Thursday, August 05, 2004
On Tuesday, I had intended to write a post about how my bike was finally with me in Vancouver.
I went to Victoria over the weekend and picked it up. I rode it from my house to the ferry, a whopping 3 hour ride. My bike and I were one. We were invincible.
But I never got around to it on Tuesday. It was a rainy day, so I didn't take my bike out. It was a busy day at work after a 3-day weekend. I just didn't feel like posting.
Yesterday, my bike and I went to work together for the first time. And we almost made it.
Sadly, we had a disagreement with the intersection of Boundary Road and 22nd Avenue. Specifically, we had a disagreement with the giant-sized ruts on the east side of that intersection. And that, sadly, is where my bike and I temporarily parted ways. Quite violently.
As I lay on the street making those awful grunting noises you make when the wind's been knocked out of you and you're trying to get your breath back, a most wonderful human who had been biking in front of me, and obviously heard the resounding smack when I crashed to the ground, biked back up the hill to me. He practically carried me to the sidewalk, then my bike, and then my backpack.
My backpack had come off my back and flown through the air, yet the straps were still intact. Since my arms were also intact, I am at a loss to explain how, exactly, my backpack went flying off.
This wonderful human being kept chatting with me, looked me over for serious injuries, suggested I get my elbow checked out (since it was almost the size of my head at the time, I think his prediction that it was broken was somewhat logical...wrong, as it thankfully turned out, but logical), urged me to not let this accident stop me from biking, suggested routes I might take if I wanted to get to work - in other words, took my mind off my pain, was extremely helpful and encouraging, and tried to make sure my brief flying tour of 22nd avenue didn't loom large in my mind as a reason never to bike again.
I didn't get this man's name, but I thanked him with every second breath, so I hope he knows how much I appreciated his help.
As for the rest of the citizens of Vancouver who were driving by that intersection yesterday morning? Phooey on you. Phooey on you for not even slowing down, let along stopping, to see if the girl who'd gone flying through the air was okay. Phooey on you for staring, pointing, and talking to each other about the girl leaning weakly against a pole at the side of the road and bleeding from various cuts, but not once stopping to see if she was okay. I hope, for your sake, that nobody does the same to you someday.
I called my brother-in-law at work, and asked him if he was busy. I'm sitting on the side of the road, my bike is no longer operational, I'm bleeding and possibly broken, but I was concerned about interrupting Jamie at work if he was busy.
No, I hadn't hit my head.
He came and got me, and we went to the hospital, where I met a security guard who is OBVIOUSLY employed in the wrong location. She spent 10 minutes telling me how awful I looked. Charming.
Everyone else at the hospital, from the friendly and efficient nurse to the EXTREMELY efficient doctor, to the quietly friendly x-ray technician, was fantastic and helpful and got me out of there in just over an hour. If I ever have to go to an emergency room again, I'm going to Burnaby General. I don't care if they have to airlift me from Victoria!
Well, okay, maybe not. But it was painless as a visit to the emergency room can be. And nothing's broken.
Except my bike. :(
So, I'm headed BACK to Victoria this weekend to take my bike in to be fixed.
I think I should buy stock in B.C. Ferries...
I went to Victoria over the weekend and picked it up. I rode it from my house to the ferry, a whopping 3 hour ride. My bike and I were one. We were invincible.
But I never got around to it on Tuesday. It was a rainy day, so I didn't take my bike out. It was a busy day at work after a 3-day weekend. I just didn't feel like posting.
Yesterday, my bike and I went to work together for the first time. And we almost made it.
Sadly, we had a disagreement with the intersection of Boundary Road and 22nd Avenue. Specifically, we had a disagreement with the giant-sized ruts on the east side of that intersection. And that, sadly, is where my bike and I temporarily parted ways. Quite violently.
As I lay on the street making those awful grunting noises you make when the wind's been knocked out of you and you're trying to get your breath back, a most wonderful human who had been biking in front of me, and obviously heard the resounding smack when I crashed to the ground, biked back up the hill to me. He practically carried me to the sidewalk, then my bike, and then my backpack.
My backpack had come off my back and flown through the air, yet the straps were still intact. Since my arms were also intact, I am at a loss to explain how, exactly, my backpack went flying off.
This wonderful human being kept chatting with me, looked me over for serious injuries, suggested I get my elbow checked out (since it was almost the size of my head at the time, I think his prediction that it was broken was somewhat logical...wrong, as it thankfully turned out, but logical), urged me to not let this accident stop me from biking, suggested routes I might take if I wanted to get to work - in other words, took my mind off my pain, was extremely helpful and encouraging, and tried to make sure my brief flying tour of 22nd avenue didn't loom large in my mind as a reason never to bike again.
I didn't get this man's name, but I thanked him with every second breath, so I hope he knows how much I appreciated his help.
As for the rest of the citizens of Vancouver who were driving by that intersection yesterday morning? Phooey on you. Phooey on you for not even slowing down, let along stopping, to see if the girl who'd gone flying through the air was okay. Phooey on you for staring, pointing, and talking to each other about the girl leaning weakly against a pole at the side of the road and bleeding from various cuts, but not once stopping to see if she was okay. I hope, for your sake, that nobody does the same to you someday.
I called my brother-in-law at work, and asked him if he was busy. I'm sitting on the side of the road, my bike is no longer operational, I'm bleeding and possibly broken, but I was concerned about interrupting Jamie at work if he was busy.
No, I hadn't hit my head.
He came and got me, and we went to the hospital, where I met a security guard who is OBVIOUSLY employed in the wrong location. She spent 10 minutes telling me how awful I looked. Charming.
Everyone else at the hospital, from the friendly and efficient nurse to the EXTREMELY efficient doctor, to the quietly friendly x-ray technician, was fantastic and helpful and got me out of there in just over an hour. If I ever have to go to an emergency room again, I'm going to Burnaby General. I don't care if they have to airlift me from Victoria!
Well, okay, maybe not. But it was painless as a visit to the emergency room can be. And nothing's broken.
Except my bike. :(
So, I'm headed BACK to Victoria this weekend to take my bike in to be fixed.
I think I should buy stock in B.C. Ferries...
0 Comments:
