Entry: Two wheels good, four wheels bad. Friday, October 16, 2009

Hey, Ma! Don't read this post! Go over there at the shiny, brightly coloured moving thing! Ooooh, see how it attracts and entrances, drawing you away from the post that will make you call me and demand I never cycle again!

I just got hit by a car. On Canning Street. CANNING STREET. Also known as the Bicycle Superhighway of Melbourne, where pushies rule and cars cower in fear at our spokey, sleek splendour.

Car turned into Canning Street without looking. I was in front of car at the time. There were two witnesses and two people who live nearby who heard, in this order, in quick succession:

a) me yell "F#@$@#$@#@#$@#$CKKKK!"
b) screeching brakes
c) a thud
d) me yell more of the above

I saw white car bonnet, then I saw road, then I saw sky. My right elbow hit tarmac and came away skin-free. I would like to thank my helmet from the bottom of my heart because as the back of my head met the ground, it shattered. My skull didn't. A state funeral for that helmet that gave its life in the line of duty.

One of the witnesses asked "are you OK?" and I yelled "NO! I'm REALLY ANGRY!" before getting up and off the road. I'm fine, really. My arm will bruise up and I'll learn how much it all hurts when the shock wears off. The ambos were gentle and lovely, people brought me water and disinfectant, the witnesses all comiserated and tried to fix my bike, the cop was kind and took me home. The driver said he was sorry but the cop told me that in his statement, he claimed I sped up out of nowhere and it wasn't his fault.

My poor old bike.

And all this because I worked so many extra hours this week that I left work early for a little op-shopping reward. Booo.





   6 comments

kimmiegirl
October 20, 2009   07:11 PM PDT
 
Ouch, Ouch and more Ouch. So glad to read that you are okay, but I'm trying not to imagine how bad your elbow looks and feels. Could you imagine my face all scrunched up as you read this? Cos that's how it is as I read your post/write a comment. I hope you've indulged in some very worthy retailop therapy...
ataxophile
October 19, 2009   07:17 PM PDT
 
Glad you're still in a fit state to blog. Like Ma, I wish I had been there, but mostly so I could hear you say F#@$@#$@#@#$@#$CKKKK!. I've tried, and it's really difficult to get your mouth around.
lsn
October 19, 2009   02:59 PM PDT
 
Crap, hope you're OK and not too stiff!

As to the speeding up out of nowhere - what were you doing, the Tour de Carlton?! I call... bullshit.
Moggy
October 17, 2009   06:44 PM PDT
 
Canning St? Did the foolish driver not realise that is Bike Territory and that cars must be the souls of cautiousness?

Hope the elbow has quick recovery!
vetti
October 17, 2009   02:40 PM PDT
 
hope yer arms pretty colours and skinlessness are the worst that happens - and that the nasty 4 wheeled guy has to cough up for yer new helmet and bike rehab...at the very least
Ma
October 17, 2009   12:40 PM PDT
 
I read it - poor Livebird, poor Bike. Wish I had been there to deal with the driver on your behalf, then you would have seen angry! He should pay for the bike repairs or better still, a new bike. Can we have pictures of the rainbow colours you can expect to develop on your nether regions please?

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