Rouxenator Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 Those of you that remember my last Friday drama / soap opera, here is another fine tale. Coincidentally this story starts with me departing from my favourite bicycle shop, the one featured in the last story. Yep, that one ended well a few weeks after I penned the soapie with me and the dude from the shop having a beer and talking nonsense as always. All's well that ends well. But fast forward to now, I quickly popped up to my LBS to change the Pop-Loc on my Recon to a MLO, when its done I am back on my way home which is about a 1km ride with a lekker down hill. This is all inside an estate with speed bumps and tight roads. The speed limit is 40km/h which I have never been able to break on my MTB, did manage to break it on my roadie once. So I am heading downhill and I see this car pulling out from a stop street. Check the attached picture, I am blue and I notice the car at the black pointer. I then move away from the side of the road in order to avoid hitting the car on the side, however the driver for some reason does not notice me and keeps on driving. Due to the laws of physics me and my bike cannot occupy the same space as the car and we make contact. Impact was at a manageable speed, I think right on the front corner, I remember doing this cool running move over the bonnet and then taking a roll onto the sweet warm blacktop. I get up, pick up my bike which is conveniently lying next to me, all seems fine. I look at the driver who is just shaking her head in a sort of non approving fashion. Map sketchy impact map http://s4.postimg.org/5omz3y1cp/map.jpg She drives to the side of the road, gets out and asks if I am ok. First in English, then Afrikaans, and respond to both prompts positively. After a moment of awkward silence as it is not clear what to do next I reiterate "Yeah I'm OK, but you should really pay a little more attention". She replies "I did but you can't come flying down here in the middle of the road you know". Taken aback I respond "Uhm, ok so let's go with that then". As I get on my bike and check that it is OK she remarks that she should probably check out her car followed by "looks fine". Is I start pedalling I throw in a quick "Yes, good luck with that, you're in for a few thousands rands". I continue on my way home, shaken but not stirred. While lubing the bikes chain and just double checking that all is well with my ride, you know it's CTST MTB this weekend and all, I figure out what she meant with "you can't come flying down here in the middle of the road" - apparently she only saw me when I was already in the middle of the road while trying to miss her. However in her defence it is a rather bad corner and they really should put up one of those curved mirror things on the opposite side of the road. Anyway I don't fret about it too much. Told my wife about it in a nonchalant way, she was worried at first but when I reassured her that I am OK and so is the bike she makes a few remarks about the driver, whom I try to defend since it is a pretty crappy corner. The bottom line, I am told, is that the car was the one at the stop street and therefore is solely responsible for all of this. Oh, and that I could have been dead and them my wife would have been really mad. Go figure. Much later, and here is the cool climax in the tale, the estate has this closed group on Facebook and in the back of my mind something tells me I should check it out, you know, maybe someone saw what happened and wants to know what the deal is. Low and behold, our lovely car driver makes a post which soon after gets deleted, however I did manage to take a screenshot. One of the replies made after I calmly explained things from my side is that 3 other people saw what happened and they all lean towards me being the guilty one here. Anyway, my wife catches on to this little saga and she jumps in, I make my humble exit. The post that was deleted (couldn't resist taking a screenshot) http://s18.postimg.org/snebxuuit/post.jpg Much later I am told it is all sorted out, there are no hard feelings. Seems the two ladies chatted about it and feel the matter is closed. I already made peace with it after riding away from the scene, yet I am slightly concerned about the three claimed witnesses. I have been commuting daily for the last 4 years and don't want to be labelled an irresponsible rider because I tried (and failed) to avoid a car pulling away from a stop street. So there is your little Friday drama, hope you enjoyed it, comments, views, opinions and all other remarks are welcomed.
Edition 507 Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 Cyclists (and pedestrians) by default have right of way over cars. Not your fault. Oh, and bicycles do not have speedometers as standard equipment so there is not expectation that you should know how fast you were going.
popcorn_skollie Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 She said mercedes instead of car. That's all I needed to know about the type of **** she is
dre Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 Dis oulik dat sy dink jy kan 100km/h haal met n MTB.
Rouxenator Posted February 27, 2015 Author Posted February 27, 2015 Ja, I was impressed, I mean on Tour De Stellenbosch I was moer impressed when I got my road bike up to 78km/h near the bottom of Helshoogte. My MTB is maxed out at 61 km/h down Simola. Dis oulik dat sy dink jy kan 100km/h haal met n MTB.
CdT85 Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 Its the norm in Stellenbosch to have to watch out for cars running stop streets/ cars disregarding cyclist. I nealy got taken out in plein street by a laaitie in a corsa bakkie by a four way stop last week coming back from Jonkershoek. Seems right of way is directly proportional to th size and weight of your mode of transport.Nearly had a over the bonnet experience as well. And when I told the laaitie what I think of his ( lack of ) driving skill, he had the audacity to tell me to go F### myself.Glad you are ok though mate
nonky Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 Cyclists (and pedestrians) by default have right of way over cars. Not your fault. Oh, and bicycles do not have speedometers as standard equipment so there is not expectation that you should know how fast you were going."Cyclists (and pedestrians) by default have right of way over cars."Good luck with that.
nonky Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 Instruct your attorneys to send her a letter of demand for damages suffered due to her reckless and negligent driving in the amount of R30k + legal fees. That will send the estate fb page into a buzz...
Bobbo_SA Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 Send her the .gpx from strava for the ride and ask exactly where you were doing 100... Amazing how some motorists have this sense that our bikes can do amazing speeds.
Rouxenator Posted February 27, 2015 Author Posted February 27, 2015 About the GPX, I almost always record my rides, except this one to the LBS since it is 1km from home. Another thing that really worried me afterwards is that I always wear my helmet... except for short trips up the LBS. I consider myself very lucky in this case. Never again even if it is just 500m.
KarlvN Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 Dis oulik dat sy dink jy kan 100km/h haal met n MTB. Ek lag my amper nat...I did manage to klap 77.4 kph going down Suikerbossie once towards Houtbay on my mtb with Maxis Crossmark UST's... But that involveed me wrapped around the handlebars leading the shocks with my head.
KarlvN Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 But on a serious note, on the 28th of July 2014 I was riding on Otto du Plessis from the Dolphin Bay hotel towards Blouberg Circle when a guy pulled away from the stop at KFC and crossed directly in front of me. I was doing about 40 odd kph and pulled both brakes hard out of instict, and did a spectaclur endo onto the tar infront of him. This oke parked his car and came running apologizing and asking if I was okay. I told him three times I was not since I had impaired vision, kind of like seeing three of him through a dark tunnel and my elbow was hurting like mad. Anyway, this oke tried to call my wife after taking about 3 or so miinutes to get her number, when I passed out on the kerb ( I assume - since I came to lying on the ground) he was gone. The oke did a runner and left me there. It took me about an hour to get my bearings straight and get hold of my wife to help.I ended up in emergency room undergoing CT scans and X-rays. Still do not know what happened to the guy. My bike is fine and I just had some concussion and a mildly cracked elbow which did not require surgery. Go figure. The thing that got me the worst was the four roadies behind me who just kept on going after I properly planted it on the tar right in front of them though.
KarlvN Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 "of anders kom soek ek jou!" If I were the OP and she looked anything like your avatar I would LET her find me!
Amberdrake Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 Only time i ride a bike without a helmet is when i am in my complex and then i ride super slow and careful usually just checking gears. ( Complex is small and has a circular drive where one can see all of the road easily). Even then I have at times considered if this is wise.
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