Bike Meets Car

I had a premonition this would happen this year and it did.  On the way to work I entered a roundabout and was going to exit the second outlet, but as I cycled past the first inlet a car that was approaching failed to stop for me (I had the rightaway) and I saw the driver's eyes get bigger and bigger as a car going about 25-30 KM an hour run right into me.  Strange things go through your mind as something like this happens.  Thought one: This is happening.  Thought two: I am on the hood of the car and smashing into the windshield.  Thoughts three, four, and five: Hey, this is kind of like a ride at Tivoli--I am flying through the air--This will not end well.  Thought six was the asphalt is pretty hard and my hip and knee hurt pretty bad.  Thought seven: I wonder if I can get up--no, I should wait awhile.

So I waited, looking at the spiderweb cracks on the windshield, marvelling at the fact that I did that and measuring the distance from me and the car (20-25 feet) and hoping my bike was OK.  It wasn't--both wheels bent up beyond turning or fixing.  Thought about the professor at UW who got killed biking to work years ago.  Thinking, yup what I thought would happen happened and I still have 8 months here.

I crawled over to the middle of the roundabout.  The woman driving got out of her car and came over to me and was very apologetic and wanted so very much for me to get in her car, which I didn't really want to--the thing had just assaulted me for crying out loud.  A young Dane who was cycling by and saw the whole thing happen came running over to help and did all the phone calling necessary to get the police out to take a report and issue a charge of car assault against a bicyclist.

The cops came and took reports from the three of us, although the driver said she didn't speak Danish very well.  She claimed the sun was in her eyes, which it wasn't at the time, it was still behind the raised Metro line berm.  I asked about how I would get my bike repaired so I could commute to work and got the insurance company name and vehicle registration.

By this time my aches and pain had subsided and I shouldered my bike and walked it over to our neighborhood bike repair shop.  Can't fix those wheels, gotta replace them and whatever else is wrecked.  Bought a bus ticket and went to work just happy to be alive and able to keep working on the book.  On the way home at a bus stop someone had scrawled, "Enjoy life while you can," so I had a beer and bump and was so happy to be sitting here with Anne, excited to be able to greet, hold, and love Meredith and Ky's baby when it comes in July, reconnect with with our Skyping grand kids Clementine and Cooper, and enjoy life while I can with Mikkel, Suzie, Meredith, Ky, and our many good friends.  Yikes!  It all sure is tenuous.