I usually don't reserve this space for personal anecdotes but after surviving two accidents in the past month, I feel its necessary to vent for a bit. None of this will be coherent but I just got back from the hospital so I'm using the pain killers as an excuse.
1) I freaking love Canada and their health care system. As an American who stupidly believed health care was a privilege and not a right was glad to be proven wrong once I moved to Canada. I have been in two major bike accidents in the past month and both times paramedics came to my rescue. They were thoughtful, I received top of the line care, and I am forever grateful for everyone's help at Vancouver General Hospital. The next time some ignorant American tries to say that Canada has sub-pare medical, I will punch them in the face and then allow for their insurance companies to deal with the aftermath when they are getting a $100,000 bill for a mild face injury.
2) I love my friends. Moving to another country has not been easy. I have encountered many set backs but my support network in Vancouver has been better than gold. Actually my support network all over this globe has been platnium. I'm seriously the luckiest gal to have not one, not two, but a gaggle of great people I can call good friends.
3) I love my helmet. Thank you Prohab for saving my life and making me look cool pre-accident.
4) Don't let silly set backs like getting hit by a car or getting flung off your bike only to gash your head open stop you from doing what you love doing. After my first, flung-from-bike accident it took me a week to get back on my bike but I took it slow and gradually regained my confidence. This time around might be a bit more difficult because cars kinda freak me out. I was riding down a bike lane and crossing the street during a pedestrian crossing when the driver ran a red light and hit me. I remember thinking to myself, "there is nothing else you can do but get hit at this point," so I did and dealt with it.
It sucks lying in bed feeling totally useless but it could have been a lot worse. I ended up walking away from the whole thing pretty unharmed (no broken bones or horrible looking scratches) and besides being sore as hell, I'm sure I will recover soon.
Once I can feel my butt again, I will definitely be tearing it up on my bike once again.
Words of advice (I can write this here instead of telling it to your face and watching your eyes roll):
-Safety is sexy (aka WEAR YOUR HELMET)
-Sharing is sexy (aka DON'T BE A JERK ON THE ROAD WHILE BIKING)
-You are only in control of your actions (aka DON'T LET ACCIDENTS SCARE YOU FROM LIVING YOUR LIFE)
-Educate yourself about ways to make biking the norm and not the exception.
2 comments:
Thank God/helmet you're alive!!! Maybe another rule to add assume nobody sees you and even if it's not your fault you can still be dead.... maybe that's two rules. Plus bike lanes are safety illusions unless divided by barriers.. inter-province bikeway system? ejection seatposts?
I had this conversation with my friend the other day about bike lanes and the illusion they give to bikers and drivers, something I think I should expand on later. Thanks for commenting.
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