Left turning car

I returned home from a business trip yesterday. Four days in Monte Carlo:

3 breakfast meetings
3 business lunches
4 business dinners
4 cocktail parties
43 meetings

After squeezing all of this into 20 hour days, I was exhausted and slept like a log last night. This moring I had a lie in and then waved my daughter off as my wife took her off to Edinburgh to start university. I ambled for a while and then cleaned my bike and set off for the office. The sun was shinning and my bicycle was running smoothly. My legs were rested and I had had my first decent sleep in a week.

I came down new North Road, having executed a perfect trackstand at the Essex Road lights and found the lights at the bottom on green. I weht through onto East Street feeling good about the day.

And then a hatchback passed me and immediately turned left into Haberdashers Street. I hit the brakes, tried to swerve and stopped pedalling but all to no avail. I hit the car and went down. I uttered a loud and rather vulgar exclamation as I did so.

Amazingly the driver stopped. I picked myself up, checked my bike for damage - none - and then myself - a cut on my elbow and a graze on my knee. The driver stepped out of the car visibly shaken, apologised repeatedly and asked after my wellbeing.

"You need to be more careful and look out for cyclists" I said. "I could have damaged you car".

I remounted and rode off.

While regretting the profanity I uttered as I hit the street, I think that it is fair to say that the driver's level of shock will affect her more deeply than the superficial injuries that I suffered and will, hopefully, ensure that she is not so careless in the future.

We were both very lucky.

Glad to hear that you are OK Clive.

Same.

Good on you for a pithy comeback. I would have probably set about her hatchback with a mini D lock.

nice one, clive.

More like you please. Glad to hear you're OK.

Four days in Monte Carlo:

3 breakfast meetings
3 business lunches
4 business dinners
4 cocktail parties
43 meetings

After squeezing all of this into 20 hour days

While regretting the profanity I uttered as I hit the street, I think that it is fair to say that the driver's level of shock will affect her more deeply than the superficial injuries that I suffered and will, hopefully, ensure that she is not so careless in the future

Is this what it will take to cure dancing james?

^ i'm afraid dj is a lost cause.

glad you're ok clive, take it easy.

Glad you're ok Clive. I applaud the anti-climactic zen-like end to the story!

Glad you're ok Clive. Seriously though, I bet you're pretty chuffed with your graze. They're good!

Women drivers.

glad your OK Clive.

10/10 for execution Clive

Man scars can be tended to later. just play them up a little to Mrs O

well done clive, i wish i handled such situations as well as you

10/10 for execution

a bit extreme, no?

I concur. I had a hissy earlier this week when someone drove through a red light as I was trying to cross the road. She didn't even hit me. This led me to believe I am probably also a follower of the DJ school of conflict resolution through retribution.

moral: never go to Monte Carlo, or clean one's bike?

Glad to hear you're okay. Excellent line about 'I could have damaged your car', too.

glad you're ok ... was she hot?

glad yor all good, what were you riding?

glad yor all good, what were you riding?

... The sun was shinning and my bicycle was running smoothly. My legs were rested and I had had my first decent sleep in a week.

Think he was riding a bike mate.
Hope this helps.

Good one Clive, trying to damage that poor car with your crazy cycling trickery.

Did you take their mirror as a souvenir?

Think he was riding a bike mate.
Hope this helps.

Thank you Jim i am compiling all this information into a large database of crashes and knowing wether it was indeed a bicycle as opposed to riding a horse, snow board, large bearded man is very important to the study. My findings so far are that riding a bike seems to be just a bit less dangerous than trying to ride a large bearded man. Discuss...

I was riding a Glider Tupelo SS Serota made steel frame with Goldtec hubs, Compag Record components a Fizik saddle and all sorts of bling.

http://www.londonfgss.com/thread4736.html

Except my bar tape is now black and I have Vittoria Pave tyres (except on the back wheel where I have a Michelin yellow jobby as a temporary measure).

My bike is probably worth more than her car. And no, she was not hot.

Thank you Jim i am compiling all this information into a large database of crashes and knowing wether it was indeed a bicycle as opposed to riding a horse, snow board, large bearded man is very important to the study. My findings so far are that riding a bike seems to be just a bit less dangerous than trying to ride a large bearded man. Discuss...

i tried once ^ and it didn't turn out too well. i fell off and got hurt. but mostly strayed off with a bruised ego. *sigh

dam' beardy ones are nifty buggers to get on.

The important thing when riding bicycles or beardy men is to get one that fits. Cyclefit for bikes: Beardymenfit for beardy men.

its this sort of irresponsible shit that really gets my goat, you could have really damaged her car Clive, i would have thought you would have learnt to be more respoinsible and just drive to work especially after your uncleating incident, you have a bike rack; use it ffs.

Seriously though, it sounds like you kept your cool remarkably well and instead of leaving her feeling hard done by and shouted at i would have thought she will indeed think about this in the future. chapeau and hope the scratches heal up quick!