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Posted

I once had a "How was your day at work" thread that started with a funny reply-all storm back at the Bundestag, but it seems gone. Oh well, this is meant for the less funny days anyway.

So yesterday I'm riding my bike to work as usual in the morning - twelve minute commute, absolutely convenient if the weather isn't so bad I feel like taking the bus, which increases time to 20 minutes due to one change of line, but isn't as flexible because the line that stops outside my door only goes every 20 minutes, too. Anyway, there's a bend to the left two blocks from my office which keeps the right of way even though the original street keeps running straight. Riding in the bicycle lane that runs across the original street following the bend, I see a car rolling up from the right which I suppose will stop as it should. Except it doesn't. I actually almost got past the guy when he hit my rear wheel, making me cartwheel onto the road.

Didn't get to test my helmet again like a year ago when I classically got my front wheel stuck in a tram rail, but as I sit up in annoyment my left shoulder hurts considerably. As usual, people gather about you in seconds, and one asks if he should get an ambulance from the fire station which happens to be located directly on that bend; I say it's probably better. Driver of the car, some middle-aged, Middle-Eastern/Central Asian guy, apologizes over and over again, then asks if we could handle this between us, since his license is fresh and he's still in the probatory period. I say yeah whatever, but it's obviously out of my hands as soon as the ambulance and a pair of cops from the police station next door show up.

Ambulance crew check me out and other than bruised knees find no obvious injuries, but my left shoulder still hurts when I move the arm, so they ask if I want a ride to hospital for an x-ray. I say again it's probably better, which turns out to be the right answer. Apparently when I caught myself on my left arm, the humerus bone broke a piece out of the joint, and whenever I lift the arm to high, the shoulder painfully dislocates. Which is demonstrated to me by two med students who are first to check me out at the hospital, and then again by the attending doctor, twice (thanks guys). Doctor says it probably needs surgery, and I'm to show up again on Monday for a CT and determination of further proceedings.

For now have the arm in a sling, and it doesn't really hurt with no movement (knees were worse last night). Went to the office after being discharged to organize work without me; our head of press was glad I got away, but freaking because we have four brochures coming up for print for which it's usually my job to get clearance for the ads and proof-read. But since I was recently down with the flu (the real one, no fashionable Chinese virus, but no paltry mere head cold either) for ten days, we sorta have been over this before, and I can do some things from home. Afterwards went to collect my bike from the fire station where they courteously took it; it's probably a write-off, but I got to report back to and thank the ambulance crew, which you usually don't.

Was probably lucky for a given value of "lucky"; I can imagine worse outcomes when a car hits a bicycle, and I get a bit of an out from stress at work. Overall, would have preferred to give this a miss though.

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Posted

Hope you get better soon Banshee. As Jason says, it could have been a lot worse.

The bod who crashed into you, his interest in settling it between you, was he insured?

Posted

Yep, coulda been worse. Glad you didn't end up with C-spine or head injuries. 

Posted

Well, that sucks.

Upside; you'll be able to predict impending storms without needing any electronics.

 

Posted

Bummer!  Heal quickly.

But, hey:  another upside!  You probably didn't catch C-19 from the guy from his apologies. . . .   Or, maybe . . . ?

😛

Posted

That sucks!  But I'm glad it wasn't worse, and hope you mend quickly.

Posted (edited)

Hopes for a speedy recovery as well! I’ve had a 25 minute bike commute to work each way for about 10 years now, through a sizeable city with crap bike lanes. Pretty surprised I haven’t been whacked yet. 
 

edit to add: my only real accident was in like 2015 when the quick release on my front wheel twisted out (completely my fault) and I did a head plant — was fine except for a broken helmet. Wear a helmet kids!

Edited by Brian Kennedy
Posted

Sincerely wishing for a quick and easy recovery! About 25 or so years ago I gave up my 16 mile round trip bike commute due to traffic you survived. Still have my trusty Schwinn Le Tour.  

Posted
5 hours ago, Rick said:

Sincerely wishing for a quick and easy recovery! About 25 or so years ago I gave up my 16 mile round trip bike commute due to traffic you survived. Still have my trusty Schwinn Le Tour.  

Nice commute and Le Tours have a lot of vintage cred nowadays!

Posted
18 hours ago, Stuart Galbraith said:

The bod who crashed into you, his interest in settling it between you, was he insured?

Insurance is mandatory, and tied to the car, not the driver. Plus, driving to work Banshee should be covered by the "Berufsgenossenschaft" which is employer-financed (and also mandatory) to cover workplace accidents, including straight commutes between home and workplace.

Posted

Yeah, though there is also the material issue of my bike (Cannondale e-bike, not cheap, though rather worn, and I've thought of getting rid of it for a less maintenance-intensive unassisted model for quite some time, so I'm not too pissed about it). I think he was really worried about losing his fresh license, which he probably will. Re COVID, he wore a mask when he came up to me (I didn't, and actually somehow had lost mine the previous day - probably slipped from my pocket on the ride home), but removed it to give me his most sympathetic grin when bringing up the topic. Not worried about that though.

Thanks for the good wishes everyone. Currently somewhat handicapped with one-and-a-half hands - I can feel how it must be for my father who has marginal use of his left arm since his stroke. So far I'm getting everything done despite living alone, including removing and re-attaching the Gilchrist sling for showering and sleeping (the first night I actually got in bed with it, but abandoned it within five minutes - have a sidesleeper pillow under which I usually wedge my left arm anyway to avoid turning on my back due to sleep apnoea); quite clever design. Today I have to figure out a way to wash my hair with one arm.

8 hours ago, Brian Kennedy said:

edit to add: my only real accident was in like 2015 when the quick release on my front wheel twisted out (completely my fault) and I did a head plant — was fine except for a broken helmet. Wear a helmet kids!

Quoted for emphasis. As noted above, a year ago I got my front wheel stuck in a tram rail and somersaulted forward. As my helmet hit the road I thought "bike helmets, great idea". Still bruised my forehead a little, but got off with bloody knees otherwise. Speaking of which, there goes another pair of pants. Also caught the front quick release twisted out this week. I think someone's trying to tell me not to ride in rainy autumn weather.

 

Posted

When discussing using car or (motor)bike for commuting, perhaps it should be considered that the car bodywork is sheet steel, while the bike bodywork is the biker's.

Posted

I've planted myself a few times with my recliner bike, but always got away with minor scratches and bruises. In that context I can but recommend recliner bikes which were originally designed to provide more safety to cyclists (like, running feet first into obstacles rather than ramming through with your head, a generally reduced elevation of the whole body, etc.).

So, maybe consider such a model. They are also immensely fun to ride, though I'm not sure how well it mixes with Berlin traffic.

Posted

They are great for riding, but you have almost zero visibility in trafic.

Posted

I can't say that I have found this to be a problem in practice. You are at eye level with other car drivers, effectively. But if you're concerned about that, there are drag-inducing orange antennas with flags on them to increase your profile.

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