e-beach
10 MW
So I flew over my handlebars tonight. Both my wrists are stiff and sore I have a welt on the top of my left hand and middle knuckle. My left knee is slightly abraded as is my right palm....But I didn't end up under the bumper of the car that turned left in front of me. I had full range of motion and full strength in both hands, but the pain and swelling is setting in. I am home now, and I going to drink some beers tonight. 
Some of you know that I haven't been working much since I joined this board, but recently I got some temp work for the political silly season because, “my side is better then your side...blah blah blah,” you know the story. (Actually I am working for a good cause that is not about the presidency.)
But, the work keeps me until after sunset. So with my limited budget, I bought not one, but two super-bright 7 led flashlights and strapped them to my handlebars. I wanted to make sure the cars could see me coming. I have been ridding as many of the side streets I can in my 10+ mile each-way commute through the heart of my gritty city. But as fate would have it, that is where this car cut me off......on a side street.
I was feeling a bit tired when I left work at 8:30 pm so I was cruising a bit slower then usual, probably about 13mph and maybe this confused the driver, a somewhat fast somewhat slow bike. I had full right of way and the guy should have waited for me to pass, but, as I was approaching the end of 5th ave he started turning left in front of me and didn't stop. I slowed down abruptly until I realized that he wasn't going to stop. I clinched both of my break levers hard and over the bars I went!
I felt the back tire going over the top and in the dim of the street lights I saw the ground coming. I thrust my hands forward to keep my head from smacking the street. I ended up in a heap with my bike in the water from the gutters, but, I wasn't under his bumper.
So out jumps the driver and he try's to pick me up, pick up my bike, pick up my now shattered headlights that were shattered under the weight of my bike.
He didn't speak English.
As Los Angeles is, a very big city, it has lots of immigrants from all parts of the world, so it is not unusual for a driver around here not to speak English, it's just madding when they cause an accident and one can't communicate with them. As luck would have it, a bi-lingual Korean woman was walking past. The driver walked up to her and asked her to translate. He told her his story and I told her mine, and in some strange way she became some hard-nosed arbitrator between us. The Korean driver argued his case and I mine.
Now I am not a vindictive man. And the driver seemed truly sorry. Call me what you will but all I wanted was $20.00 to replace the broken lights on my bike. He kept offering me $10.00. I had not even ridden my bike to see if it was still working, I probably wasn't thinking right at the moment. Finally, after about 10 minutes of going back and forth, I had enough. I told the woman that we need to call the police and let them sort it out. That changed the drivers mind.
I got my $20 from him. I rode my bike home. With the exception of a somewhat deformed right break lever, my bike rode fine. I will give it a full check-up in the morning. On the other hand,I am hurting. My wrists are now very stiff and the welt on my left hand and knuckle has swollen large. I will give my self a full check-up in the morning as well.
But, I am not under his front bumper. :?
So how was your day today?
Some of you know that I haven't been working much since I joined this board, but recently I got some temp work for the political silly season because, “my side is better then your side...blah blah blah,” you know the story. (Actually I am working for a good cause that is not about the presidency.)
But, the work keeps me until after sunset. So with my limited budget, I bought not one, but two super-bright 7 led flashlights and strapped them to my handlebars. I wanted to make sure the cars could see me coming. I have been ridding as many of the side streets I can in my 10+ mile each-way commute through the heart of my gritty city. But as fate would have it, that is where this car cut me off......on a side street.
I was feeling a bit tired when I left work at 8:30 pm so I was cruising a bit slower then usual, probably about 13mph and maybe this confused the driver, a somewhat fast somewhat slow bike. I had full right of way and the guy should have waited for me to pass, but, as I was approaching the end of 5th ave he started turning left in front of me and didn't stop. I slowed down abruptly until I realized that he wasn't going to stop. I clinched both of my break levers hard and over the bars I went!
I felt the back tire going over the top and in the dim of the street lights I saw the ground coming. I thrust my hands forward to keep my head from smacking the street. I ended up in a heap with my bike in the water from the gutters, but, I wasn't under his bumper.
So out jumps the driver and he try's to pick me up, pick up my bike, pick up my now shattered headlights that were shattered under the weight of my bike.
He didn't speak English.
As Los Angeles is, a very big city, it has lots of immigrants from all parts of the world, so it is not unusual for a driver around here not to speak English, it's just madding when they cause an accident and one can't communicate with them. As luck would have it, a bi-lingual Korean woman was walking past. The driver walked up to her and asked her to translate. He told her his story and I told her mine, and in some strange way she became some hard-nosed arbitrator between us. The Korean driver argued his case and I mine.
Now I am not a vindictive man. And the driver seemed truly sorry. Call me what you will but all I wanted was $20.00 to replace the broken lights on my bike. He kept offering me $10.00. I had not even ridden my bike to see if it was still working, I probably wasn't thinking right at the moment. Finally, after about 10 minutes of going back and forth, I had enough. I told the woman that we need to call the police and let them sort it out. That changed the drivers mind.
I got my $20 from him. I rode my bike home. With the exception of a somewhat deformed right break lever, my bike rode fine. I will give it a full check-up in the morning. On the other hand,I am hurting. My wrists are now very stiff and the welt on my left hand and knuckle has swollen large. I will give my self a full check-up in the morning as well.
But, I am not under his front bumper. :?
So how was your day today?
