Add Shawn Hill and Me To The Disabled List

June 26, 2008

First, last night’s [Photoset] from a very much needed, if stressful win! The natives were getting restless.

I’ve been bike commuting to work for several years. Since I have so little free time, combining biking and my commute is a great way to get exercise in and save on gas money (not to mention be a little greener). Yet, I’m also a bit lazy, particularly when I’m just getting back into it, and if there are routes that avoid steep hills, I take them. My new (can I still say that after a year?) job is half the distance from home as my old one, yet there’s one nasty hill to climb if I take the trail as close to the office as I can get. The alternative is to ride on the marked bike path on the side of the road through Ballston and Clarendon. Much flatter! When I mentioned to Mr. Chatter that was my route, he said I’d get hit by a car someday. “Pshaw! No I won’t!” I replied. (Yes, I really said “Pshaw!” or something that sounds like it)

The moment it happens is surreal. I saw it coming, but there was nothing I could do about it. I was heading west toward Glebe on the W&OD Trail and took the right turn to go over I-66 and pop out on the sidewalk on Fairfax Drive, just west of Glebe Road. The trail merges onto the sidewalk and then there’s a crosswalk. The light was green for those going in my direction and the white “walk” signal shining across the intersection. As a approached to cross, a car came up to the stop light intending to turn right. He looked left, saw no traffic coming, but by then I was already into the crosswalk. He never looked right or straight ahead. As soon as I realized he wasn’t going to look the other way it was too late. I was in front of his car. He hit the gas, I screamed or something, then bam!! T-boned right on my leg/pedal. In slow motion (in my head anyway), I went flying into the lanes of traffic, landing on my cheekbones (not the ones on my face). I can tell you those padded shorts do *nothing* for those!

Needless to say, I started yelling at the guy while sitting on my fanny in the middle of the road. Some Arlington police officers in a parking lot nearby heard me (for once the fact that my voice carries quite well was good!) and were on the scene lickety split! They were swell! Gave me a ride to work in a cruiser and my bike got a ride in an unmarked car. Very cool and I am extremely grateful (although heads turned and gawked when I was let out of the back of the cruiser at the office! Haha!). Did you know the back seats are plastic and not padded?! I didn’t! But now that I know why, I’m kind of oogied out.

My bike is TOAST! At least it wasn’t my race bike or I’d be really upset. I’m going to take it to the cycle shop before heading home (I’m starting to become acutely aware of the pain). Me, I’m just bruised up where the car hit my left leg and my right ankle mysteriously hurts. I’ll heal. But I bet I’ll feel like hell tomorrow.

I’m still going to make Baseball 101 on Saturday, darnit!!

I feel kind of bad for the guy who hit me. I can understand how it happens. Imagine how horrifying it would be to realize you just hit a person. Yikes. Bet he looks both ways before going across a crosswalk. Me, I’m going to walk my bike across streets from now on, I think.

Posted in Injuries, Personal, Washington Nationals