| Re: Hit and Run
Claire Petersky wrote:
> I was coming down Dearborn at about 20 mph in to work this morning, 8:45 AM,
> full morning daylight, and was right hooked by someone turning in to
> Chinatown. He didn't use a turn signal. I could see him angling in to make
> the turn, so I was braking hard.
>
> I nearly managed to miss him. I hit the back of the guy's car at a pretty
> low speed considering, then hit the ground. Me, I'm fine, just a scrape on
> the elbow. Bike appears fine. Water bottle is totaled, though -- rolled out
> into the street and got run over by a truck.
>
> The driver didn't bother to stop to find out what might have gone thump on
> the back of his car. Instead, he high-tailed it out of there. I filed a
> hit-and-run police report this morning: license number 275 LUM. Police
> seemed to take it pretty seriously.
>
> There was a witness, another cyclist right behind me on Dearborn. He was a
> young fellow, long hair and beard, pant legs rolled up with bright red
> socks, beater bike. I was ahead of him, then he passed me, then I passed
> him. I was thinking that if he had been in front, maybe he would have been
> more likely to have gotten seriously whacked -- a beater bike might not have
> the same braking power; he might not have noticed the car starting to make
> the turn. Better my scraped elbow than his brain like jelly on the pavement.
> A construction worker was another witness, and confirmed my license plate
> ID. The police have the witnesses' names and phone numbers.
>
> When I went to get my bike to ride home, I had pangs of irrational panic. I
> had no problem completing the ride in to work after the accident, but I was
> still on adrenaline. By the afternoon, all that wore off, and I approached
> the bike with a very weird feeling. But my life is structured on using the
> bike to get home, so I got on. Then, I was sure to ride through the same
> intersection as the accident, just to affirm that I was not going to be all
> freaked out, and it was okay.
>
> I rode in sort of a "letting it all go" mode in the afternoon, feeling very
> easy-going about traffic and cars. Maybe that's the head space I really need
> to be commuting in these days.
>
Yup, the Right Hook turned me off from riding for a long time. I almost
slid under the wheel of a monster truck. Figuring I'd rather have a
broken arm than a crushed thorax, I just launched into the truck's
fender instead. I guess it fended me off successfully!
My boss one day expressed her concern for my safety as a bicyclist
because most drivers, in her opinion, are not paying attention
(including herself!). In a way, this firmed my resolve to commute even
more, because I am not about to stoop to the lowest common denominator
of stupidity.
I really like the hightened level of attention required to bike around.
Driving (or, if you live in Chicago, parking your way to your
destination) is pretty darn boring.
I think slowing down a little bit is a great tactic to keep yourself on
the bike. Just cruise along, and soon enough you'll be pounding the
pedals again. I did that after a broken collarbone and it worked great.
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