Cycling back from the childminders along a wide but hazardous section of the pavement/cycle path. There are businesses along this road whose vehicles have to cross the pavement to get to the road, so it’s not a friendly place for either pedestrians or cyclists, and arguably not a brilliant place for a cycle path. A car stops to let me pass, I wave briefly to thank him (I don’t much like taking my hands off the handlebars), I steer closer to the kerb to pass some pedestrians, and I see a car door swing open immediately in front of me.
And by immediately, I mean impossible to avoid, and I crash straight into it. I note later that it’s a Merc, and it’s for sale, and I hope I have done it some damage. At the time I am too busy crashing to the ground with my bike on top of me, and the main thing that is going through my head is thank god Bernard isn’t on the bike. As I fell I felt my ankle crunch.
I lie on my back looking at the sky, saying aaargh, aaargh in a loud voice (which surprises me). Two men get out of the car and say sorry about that love. Didn’t know this was a cycle lane.
It is, I confirm. Then angrily add, Don’t have a go at me. I sit up and rub my ankle, wondering how bad it is.
Who’s having a go at you? they say, as they pick up my bike and move it to the grass verge. Then they walk off.
I sit on the pavement watching as they disappear, and then I pull myself to my feet and pick up my bike. Then the shock hits me and I stand there taking deep breaths. A pedestrian wanders past without even looking at me. I feel a sense of outrage that no-one bothered to help me. No-one checked if I am okay, if I can get home, or if my bike is damaged.
My bike seems alright but the basket is pretty mangled. The car is for sale, and the two men appear to have been a salesman and a client. I can walk, and so I do. What else is there to do?
At home I call Pete and I cry a lot, and my ankle hurts but probably not badly enough to sue anyone, but I feel so horrified that nobody cared enough to help me up off the ground. How badly do you have to injure someone before you offer them your hand?
I think the standard measure these days to help someone is you need a combination of
Anything else is going to get ignored.
Sorry about the accident. Baskets can be mended and bruises will heal. At least you are ok.
You can sue them, although I’m pretty sure you don’t think it’s worth the bother. It’s happened to several cycling friends of mine who’ve sued (who had more severe injuries) and I know of one person who was sued for opening the door of a taxi next to the pavement which was then driven into by a motorbike “undertaking” ie passing along the inside of the cab. I cycle miles away from car doors for precisely this reason, and bugger the person chafing at the bit behind you. In fact I cycle in London taking the view that every vehicle is attempting to kill me, one way or another.
I do hope you’ve had your ankle checked out by a doctor because it’s really easy to overlook damage when in shock. And get better soon!