The Bike, the Van and Signpost.
First morning on the 16km cycle to work was evenful. Just past the Belfield slip-road I had to swerve to avoid a motorist turning left across my path. I narrowly missed her but wasn't able to avoid an ill-placed signpost. Ill-placed from my perspective at any rate.
The poor motorist was in shock but she did stop, rang the emergency services waited for them to arrive and checked in with me regularly during the day.
Didn't really need the emergency services but it seems to me that people frequently don't actually know they've done spinal damage until too late. With that in mind, as soon as I hit the ground I froze- didn't move a muscle until an ambulance team had checked me out. I ended up going to St. Vincent's hospital to be checked out and X-rayed. Apart from a very sore shoulder (and anticipating aches all over tomrrow), I'm fine, thank God.
I didn't make a fuss with the motorist either and I did try to assuage her concerns (though I was carefuld not to admit liability :-) ). There's enough people trying get easy insurance money and I don't really want to join their ranks unless I need to. I'm alive and well and able write this and I think the bike is okay too.
A good Christmas present really.
