My Sad Life

It's sad when your life is so boring that getting hit by a car on your bike turns out to be the only big thing that happened that day.

So I probably have a few of you asking, "LiL A, did you really get hit by a car on your bike?" To answer your questions, yes indeed I did get hit by a car on my bike. Here is my take on the story.

I was crossing the street on my bike, and making sure that I had the signal to cross and that all the cars that were in the intersection came to a complete stop. To my horror, just as I start to cross, the white SUV that was at a complete stop goes forward and nails my bike. Luckily, it wasn't hard enough to do any damage to me or my bike, and I get up, get my water, and meet the driver. He was a middle age man, and he was asking if I was okay. We agree not to call the cops, as there was no real damage done to either of us, so I get on my bike and get home. I do have a little bit of whiplash, but not something that a little bit of Ibuprofen won't take the edge off of. I guess I was lucky, because I don't even have a bruise from it, and I still have a functional bike.

I consider something like this to be inevitable. I would have eventually been hit no matter what kind of precautions I take to keep myself safe. No, I do not have a helmet, as helmets will not save you in the case of high-impact accidents. I also do not have the money for one, although, if I did add a couple elbow pads to it, I would look like a child with my knee braces and stuff. However, I do have a bone to pick with drivers. I have become very cautious when I cross the road and never cross when I don't have the signal to cross. Despite all of this, I still have almost been hit because people turn and do not look to see if there are any pedestrians in the crosswalk. Sometimes they may not even look and almost get hit head on while turning. I want to caution those of you that drive to be a little more attentive and understanding of pedestrians and bicyclists. I have had my share of people honk at me because I am not crossing the street fast enough. Bicyclists and pedestrians most of the time are not as fast as cars, so to expect us to be is wrong. I plead you to have a little more patience, as waiting for us to cross will not make you much later for your appointment that you are already late for, but hitting us will. While it is up to the pedestrian/bicyclist to make sure that cars are stopped, it is also up to the driver to make sure that they are looking both directions before they go.

While I am lucky to have walked away like I did, a lot more people do not get this privilege. There are many other people who are killed in accidents just like mine, and the driver does not know how resilient the other person's body will be to blows like this. Hence, it is important for both the bicyclist and the motorist to ensure that each is safe. It is up to the bicyclist to make sure that all cars are stopped, and it is up to the motorist to make sure that there is no one in the intersection before they turn. When these responsibilities are recognized and carried out, then the road is safer one motorist/bicyclist/pedestrian at a time.