Struck!!

Yesterday I was struck by a car while riding my bike in Providence. Let me write that once more. Yesterday I was struck by a car while riding my bike in Providence.

I am unscathed, at least physically. I was riding my bike in the the biking lane and was approaching an intersection. A care pulled out in front of me from the bike lane. I managed to pass this car, however he passed me once more and pulled back into the bike line to park, swiping me off from my bike in the process. Now, we were both going under 5 miles per hour, but it's interesting how fast that seems when you're struck by an object much more powerful than the one you're riding.

I managed to get off my bike and run for a few yards before coming to a rest, hands on my knees, out of breath from a combination of actually biking and a rush of adrenaline from being struck by the car. The driver, a man, came out and was immediately apologetic, going through the "I'm so sorry" and "I didn't even see you" as fast as the words could come out of his mouth. Not being hurt, I was more interested in moving on with my day than I was with going over the accident. He insisted on giving me his name and number, which I took. My bike turned out to be okay, although I'm sure his car was scratched somewhere along the way.

So what does this mean for the future? Should I stop riding my bike in Providence for fear of the abundance of drivers who seem to have slept through driver's ed (oddly enough, this guy was from Massachusetts)? Or should I mount my steel stallion once again and take to the road with assurance and pride? The answer is the latter. In this case, it was clearly his fault. He passed me, knowing there was a biker in the bike lane, and swerved back into the bike lane for a parking spot. Now, questions would arise as to whether or not I saw his blinker. I can answer that by describing the car's right rear blinker, the one he should have been using, as a sad, dilapidated bulb dragging on the asphalt, clinging to some sort of hope for passing the car's next inspection. So this pathetic excuse for a blinker was useless, and even if the driver used it as he should have, there would be no way for anyone to see it.

The message here is for drivers and bikers alike: As we use the road, let's be mindful of each other so people on bikes can travel to work, exercise, or just recreate in the beautiful weather as I was without fear of being swiped off the road by a mindless automobile driver. Roads are not only for cars. We are all smart people, so let's maximize the use of roads.

Share the Road,

Rob