textbook crash

Michael Klontzas said:

<rant>

Bike alright?

Simon

Michael Klontzas said:

<rant> Outrageous element: The car driver approached me and said sheepishly: 'My friend, you had
all this space. Why were you riding there?'. I pointed out that considering I was riding in a
straight line, without suddenly swerving into his path, that translated into 'if an obstacle
that in my view shouldn't be there in the first place happens to be in my path, I simply drive
through it'.

You have, of course, got the details of his insurers and will be putting in a claim? If you don't
hit him in the pocket, he'll feel at liberty to do it again, to someone possibly less fit and
confident.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) jasmine.org.uk~simonOpen ↗

;; MS Windows: A thirty-two bit extension ... to a sixteen bit ;; patch to an eight bit
operating system originally coded for a ;; four bit microprocessor and sold by a two-bit company
that ;; can't stand one bit of competition -- anonymous

Michael Klontzas said:

<rant> A couple of days ago I had my first ever contact with a vehicle. Textbook case really.
Driver attempts to overtake in traffic without having quite registered my presence. Wingmirror
brushes my handlebars, bike folds and I am instantly found lying on my back. The good thing is it
all happened so quickly that I did nothing to break my fall, which probably saved me more serious
injury. Now I only got a bruised knee and ribs (from the shock absorption). Ah, well, I suppose
17,000km of riding in London without a single contact with another vehicle was a good score.

Is a good score. I'm glad the injury wasn't too bad.

/snip

Quoted message said:

Outrageous element: The car driver approached me and said sheepishly: 'My friend, you had all this
space. Why were you riding there?'.

What a ***t!

~PB

In message <[email hidden]>, Michael Klontzas <michael-
[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

The mirror only brushed the outside of my bars extension.

That happened me one morning as I was passing under Admiralty Arch, which at the time was a
constriction point for two lanes of traffic. The offending driver was in a bright purple Lotus
Elise, and the slight impact made me wobble a bit, but not fall.

He had to stop at the lights before entering Trafalgar Square, so I caught up with him and after
thumping his roof quite hard (which made him and his passenger jump), I yelled at him through
the window to

When the lights changed he zoomed off in a cloud of dust.

I don't usually get so animated on the way to work.

--
congokid Good restaurants in London? Number one on Google congokid.comcongokid.comOpen ↗

Simonb said:

Michael Klontzas said:

<rant>

Bike alright?

Not a scratch! The mirror only brushed the outside of my bars extension.

--
Michael Klontzas Before enlightenment / chopping wood / carrying water After enlightenment /
chopping wood / carrying water Zen Proverb

Simon Brooke said:

You have, of course, got the details of his insurers and will be putting in a claim? If you don't
hit him in the pocket, he'll feel at liberty to do it again, to someone possibly less fit and
confident.

I thought I was letting him off the hook a bit too easily but there was no damage so a claim was not
an issue. Perhaps I should get the details just in case I found out later on something was broken,
just to scare him a bit.

--
Michael Klontzas 'If everything seems to be coming your way, you're probably in the wrong lane'
(Borstelmann's Rule)

Pete Biggs said:

Michael Klontzas said:

[...] Ah, well, I suppose 17,000km of riding in London without a single contact with another
vehicle was a good score.

Is a good score.

17,000km in traffic must have involved a lot of successful trips/maneuvers/decisions, which goes to
show (a) cycling is nowhere near as dangerous as some ppl think (b) the individual rider's style is
more important than the statistics. Considering the non-injuries I suffered and the health (and lots
of other) benefits I enjoyed through cycling, I'm better off by a wide margin.

Quoted message said:

I'm glad the injury wasn't too bad.

Thanks.

--
Michael Klontzas 'If everything seems to be coming your way, you're probably in the wrong lane'
(Borstelmann's Rule)

Pete Biggs said:

Michael Klontzas said:

<rant> A couple of days ago I had my first ever contact with a vehicle.

Is a good score. I'm glad the injury wasn't too bad.

Yes, should have said - very glad you weren't hurt worse.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) jasmine.org.uk~simonOpen ↗

;; I'll have a proper rant later, when I get the time.

Michael Klontzas said:

17,000km in traffic must have involved a lot of successful trips/maneuvers/decisions, which goes
to show (a) cycling is nowhere near as dangerous as some ppl think (b) the individual rider's
style is more important than the statistics. Considering the non-injuries I suffered and the
health (and lots of other) benefits I enjoyed through cycling, I'm better off by a wide margin.

Absolutely. I also cycled for years and many thousands of miles, mostly in London, before my first
vehicle-collision or serious incident of any kind. But then I had spate of quite a few crashes*
within the next four years. I mostly blame myself because I had a new, faster bike and was going
extra mad on it. I'm a changed person after the last crash (bad one). Very low-risk riding style now
(for the vast majority of the time anyway).

* some just involving potholes but bad enough to wreck me and/or rims

~PB

Michael Klontzas said:

Simon Brooke said:

You have, of course, got the details of his insurers and will be putting in a claim? If you
don't hit him in the pocket, he'll feel at liberty to do it again, to someone possibly less fit
and confident.

I thought I was letting him off the hook a bit too easily but there was no damage so a claim was
not an issue. Perhaps I should get the details just in case I found out later on something was
broken, just to scare him a bit.

Well, I don't blame you. It's so hard to think and act rationally when you're pepped up with
adrenaline.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) jasmine.org.uk~simonOpen ↗

;; I'll have a proper rant later, when I get the time.

Pete Biggs said:

I'm a changed person after the last crash (bad one). Very low-risk riding style now (for the vast
majority of the time anyway).

* some just involving potholes but bad enough to wreck me and/or rims

Generally, I tend not to trust other road users. If you cross paths with a few hundreds of vehicles
every day, statistically speaking, some of them are bound to be operated by
incompetent/stupid/psychotic people. The rest of it is a matter of timing! Of course, in real life
we have to make some assumptions; that the building won't collapse on us, the food we buy is not
poisoned and the driver behind us won't drive straight into our rear wheel. Having said that, I like
riding fast (downhill) when I get the chance 🙂

--
Michael Klontzas 'If everything seems to be coming your way, you're probably in the wrong lane'
(Borstelmann's Rule)

Quoted message said:

Now I only got a bruised knee and ribs (from the shock absorption).

Glad you weren't seriously hurt.

On the other hand, I could think of quite a few nasties I could be wishing on the retarded amoeba
who came out with the comment 'My friend, you had all this space. Why were you riding there?' :-/

Cheers, helen s

--This is an invalid email address to avoid spam-- to get correct one remove dependency on fame &
fortune h*$el*$$e**nd***$o$ts***i*$*$m**m$$o*n**s@$*$a$$o**l.c**$*$om$$

There are "pinch-points" in my road. I used to allow cars room to pass
- until I was driving a car and in a position to pass a cyclist at that point. I then realised there
just isn't room !
--
Comm again, Mike.

On Sat, 10 Jan 2004 21:05:04 GMT, Simon Brooke <[email hidden]>
wrote:

🙂Michael Klontzas <[email hidden]> writes: ) )> <rant> )> Outrageous element: The
:car driver approached me and said sheepishly: 'My )> friend, you had all this space. Why were you
:riding there?'. I pointed )> out that considering I was riding in a straight line, without suddenly
🙂> swerving into his path, that translated into 'if an obstacle that in my )> view shouldn't be
:there in the first place happens to be in my path, I )> simply drive through it'. ) )You have, of
:course, got the details of his insurers and will be )putting in a claim? If you don't hit him in
:the pocket, he'll feel at )liberty to do it again, to someone possibly less fit and confident.

It seems that if there's no personal injury, the culprit doesn't need to give insurance details -
even if the bike's written off 🙁
--
Comm again, Mike.

On Sun, 11 Jan 2004 11:35:11 GMT, Simon Brooke <[email hidden]>
wrote:

🙂 )Well, I don't blame you. It's so hard to think and act rationally when )you're pepped up with
:adrenaline.

Too true. I wish the police appreciated this more.
--
Comm again, Mike.