Oh dear!
Nigel Bennett
Posts: 653
Well it finally happened to me - whilst riding to work last Tuesday I was the guilty party in an RTA. (I've got a signed document saying I've fully and completely settled the claim, so I can confess all now.)
It happened in this way...
I was riding along without a care in the world, when there was a sort of blue flash and a well-known local rider flashed past me, recognised me and said "Hi Nige!"
So (as you do) I increased pace and pretended to ride as fast as he does, and engaged in some desultory conversation. I even did a short turn on the front for effect.
Tooling along downhill behind him at sufficient speed to set off the electronic 30mph warning sign before a junction, I suddenly became aware that:
a) The road was wet and greasy
b) There was a car stopped in the road in front, indicating to turn right
c) Another car had stopped behind the first, but in the irritating way that they do, the driver of same had pulled in as close to the kerb as he could
d) There are large and nasty rocks and a stone wall close to the kerb on the left hand side.
The astute reader will by now have realised that the situation presented certain points of interest.
The only course of action appeared to be to sail past both cars on the right, with a song on my lips, much in the same way as my much fitter accomplice seemed to have already achieved.
It was not to be however; the car turning right just started to do so as I was escaping, and I just clipped the very front of the offside wing.
Luckily, - as I mentioned earlier - the road was greasy, so you wear away much less of your person as you slide along, and do a lot less damage to your clothing.
Now when you clobber somebody, I can thoroughly recommend hitting somebody of a caring and pleasant disposition. That way you get much less unpleasantness after you've stopped wearing yourself away on the road.
We exchanged names and details, then I set off to work again, my companion in crime having stopped to admire the damage to self and ascertain the most important thing - that my bike was OK.
Two miles later, I checked my mobile phone. Ah. A simple case of non-presence. So back to the accident site to view the remains. Oh yes, those shards of plastic definitely looked like it. No sign of the SIM card, but it was only a fiver's worth of pay-as-you-go.
Then I got an email at work to say that althought there hadn't appeared to be any damage to the car, it had now become apparent that I had dented it somewhat and what would I like to do about it?
I phoned BC and got them on the case.
By now my left leg was starting to ache a bit. By lunchtime, it was aching so much I had to use my chair as a sort of extempore zimmer frame to get to the bog - unfortunately you can only delegate tasks so far...
By Wednesday morning I was sufficiently pain-ridden to go along to A&E to get my hip X-rayed. Excellent service, nothing broken. They gave me some crutches.
It was only on Friday that I managed to walk without them for the first time.
Anyway, the lady in the bent car had now been advised it was only a few bob to unbend it, so (to avoid any work on her part and mine in filling in endless claim forms,) I stumped up the cash and got the all-important "Full and final settlement" document.
Anyway, I rode into work this morning - my only problem at the moment is getting on and off the thing. Once on the saddle, it was fine.
So that's my story....still as bloody daft at 55 as I was at 25, I suppose, and (quite frankly) lucky to be alive.
It happened in this way...
I was riding along without a care in the world, when there was a sort of blue flash and a well-known local rider flashed past me, recognised me and said "Hi Nige!"
So (as you do) I increased pace and pretended to ride as fast as he does, and engaged in some desultory conversation. I even did a short turn on the front for effect.
Tooling along downhill behind him at sufficient speed to set off the electronic 30mph warning sign before a junction, I suddenly became aware that:
a) The road was wet and greasy
b) There was a car stopped in the road in front, indicating to turn right
c) Another car had stopped behind the first, but in the irritating way that they do, the driver of same had pulled in as close to the kerb as he could
d) There are large and nasty rocks and a stone wall close to the kerb on the left hand side.
The astute reader will by now have realised that the situation presented certain points of interest.
The only course of action appeared to be to sail past both cars on the right, with a song on my lips, much in the same way as my much fitter accomplice seemed to have already achieved.
It was not to be however; the car turning right just started to do so as I was escaping, and I just clipped the very front of the offside wing.
Luckily, - as I mentioned earlier - the road was greasy, so you wear away much less of your person as you slide along, and do a lot less damage to your clothing.
Now when you clobber somebody, I can thoroughly recommend hitting somebody of a caring and pleasant disposition. That way you get much less unpleasantness after you've stopped wearing yourself away on the road.
We exchanged names and details, then I set off to work again, my companion in crime having stopped to admire the damage to self and ascertain the most important thing - that my bike was OK.
Two miles later, I checked my mobile phone. Ah. A simple case of non-presence. So back to the accident site to view the remains. Oh yes, those shards of plastic definitely looked like it. No sign of the SIM card, but it was only a fiver's worth of pay-as-you-go.
Then I got an email at work to say that althought there hadn't appeared to be any damage to the car, it had now become apparent that I had dented it somewhat and what would I like to do about it?
I phoned BC and got them on the case.
By now my left leg was starting to ache a bit. By lunchtime, it was aching so much I had to use my chair as a sort of extempore zimmer frame to get to the bog - unfortunately you can only delegate tasks so far...
By Wednesday morning I was sufficiently pain-ridden to go along to A&E to get my hip X-rayed. Excellent service, nothing broken. They gave me some crutches.
It was only on Friday that I managed to walk without them for the first time.
Anyway, the lady in the bent car had now been advised it was only a few bob to unbend it, so (to avoid any work on her part and mine in filling in endless claim forms,) I stumped up the cash and got the all-important "Full and final settlement" document.
Anyway, I rode into work this morning - my only problem at the moment is getting on and off the thing. Once on the saddle, it was fine.
So that's my story....still as bloody daft at 55 as I was at 25, I suppose, and (quite frankly) lucky to be alive.
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Comments
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Blimey! Glad to hear you're OK, and that the person you struck (rather roughly) was a reasonable type.
And I must renew with BC.... :?0 -
I did something like that on the way to work a few years back when I had just started commuting in. I had moved away from a set of lights and built up a head of steam. I was flowing along nicely, keeping up with the motor traffic, when a car in front decided to turn right and another, continuing straight on had blocked the rest of the carriageway. I had the choice of braking and waiting but decided to try to whizz round the front of the car waiting to turn. Unfortunately as I turned he moved off, so I went over his bonnet. No major damage done, I was a bit dazed and bruised but other than that OK... I don't do things like that any moreDo not write below this line. Office use only.0
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Great post, and glad you're ok. Always preferable to collide with a car belonging to a human rather than an ape.Sometimes parts break. Sometimes you crash. Sometimes it’s your fault.0
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Its probably good to get little knocks like this every few years to keep us honest so we avoid the nasty ones!
Good to hear the driver was civil to, got to help...0 -
"..still as bloody daft at 55 as I was at 25"
Not to take anything away from your mishap and I'm glad it had a pleasant resolution, but I look forward to following in your footsteps re the line above - in a I'm old enough to be silly and not care, kind of way
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