The Chainlink

Death of a cyclicst

 

Hello my name is Dario.  I am typing this one handed because of an injury sustained while biking.  Obviously I did not die but if you want people to read your story you have to have a headline that grabs attention.  I am/was a year round cyclist who started commuting to work at the age of 32 (nearly 3 years now).  I know I am late to the party.  I started riding to lose weight but ended up loving it.  I love riding in Critical Mass, the clarity it gives me in the morning, and the way the way stress falls away on the ride home.  I love it so much I strong armed my best friend to follow me in biking.  It was easy to do when he saw my weight loss.  At first it bothered me to be the “crazy bike rider” who rides in the winter, but I got over it and now wear it like a badge of courage.  Besides I was never one to go with the flow.  I am a bit of a safety nerd.  While I don’t wear lime green spandex I always have lights and wear my helmet (not that it should matter).   I am extremely cautious and courteous.  I stop at stop signs,  don’t salmon, ride on side streets to minimize my interaction with “cagers”, and yell on your left when I pass people.  Yesterday while riding on the lake path a rollerblader (are they really still around), stepped in front of me after I shouted “on your left” and I ran into her.  I fell and separated my left shoulder. I have never felt pain like this.   She walked away.  In pain and furious I screamed at her to “get the fuck away from me before I beat your ass”, so I did not get her info.  Thank  God I have insurance.  Through no fault of my own, I will be out of commission for about a month.  

My wife and I brought home our newborn son Tuesday the 26th, and I can’t even hold him in my arms.  That hurts some much more than my shoulder.   This injury has saddled her with extra chores since I can do so little with one hand.  At the time in our lives when she needs me most I am a burden.  This is so unfair.  She has always been supportive(despite her reservations) and even liked buying me workout/cycling clothes.  

I cannot in good conscience continue to risk my well being with so many ignorant, discourteous, self centered, and just plain stupid people out there.  When it was just me I could rationalize it but I have a family now and I don’t want to miss any of it.  In short I am hanging it up, throwing in the towel, and giving up.   I did not write this for sympathy, or to hear people try and change my mind, i just needed to vent to like minded people.  Will I still bike, probably, but not as much.  If you’ve been a cyclist for a day you’ve probably had a close call, so you know what i mean.  I can not justify the risk any longer.  Thank you for reading this.  Goodbye.

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Permalink Reply by Anne on July 28, 2011 at 12:47pm

The "death" here is the death of Trust.

 

Many years ago, I, too, was taken out by a rollerblader. Broken frame and seven stitches.

 

My motto, for cycling or even driving: Anticipate ignorance, expect stupidity.

 

Dario: trust in yourself; everything you have done as a rider is good and right. You got stung. The pain is real but this is no burden. Stop being hard on yourself and cowboy up. :)

Permalink Reply by Michael J Blane on July 28, 2011 at 1:06pm
Where'd you get that third foot?

iggi said:

if you stub your toe on a sidewalk, will you decide to never walk again?  shit happens, dude

 

Permalink Reply by globalguy on July 28, 2011 at 1:11pm

Seriously! And not a good third foot either...

 

Permalink Reply by Michael J Blane on July 28, 2011 at 1:14pm
Sounds like a bank's name: Good Third Foot Bank.

da' Square Wheelman (aka garth) said:

Seriously! And not a good third foot either...

 

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on July 28, 2011 at 1:23pm
Or a specialized bike tool -the 3rd-foot tool!

Michael J Blane said:
Sounds like a bank's name: Good Third Foot Bank.

da' Square Wheelman (aka garth) said:

Seriously! And not a good third foot either...

 

Permalink Reply by Jeremy on July 28, 2011 at 1:43pm

YES! 

 

I know it's a little kumbaya, but if everyone just slowed down a little and showed some courtesy, the LFP would be pleasant enough for everyone to use.  Cyclists are basically cars on the path--I think if you choose to take that route you also have to do so responsibly.  During rush hour, on a nice day with the sun out and plenty of skaters, pedestrians, and god knows what else, treat everyone like you wish a car would treat you and more often than not things will work out.  

 

Or, everyone could just ride at exactly my pace with exactly my style. 

 

James said:

In a way, we are the annoying "cars" on the path that are going much too fast for conditions much of the time when passing and overtaking other path users.  I confess to being guilty of this at times too.  But we have the responsibility to pass other path users (both when overtaking and  from head-on) in a safe manner and with enough clearance so that these kinds of accidents don't ever happen -and when they do it is most often our own fault.  People don't have eyes in the back of their heads and yelling, "On your left!" is often misconstrued as, "Move left" to many peds and bladers who are startled by a fast mover zooming past them.    

 

If it takes slowing down and giving the other users a lot more room then that is what it takes to fulfill our obligations then that is what we need to do -just like cars are supposed to give us 3 feet on the road. 3-feet is probably not going to happen but there needs to be enough safe clearance so that this kind of "accident" never happens.  There really are not such things as "accidents" -just people who are cutting things  too close and taking unnecessary chances/risks with other people's lives while zooming past them.

Permalink Reply by Anne on July 28, 2011 at 2:05pm

BUMP! +3


very very well said:
Jeremy said:

YES! 

 

I know it's a little kumbaya, but if everyone just slowed down a little and showed some courtesy, the LFP would be pleasant enough for everyone to use.  Cyclists are basically cars on the path--I think if you choose to take that route you also have to do so responsibly.  During rush hour, on a nice day with the sun out and plenty of skaters, pedestrians, and god knows what else, treat everyone like you wish a car would treat you and more often than not things will work out.  

 

Or, everyone could just ride at exactly my pace with exactly my style. 

 

James said:

In a way, we are the annoying "cars" on the path that are going much too fast for conditions much of the time when passing and overtaking other path users.  I confess to being guilty of this at times too.  But we have the responsibility to pass other path users (both when overtaking and  from head-on) in a safe manner and with enough clearance so that these kinds of accidents don't ever happen -and when they do it is most often our own fault.  People don't have eyes in the back of their heads and yelling, "On your left!" is often misconstrued as, "Move left" to many peds and bladers who are startled by a fast mover zooming past them.    

 

If it takes slowing down and giving the other users a lot more room then that is what it takes to fulfill our obligations then that is what we need to do -just like cars are supposed to give us 3 feet on the road. 3-feet is probably not going to happen but there needs to be enough safe clearance so that this kind of "accident" never happens.  There really are not such things as "accidents" -just people who are cutting things  too close and taking unnecessary chances/risks with other people's lives while zooming past them.

Permalink Reply by Tim S on July 28, 2011 at 2:51pm
"HEY" seems to be the best remedy with the Peds out there I agree. "On your left" is a foreign term for sure. After feeling like a bit of a jerk in the beginning I came to realize being a jerk is better than being hurt.

Carly said:

  I have discovered that yelling "on your left" only works with other cyclists.  For some strange phenomenal reason, peds will often step directly in front of you if you give them a warning from behind. I have no idea why.  I have read about this phenomena in a few different bicycling books and it has happened often enough personally to use different tactics.  I either dodge 'em silently if they're moving predictably enough, or I slow down enough to say, "excuse me please, can I get by you?".  If they're wearing headphones or something I yell "HEY!".  As a cyclist, I feel that I should treat peds as gently as I wish for autos to treat me.  

 

 

Permalink Reply by Carter O'Brien on July 28, 2011 at 4:04pm

Totally agree.  I think cyclists - some of us, anyway - need to understand that riding a bike is not a license to pass everyone else who is not moving at our preferred speed. 

 

That said, there is a special place in Hell for people who walk their dogs on their left and *in* the path.  Why anyone would subject their dog to that is beyond me...

 

Jeremy said:

YES! 

 

I know it's a little kumbaya, but if everyone just slowed down a little and showed some courtesy, the LFP would be pleasant enough for everyone to use.  Cyclists are basically cars on the path--I think if you choose to take that route you also have to do so responsibly.  During rush hour, on a nice day with the sun out and plenty of skaters, pedestrians, and god knows what else, treat everyone like you wish a car would treat you and more often than not things will work out.  

 

Or, everyone could just ride at exactly my pace with exactly my style. 

 

James said:

In a way, we are the annoying "cars" on the path that are going much too fast for conditions much of the time when passing and overtaking other path users.  I confess to being guilty of this at times too.  But we have the responsibility to pass other path users (both when overtaking and  from head-on) in a safe manner and with enough clearance so that these kinds of accidents don't ever happen -and when they do it is most often our own fault.  People don't have eyes in the back of their heads and yelling, "On your left!" is often misconstrued as, "Move left" to many peds and bladers who are startled by a fast mover zooming past them.    

 

If it takes slowing down and giving the other users a lot more room then that is what it takes to fulfill our obligations then that is what we need to do -just like cars are supposed to give us 3 feet on the road. 3-feet is probably not going to happen but there needs to be enough safe clearance so that this kind of "accident" never happens.  There really are not such things as "accidents" -just people who are cutting things  too close and taking unnecessary chances/risks with other people's lives while zooming past them.

Permalink Reply by Anne on July 28, 2011 at 5:47pm

Speaking of foreigners,  not everyone on the bike path speaks English! lol

that's why i like my bell.....


Tim S said:

"HEY" seems to be the best remedy with the Peds out there I agree. "On your left" is a foreign term for sure. "

 

Permalink Reply by ChristopherMCA on July 28, 2011 at 8:01pm
+1 for staying away from LSP during the summer, your have better chances of survival on the streets
Permalink Reply by Sarah D. on July 28, 2011 at 9:23pm

I've actually nearly been in accidents with other bicyclists who don't say a thing as they silently ride up to my left blind spot, in traffic on the streets. What happened to "on your left" at all? I've said, "hey, next time, please say something" the couple times I almost hit a parked car to avoid hitting them, but they breeze by, unhelmetted, as if they didn't hear me. It's really odd. But you sound like one of the good guys!

 

Don't give up bicycling. People are just not perfect, but it sounds like you've gotten a lot closer to it through the joy of two-wheelin'. Take care of your shoulder and come back to it when you're ready. We're here rootin' for you.

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