The cycle of life (and death)

No mucking about: I was hit by a car last night. A gen-u-ine car accident took place, in which I, a cyclist, was the victim.

Thanks to the fact that I ride as if everyone out there is trying to kill me, added to some moments of extraordinary skill, I was able to swerve enough (and kick my foot out at the woman's car at the right moment) that I ended up running up against the side of the car, and didn't come off the bike. To be honest, the fact that the woman also saw me at the last minute as she entered the roundabout to my left (I was well and truly on the roundabout - she just hadn't seen me despite my lights and reflective (and attractive) attire) and also swerved and slammed on her brakes, probably accounts more for my survival than my quick-witted attempt to bat aside her car with my shoe.

The result was obviously pretty good, in the scheme of things. I was a little shaken, but unharmed, and the bike seemed OK. She was profusely apologetic, and even pulled the car around the corner and got out, so she could make sure I was all right and offer her phone number in case I needed repairs made to the bike (or perhaps she was offering it for something else, hmmmm? Something a little more illicit than bike repair? Did I mention how attractive my reflective jacket is?)

But I told her not to worry about monetary recompense. I only wanted her to make one sacrifice - her first-born child! No, I kid, I'm not that mental (really, who would be THAT mental and insecure to ask someone to sacrifice their first-born child? Really? In the Old Testament? Well, I never!)

I just asked that she take a little more care when driving, and to look out for cyclists, because we're pretty vulnerable out there with all that really fast, heavy metal (Megadeth!!!! WOOO!!!) zooming around us, most of the drivers indifferent to the max (ironically) about me and my cycling brethren.

Which gets me to my rant: Cyclists.

Some cyclists really piss me off. But not like they piss off car drivers (of which I am one, as no doubt many cyclists are). No, I get pissed off by other cyclists as a fellow cyclist.

The cyclists that piss me off are the ones that have no respect for road rules or other road users. They think that because they are not driving a car, they can do what they like on the road. They run red lights, they cut people off without adequate signalling, they play music really loud when riding down Chapel Street. This kind of conduct REALLY annoys car drivers, mainly because the cyclists are doing what they would do if only they didn't have number plates. Consequently, car drivers who witness such behaviour think that ALL cyclists are like that, and then somehow come to the conclusion that, if they see a cyclist run a red light, then no cyclist has respect for road rules, so it's OK to drive as if all cyclists have a target on their back (or on their front if you're opening a car door into a cyclist coming from behind).

Which gets back to me (finally!): because of these moronic cyclists out there whose behaviour on the roads encourages moronicity (my word - copyright: Riley Jones) in car drivers equalling or even exceeding that of the cyclists, I get car drivers treating me with indifference or even outright hostility when I'm out on the road.

So I blame the cyclists.

And the car drivers.