It was a dark and stormy night...
No, wait. I think it was an afternoon. Slightly overcast.
Anyhoo, this was way back in the college undergrad days so... 30-something-ish years ago? I lived off campus and typically rode my bicycle to and from. I was heading home after another day of classes and was still on campus, going past the law building.
I was pedaling on this little stretch, and there was a BMW something or other heading in my direction, going pretty slow - maybe about 10 mph. Then, just as we're about to pass and then never see each other again, the woman in the BMW turns that hunk of metal and rubber left RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.
Next thing I knew, my front wheel hit near her passenger side headlight and I was soon no longer on my bicycle, but floating ever so gracefully toward her windshield. Since I was much younger and suppler then and aware of The Matrix, I managed to slow time and do a quick little herkie-doo
Uhm, actually no. I mean FAT CHANCE of THAT! What followed was the much more expected
minus the dinosaur onesie.
I was wearing, however, my backpack laden with a hardcover textbook or two, hence it took the brunt of the impact. Next I knew, I was sitting on the ground while other students scurried to my assistance and a frantic woman exited the BMW.
I remember one bystander in particular, a youngish guy with dark hair.
"I saw everything! I'll be a witness! Here, I'll write down the license number!"
Did I mention this was near the law building?
But really, I do appreciate the speed at which people came to check on me. Actually, though, I was not hurt. the MOST freaked out person on the scene was clearly the driver of the BMW. Middle aged woman, looking for the law library, and kind of,
"oh, there it is" *turn*CRASH!*
She took me and my injured bicycle back to my apartment, gave me her contact information and money to cover all repairs. And that was that - the episode had a brief life as a short story to tell my friends.
These days, it might have become a viral video or gif to live on in infamy.
Ain't that the truth, Martha?
Clearly, I was ahead of my time.
1. Write a blog post about a time you were in a car accident.
9 comments:
Right, you'd be all over TikTok with this one...
John, true. And in hindsight, I think the BMW driver would've stolen the show.
She wasn't going super fast, right? Or you might have been hurt worse? Glad you weren't. That's one of my biggest fears. Accidentally hitting someone. Were you wearing a helmet?
betty
Damn, that is scary girl!
Betty, she wasn't going very fast at all, just finding her way around campus. This would've been late 80s or 1990. "Nobody" wore bike helmets then, myself included 😎.
Peggy, it happened so fast - no time to be scared, thankfully.
Very scary, Abby. As you shared with someone else, it happened so fast but, some Angel must have been watching over you that day!
Patty, probably so. I really had no lasting effects. It's generally advised to get a physical once over because adrenaline kicks in and you feel fine for a while right afterwards. Ah, to be young again.
My bike and my books and that angel saved me.
Yes, these days you could have used your own gif in your blog post! Can you even imagine how horrifying it would feel to hit a person? I hope to never experience THAT...nor do I wish to experience the horror of being hit by an entire vehicle! I do not want to be either of you in this scenario. I'm so glad it wasn't worse!
If it happened today, I'd be the famous "Old Lady on a Bicycle Hit by Old Lady in a Beemer" gif! Mega meme material!
When I'm driving, I worry about hitting geese and/or squirrels. I can't imagine hitting a person.
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