Things I learned today:
1. Cars apparently can manifest instantaneously where there was no car before.
2. I can get my shoes out of my pedals just fine except in an emergency.
3. Time does slow down when you’re about to die.
4. Everything is oddly quiet when you’re about to die except the sound of your own voice, sounding thin and reedy, piping, “Shitshitshitshitshitshit!!!” Like in those dreams where you scream but no sound comes out.
5. You think of the oddest things, too:
a. Can I go around the car? No.
b. What about the strip alongside the road? No, you’ll fall.
c. Won’t I fall anyway? Probably.
d. When did I have time to downshift?
e. Is that other car still coming? Yes.
f. Since when did I have time to look for the other car?
g. What about that 2-foot section of road alongside the car? It’ll have to do. It’s all you have.
6. Almost becoming spandex roadside scrape gives one an interesting outlook on the way home.
August 9th, 2007 at 8:02 pm
Um, I’m happy you aren’t toast. I prefer the crunchy granola bread version of lion and the magic boy. NOT the toast version.
August 10th, 2007 at 12:59 am
Ah, yes, I remember it well! Have experienced all those things… including “can’t get feet out of cleats.”
And… the very special time when…
Weee—aaaahhhh (sound of time slowing down)
Wow… complete calm… that car… is actually going… to hit me.
I rode a bike as my main form of transportation for many, many years… often, foolishly. Meaning, I rode in a foolish way (which is how I got hit by the car in the first place).
I also experienced many scares riding sanely, wisely, and safely… bec. this is the material plane and/or because other people were driving… or riding their bicycles… in a foolish way.
It is darned scary sometimes !!!
Wishing you many fun – and scareless – rides in future!
Cynzim
August 11th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
I always like the embarrassed looks or head nods you get from drivers when they see you at the last minute and stop after you have locked up the wheels to avoid hitting them. My brakes screech like a strangled banchee so it gets their attention with me yelling at them.
I always wonder what I should do after I yell at them and they recognize their mistake. I usually keep riding and just shake my head.
I would love to have a paint gun mounted to the bike to fire off a few shots as I’m locking the brakes up. That would really get their attention and then they would have to go home and clean their car up and explain to people how they almost killed someone today by their inattention.