It's exactly one year since I was last "doored" by a car (ran into a suddenly-opened driver-side car door while riding my bike). This was a pleasant Monday afternoon. I was in the process of binning; had just come out of the West end of the two short East-West lanes between South Granville and Fir -- It was the lane between 15th and 16th (This all took place in Vancouver, B.C., BTW). I was North-bound on Fir, on my bike, pulling my trailer. No traffic, clear and dry. I was riding slowly and reflexively scanning the driver-side mirrors of the parked cars on my right -- watching for any sign of movement.
Nothing. ... Nothing. ... Nothing. ... Crash! ... Blank.
I was dazed on the pavement, in the middle of the lane. If I had been injured, say, speared through the torso with a street sign, I would only have begun to notice now, after the fact -- it wouldn't have begun to hurt yet, but I would've noticed. In fact, I only suffered two superficial scrapes: Left arm, by elbow, and below my left hip. I think I unmounted the bike diagonally, forward and away from the car, hitting my top tube, and landed hard on my left forearm. Lucky I was going at a leisurely pace. The attached bike trailer would've stopped the bike from being able to flip over the car door, as has happened previously. All-in-all, lucky me. The only damage was not to person but to the pannier, or saddle bag, attached to the bike rack. It had been forcibly thrown off the rack, and the metal-and-plastic sprung hanger-hooks were totally hooped.
The driver, Margaret, didn't hesitate to admit fault. She had been leaning over towards the passenger side, intent on her cell phone, and had reached over and thrown the driver side door open. No movement or "body language" to give advance warning. Amusingly, at first, she baulked at paying to replace my unfixable pannier, insisting (this was so cute) that she would have to pay to have the dent (which I couldn't see) in her door fixed.
[caption id="attachment_393" align="alignleft" width="200"]
The City of Seattle, Washington, USA, installed this anti-dooring sign at one intersection on Dexter back in 2007. No word on whether they put up more, or whether it made any difference. I believe we cyclists have the responsibility to watch out, because we'll suffer the most in an accident.[/caption]
After the moment of trauma the body yanks control away from the brain, declares martial law, and sends out all the branches of its armed forces: adrenaline and endorphins to name two. Never try to make a decision in the moments immediately after such a traumatic event. fight-or-flight is the best you can do -- I know this from past experience -- you'll agree to to whatever makes it all go away.
At this point, my brain was regaining control. That pannier was radio-frequency welded, coated Cordura nylon. I live in a Rain Forest climate. I bluntly proposed she either reimburse me for the pannier or go through The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia. We marched ourselves ( I actually rode my bike) a block to her bank machine, and I accepted $200.00 from her. The next day I bought an Ortlieb pannier set which was nearly identical to the broken Vaude, for about $140.00. I put the remainder towards a new sealed bearing cassette for the bottom bracket of the bike, which didn't feel exactly right. -- Seattle’s anti-dooring signage
Nothing. ... Nothing. ... Nothing. ... Crash! ... Blank.
I was dazed on the pavement, in the middle of the lane. If I had been injured, say, speared through the torso with a street sign, I would only have begun to notice now, after the fact -- it wouldn't have begun to hurt yet, but I would've noticed. In fact, I only suffered two superficial scrapes: Left arm, by elbow, and below my left hip. I think I unmounted the bike diagonally, forward and away from the car, hitting my top tube, and landed hard on my left forearm. Lucky I was going at a leisurely pace. The attached bike trailer would've stopped the bike from being able to flip over the car door, as has happened previously. All-in-all, lucky me. The only damage was not to person but to the pannier, or saddle bag, attached to the bike rack. It had been forcibly thrown off the rack, and the metal-and-plastic sprung hanger-hooks were totally hooped.
The driver, Margaret, didn't hesitate to admit fault. She had been leaning over towards the passenger side, intent on her cell phone, and had reached over and thrown the driver side door open. No movement or "body language" to give advance warning. Amusingly, at first, she baulked at paying to replace my unfixable pannier, insisting (this was so cute) that she would have to pay to have the dent (which I couldn't see) in her door fixed.
[caption id="attachment_393" align="alignleft" width="200"]
The City of Seattle, Washington, USA, installed this anti-dooring sign at one intersection on Dexter back in 2007. No word on whether they put up more, or whether it made any difference. I believe we cyclists have the responsibility to watch out, because we'll suffer the most in an accident.[/caption]After the moment of trauma the body yanks control away from the brain, declares martial law, and sends out all the branches of its armed forces: adrenaline and endorphins to name two. Never try to make a decision in the moments immediately after such a traumatic event. fight-or-flight is the best you can do -- I know this from past experience -- you'll agree to to whatever makes it all go away.
At this point, my brain was regaining control. That pannier was radio-frequency welded, coated Cordura nylon. I live in a Rain Forest climate. I bluntly proposed she either reimburse me for the pannier or go through The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia. We marched ourselves ( I actually rode my bike) a block to her bank machine, and I accepted $200.00 from her. The next day I bought an Ortlieb pannier set which was nearly identical to the broken Vaude, for about $140.00. I put the remainder towards a new sealed bearing cassette for the bottom bracket of the bike, which didn't feel exactly right. -- Seattle’s anti-dooring signage
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