POW!!!!
So, I ride my bike to work each day.
Near the end of my ride to work is a concrete spiral ramp leading to a pedestrian/bike bridge over one of the busier streets in town. Normally, I stand on the pedals and pump my way up this ramp, but today I saw the university cross-country team, as they often do, running in a herd, coming my way down the spiral. I was dismounting and attempting to step to the side to let these fine gentlemen pass, but it was too late. They came careening towards me, and before I knew what happened, I had collided VERY FAST AND HARD head-on into one of them.
I let my bike fall away to my right, as much out of traffic as I could, because I didn't want the rest of the herd to trip up on it and get tangled and cause a human pile-up. I think I hit the young man right in the face (with MY face). My glasses exploded away and went flying into the brush below the ramp. I was dazed and kind of short with the rest of them as they crowded around to see if I was okay. I said something like, "...nevermind, whatever, just leave me alone..." and wheeled my bike down to the base of the ramp to begin looking for my glasses. I was, of course, the LEAST QUALIFIED PERSON to search for a pair of glasses in three-foot high weeds because, well, I had just LOST my glasses in three-foot high weeds. And been hit in the head VERY HARD. My eyes were not those of an eagle, y'know?
These guys leapt into action and pushed past me down the bank. In a matter of minutes, they had found the popped-out lens, and the two (only two!) pieces into which my glasses had fractured. I kept asking, "Who is the one I hit? Which one did I hit?" and finally this kid steps up and we shake hands and apologize to each other. I reach up and realize I am bleeding from a cut above my eye (undoubtedly from my glasses) and I start worrying about him.
"Are you okay? Are you okay, huh?" He had a small cut on his forehead, and looked about as dazed as I was.
He insisted he was fine and we apologized again, and then the herd took off.
I work at the hospital, and always park my bike in the rack right outside the emergency room.
Convenient, at least. Three hours and a call to my supervisor later, I was headed home to put some ice on my swollen face.
I just want the University of Iowa cross-country team to know how sorry I am for the accident we had together, and how unbelievably thankful I am for their finding my glasses for me. That was a very upstanding and noble thing to do, and I deeply appreciate it.
Sometimes, when I ride home at 1:30 in the morning, I get to weave through a lot of stooopid drunk kids downtown, and I get to feeling like all young people are like that, stupid and drunk like that. Even though I was one once, I curse at them and consider them beneath contempt.
A good solid impact to the face and the human compassion in the afterglow remind me that they are not all repugnant children.
Some are right-solid, alert and kind-hearted. Stand-out human beings.
Good kids.
Keep on runnin', guys...I promise not to get in your way again!
Near the end of my ride to work is a concrete spiral ramp leading to a pedestrian/bike bridge over one of the busier streets in town. Normally, I stand on the pedals and pump my way up this ramp, but today I saw the university cross-country team, as they often do, running in a herd, coming my way down the spiral. I was dismounting and attempting to step to the side to let these fine gentlemen pass, but it was too late. They came careening towards me, and before I knew what happened, I had collided VERY FAST AND HARD head-on into one of them.
I let my bike fall away to my right, as much out of traffic as I could, because I didn't want the rest of the herd to trip up on it and get tangled and cause a human pile-up. I think I hit the young man right in the face (with MY face). My glasses exploded away and went flying into the brush below the ramp. I was dazed and kind of short with the rest of them as they crowded around to see if I was okay. I said something like, "...nevermind, whatever, just leave me alone..." and wheeled my bike down to the base of the ramp to begin looking for my glasses. I was, of course, the LEAST QUALIFIED PERSON to search for a pair of glasses in three-foot high weeds because, well, I had just LOST my glasses in three-foot high weeds. And been hit in the head VERY HARD. My eyes were not those of an eagle, y'know?
These guys leapt into action and pushed past me down the bank. In a matter of minutes, they had found the popped-out lens, and the two (only two!) pieces into which my glasses had fractured. I kept asking, "Who is the one I hit? Which one did I hit?" and finally this kid steps up and we shake hands and apologize to each other. I reach up and realize I am bleeding from a cut above my eye (undoubtedly from my glasses) and I start worrying about him.
"Are you okay? Are you okay, huh?" He had a small cut on his forehead, and looked about as dazed as I was.
He insisted he was fine and we apologized again, and then the herd took off.
I work at the hospital, and always park my bike in the rack right outside the emergency room.
Convenient, at least. Three hours and a call to my supervisor later, I was headed home to put some ice on my swollen face.
I just want the University of Iowa cross-country team to know how sorry I am for the accident we had together, and how unbelievably thankful I am for their finding my glasses for me. That was a very upstanding and noble thing to do, and I deeply appreciate it.
Sometimes, when I ride home at 1:30 in the morning, I get to weave through a lot of stooopid drunk kids downtown, and I get to feeling like all young people are like that, stupid and drunk like that. Even though I was one once, I curse at them and consider them beneath contempt.
A good solid impact to the face and the human compassion in the afterglow remind me that they are not all repugnant children.
Some are right-solid, alert and kind-hearted. Stand-out human beings.
Good kids.
Keep on runnin', guys...I promise not to get in your way again!
posted by Jeremy Smith at 8:02 PM
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