LeftieBiker said:
It was a reminder that the only safe attitude is to assume that all other drivers are trying to kill me. I made the mistake of relying on the bright turn signal built into my large taillight, as it was dusk. Of course, if she managed to not see me in the middle of the road, preparing to turn left with a flashing signal light, I would probably have just gotten a broken (or amputated) arm if I had hand-signaled. She must have either been talking to - and looking at - her front seat passenger, or was on the phone.
Amen to that. Glad you're okay. I've been riding in heavy street traffic for 52 years now, and have managed to avoid being hit bar two times. Once I was overtaken by a car which hooked the end of my left handlebar, which turned the front wheel about 45 degrees to the right. As I was going down a hill at speed at the time, the front of the bike stopped, but not the rear or I, and we continued over the handlebars. Fortunately, for the very first time ever I was wearing a helmet, as the bike shop I was test-riding a bike I was considering buying had just that day instituted a new policy of requiring helmets (they supplied) on all test rides. (Grumble, grumble, "I've been riding for x years, I don't need no stinkin' helmet"). I did a somersault over the bars and slammed the back of my head into the pavement, or rather, the back of the helmet instead, which took the impact. Minor scrapes and bruises and some nerve damage in one hand otherwise; that cleared up in about a month. Wound up buying the bike (not that specific one, it was damaged), but the same model. Plus a helmet, which I've worn religiously ever since except when making long climbs, as doing so then would cause me to overheat.
Second time I got right-hooked, by a guy who was tired of waiting in line for the signal to change so he could make a right turn, and decided to cut through a McDonald's parking lot instead as I was coming up on the right between the line of cars and the curb. No signal, just went, but I saw his front wheel start to crank right and yelled, so he only moved a few feet forward before stopping. I lucked out and only got a few scrapes on my arm; if I'd been further forward he would have pinned me to the edge of the curb cut, knocked the bike over and maybe driven over me.
I assume that every driver is looking at their cell phone/blind/drunk or drugged/having a heated argument with their spouse until proven otherwise, and act accordingly. Even so, thanks to smart phones (and an entire generation that's grown up thinking looking at them is far more important than watching the road) I now avoid death or serious injury by anticipating the worst about once every ten days - when I started riding (long pre-cell phone) it was maybe every month or so.
