a valuable lesson for him, and maybe even inspire him to try and do better for others.

Oh and dr. nate, I agree: what good has ever come from violence? In school, they taught us that "La haine attire la haine" or hate brings hate. I'm just happy that we're both ok, and that tonight things started moving towards Mark (my housemate) and I living in a nicer, cleaner, more structurally sound place.

Big ~HUGZ~ to all of you! :beer:

Can't believe no one else is going to bust your balls about your racial stereotyping. Because you're white and he was black makes you frightened of him, therefore weaker? Hope you never have to defend yourself or family against other boogeymen:(

Nevermind- saw the "Hugz to all"! ending. Explains everything.