BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

I'm really happy this wasn't worse and that you guys are all pretty much OK.

Amazing that they caught the woman... drunk drivers are so f*cking scary.

My god, glad you're ok.

Holy crap! I'm glad this didn't end as bad as it could have.

And a drunken 70 year old woman is not the stereotype.

a 70 year old drunk driver no less. so glad you are (relatively) unscathed!

But were you all wearing helmets?

Glad to hear the damage was limited.

That is just unbelievable in many ways - not that a broken collarbone sounds like fun but obviously it could have been so much worse. Glad to hear you're OK, and I really hope the first sentence of that story isn't actually true.

The cops made sure to remind us that one wasn't wearing a helmet. And told me how they yelled at a cyclist for riding recklessly earlier in the day. And how they're always worried about hitting a cyclist on the road when they are running red lights at speed, and that we should be careful out there.

They didn't make any wise ass remarks about how they scolded any aggressive or drunk drivers earlier in the day. Or how none of us needed helmets until the second the drunk driver plowed into us from behind. And made no mention of that fact that we were doing everything right, taking one lane, riding on a road with sharrows and lit like Christmas trees.

The tone wasn't really jerky about it, just completely ignorant.

For what it is worth, this happened just before 10pm. Also, for what it is worth, of the two people that received the direct impact of the car, one was wearing a helmet and one was not. The one wearing a helmet got a "slight" concussion. The bare headed guy did not.

In some ways, I prefer people who are being jerks...they act all defensive because they're aware (at least to some extent) that they may not be in the right.

Matter-of-fact ignorance is a step or two further back on ye olde road to enlightenment, and is even harder to combat.

Anyway, enough rambling on my part. Hope those with wounds heal well and quickly.

There isn't much I can add to what has already been said by reddan so I'll just say I am really glad you all made it out alive.

I suppose when people complain about cyclists and helmets, what they're probably thinking is that we should be wearing a car "for protection."

^+1

Glad you are ok, Brad.

I was hit by a car in 2008, and to this day, the sound is the one thing I remember from the accident.

I am very happy that you are a) here to write about this and b) not reporting more serious injuries, or worse.

Yeah, glad everyone is relatively okay. It certainly could have been as bad the driver who completely demolished a group that was racing at some point last year.

I rememebr reading somewhere that drivers have a hard time judging distance to objects with flashing lights, and being drunk makes this worse.

I've been hedging my bets with one steady and one flashing taillight (most of the time).

Just about everyone I know who has been driving for a decade or so has been in a collision, the same goes for most people I know that ride regularly.

Glad you and the rest of your crew are going to be OK.

Wow. Glad you all survived it as well as you did. Hope your friends will be feeling better soon.

That's crazy. So glad everyone is OK.

The only difference between that and the two doctors last year was that they caught the guy. That and luck in the injury department.

I too am glad that everyone was relatively OK. It sounds like it was surreal and horrific by any standards, but could have been much worse.

I hope that this lady is prosecuted for a long litany of offenses. I don't want to get into stereotyping older drivers, but it sure sounds like someone should talk to her about giving up either the car keys or the bottle, or both!

Brad, will you forward the photos to the police and prosecutor's office? They speak volumes about how outrageous her conduct was and may make a difference re: what charges are brought and how aggressively they are pursued.

Sure, talk to her about maybe giving up her car keys or her bottle.

Also, taking away her car keys, her bottle, her car, and possibly her liberty for a few months would be OK too.

Glad to hear the injuries weren't worse.

I think that community service, where he(?) has to sit at a table in a public area and hand out brochures about the dangers of intoxication and the importance to share the road would be a fitting punishment (in addition to jail time).

Glad everyone is relatively ok.

The linked article mentions that the driver was originally thought to be a woman but was a man.

Holy sheee... so glad you and everyone else is alive and relatively well.

Been reading about the steady light idea and trying it out myself lately, one blinking and one steady.

Amazing and wonderful that more damage wasn't done.

Been thinking about steady back light, myself.

Also, with winter, it seems a light that was bright when I start out can get barely visible over the course of a ride.

Fu grandpa, and the cops too. Good that everyone came out of it relatively unscathed.

One of the current tags on the Wheelset of Fortune game is how you light up yourself. Feel free to post your arrangement!

Also, with winter, it seems a light that was bright when I start out can get barely visible over the course of a ride.

Hence, my dynamo lighting fetish. It's nice to have lights whose output doesn't change, no matter how cold it gets.

The linked article mentions that the driver was originally thought to be a woman but was a man.

Not to minimize the seriousness of this thread, but I couldn't help but think of this.