You're a good poster, @SOJAZ , so I'm glad that you didn't get smooshed by that bus on the Parkway!!!
Wow, glad that you were ok! The other driver should have let the other merging car hit him. It sounds like the merging car would have been at fault. As it is, trying to avoid the merging car, he could have killed or crippled you or someone else. I'll bet the idiot that caused the wreck went on oblivious and had to pay no damages, didn't he?
I agree. I have also seen a lot of idiot cyclists. Wow! I'm glad that you were ok following that incident with the bus!!
That's the problem...drivers will pick the bike lane over letting another car hit them. I understand that, but usually in those circumstances, the driver who caused the wreck goes merrily on his or her selfish and/or oblivious way, while the driver of the car that was almost hit and the cyclist have to pay the price. If I ever see that happen, I'm going to chase down the offending car, get their driver's plate number and call the police/highway patrol and tell them who the idiot was that caused the wreck. I'm beginning to understand more and more how road rage happens. There have been days when if I had a gun in the car, I might have been tempted to use it.
Hit and run happens a lot. 30 years ago I was biking with a friend on a 30 mile out and back road that was heavily used by bikers. We were riding around 20 mph with me in the front and there was a car at a stop sign hesitating for a good 30 seconds. Even though we had the right of way I never trust a car. I slowed down trying to make eye contact with the driver while putting my hand out to warn my friend. She did not heed my warning. The car waited then ran her over. The driver stopped looked at her lying and bleeding in the road and then panicked and peeled out. Another car stopped and helped us get help. But, yes there are cyclists that make mistakes and don't follow the rules but the only one who gets hurt for their mistakes are themselves. Cars kill people. Riding on roads I have been cursed at, had things thrown at me, had cars take swipes at me and have been slightly hit many times but those are rare. Inattentive drivers that don't care are why I don't ride on the road.
You are 100% correct. He was actually driving a big ass pick up and intentionally forced himself in front of the kid in the car, then it accelerated and disappeared. Classic small dick, no brain and drive a big bad ass vehicle syndrome.
I am afraid to say I don't recall exactly what her injuries were other than she had knee surgery and it was a good while before she could ride again. I don't even recall how we all got out of there. How we picked up her bike or how she got to the hospital. It is funny how we recall things. The main things I recall still burn in my mind. The fear seeing him not make eye contact and his look of panic before taking off. Pretty much all other memories are gone. On second thought it was 25 years ago not 30.
My brother got taken out by a bus on his motorcycle.... good thing he's a big dude or he'd be toast. Helmet actually got snagged on bumper and that probably saved him (kept him from being fully run-over). 7 broken ribs (one through his lung... got Mo Lewis'd) ruptured spleen and hand surgery. 2 weeks in the hospital.... He said "I always wanted to ride in a helicopter, just not strapped to stretcher". Suffice to say, I quit motorcycle shopping that week. He's ok now.... but we're both going to have some painful twilight years for sure
Back to the topic of Coach Knapp . . . Player reactions in this NY Post article: https://nypost.com/2021/07/20/nfl-players-coaches-react-to-jets-coach-greg-knapps-bike-accident/
How does the NY Post typo his passion for life into his passing for life. So now it just reads like an obit. Anyone know how to alert those muckrakers?
There’s bad drivers, riders, runners and walkers out there. Then there are people you mention who just can’t see riders. I was riding on the GSP when a guy on a Harley flew past me and cut into my lane. He slowed down to a reasonable speed and not 10 seconds later a Jeep knocked him right off his bike at 70+. Of course he wasn’t wearing a full face helmet and the brain bucket he was wearing flew off on first contact. His scull didn’t hold up to second contact. The Jeep driver was devastated. She kept saying she didn’t see him. I believe her even though I’d like to believe I would have seen the guy before switching lanes. Had Harley guy not cut me off it might have been me in his place. If you ride, wear a helmet. A real helmet, not a bullshit lifestyle helmet thats suppose to prove how tough you are.
I agree with you. One of the instructors when I took when I took my motorcycle safety training course was also a first responder as his real job. To emphasize his point about how invisible a rider is on the road, he told us about an accident he had been called to. A woman in a car had rear-ended a school bus. A big yellow school bus, with reflective tape, and flashing lights. Her explanation? "I didn't see it." Compare the profile of that bus to the profile of a rider, probably wearing a black leather jacket and a black helmet. We have to ride like no one can see us. Same for walkers, joggers, runners, and cyclists. And to your comment about helmets? The old saying, "If you have a $10 head, get a $10 helmet" is a saying for a reason.
The fact is that American roads are largely not made for bikes even if there is a bike lane and even if the bikes stay in the bike lane. When a car and bike collide, I wouldn't want to be on the bike.