So yesterday my girlfriend calls me at work, says "My messenger bag was run over by a van." (How did that happen?) "I was laying in the street and the van rolled over it" (Oh *****! Are you ok?) "Yes but the buckle got smashed and some of my hair was burned" (WTF? Why were you laying in the street?) "Someone behind me honked so I looked over my shoulder. While I was distracted, there was a car accident in front of me and I ran into one of the cars and fell. Then the van behind me drove over my bag." (So you were still wearing the bag when it got hit?) "Yes."

So you get the picture. A bunch of drivers got out because of the accident and were really concerned about her saftey. Meanwhile she is pinned to the ground because she is wearing her bag and the front wheel of a delivery van is on top of it. The van driver is freaking out, "Are you ok, are you ok?!" And she is telling him "Just back up, you are parked on my bag!" So she was miraculously ok, except for a three inch chunk of hair that was burned off on one side, and her bike survived unscathed. The van driver (according to my gf) was more scared than she was. The only people who were not helpful where the A-holes in the car behind the van, who had honked in the first place. They just sat in their car with the windows rolled up. The only casualty was her mess bag. The buckle got smashed, the cross strap ripped off, and one side is badly abradded. She says it's time for a new one anyway.

What kind of bag was it? I want to be sure that any bag I use won't die just because it was run over by a delivery truck...

Glad she and the bike were OK - could have been much worse...

OK, I'm missing something. How does the flaming hair fit in to all this?

I don't think it was burned by flames, I think it was roadburned when the wheel ran over it. She has very long hair.

The bag was a Timbuk2. The only irreprible damage was the plastic buckle, which got smashed. I haven't checked it out close enough to see if we can fix it. The bag has a few holes though so it might be time for retirement anyway. This same bag once saved her from getting cut up as she went into the windshield of an SUV that hit her a couple years ago. Yes she is accident prone, but tough.

Whatever, dude! I want the bag that will save my life like Superman's cape!

Ok, it wasn't a Chrome. I feel safer now. I'm a little worried about my little brother in MT who has my old Timbuk2 though...

I think the fact that the timbuk2 saved her once and wasn't completely destroyed this time says something good about it's construction. I think you might be able to replace the buckle but it's got hole anyways. Your gf should definately post on the timbuk2 website. Chrome bags always seemed a little too pretty for me, I'd feel too much like a hipster wearing those things.

Glad she is ok.
Contact Timbuk2, seewhat they can do , nothing loose and younever know.

Wow, what a story. I need to get my wife to toughen up :)

<---- must first get the girlfriend on a bike. :rolleyes:

<----must first get girlfriend :p

yikes! i have to say your girlfriend is f_cking lucky. i imagine if the van stopped six inches later we would all be hearing a different story. let just hope somthing like that never happends again.

you might be ahead of the game.. cause you cann find one thats already on a bike

Not in Toronto you can't.

Ira - glad she is safe. I have a spare bag she can have (maroon baileyworks) if she needs it. let me know via PM.

I'm working on it. Ask me in a couple weeks from now ;)

Glad your GF is OK. She's a tough cookie. Stuff like that is what scares most girls and lots of guys from riding in traffic.

She's definitely a tough one. Glad she's ok. What a messed up experience.

Thanks for the offer, I'll let her know.

Oh, and she wanted me to mention that she still got to work early.

wow crazy story.
was she wearing a helmet?

She should definately contact Timbuk2, I bet they'd do something nice for her, even if its just a new buckle.

Those bags take a beating, my last one was stolen last year after many years of faithful service, and I've been riding around with this stupid briefcase thing that is uncomfortable, doesn't hold anything right, has a crappy strap, and otherwise sucks in every imaginable way. However, I'm about saved up enough to buy a replacement. :)

Tell your gf that she kicks ass and takes names.

-sam

i'dve been pissing my pants if i was that van driver, too... sounds like that was waaay too close.
on a side note, being a girl who's always on a bike, i've noticed that when i've been hit, people show a lot more concern in general than they do for the guys. i don't like it.

people in cars don't realize how unnerving it can be when they start honking. i'm mostly used to it living where i live, but once in a while it really scares the crap out of me.

Get an air zound and honk back :)

Your GF sounds pretty hardcore. Glad to hear she didn't share the same fate as the bag.