Door!

• Mar 6, 2009

Door!

I was doored on my skates today for the first time ever.

I've been skating in traffic regularly nearly as long as I've bicycled in traffic (15 and 17 years, respectively) and this was my first accident involving an automobile.

I had thought I was going slow enough that an impact would be negligible...
I had thought I left enough of a gap from the parked cars to avoid suddenly opened doors in my path...

It happened so fast that I didn't realize what was happening until I was already in the air

I don't care much for the pain or blood or risk, but I have to admit there is something very intriguing, almost fun, about a first hand demonstration that this body one identifies as "self" is as subject to the basic laws of physics as any inanimate object.
One moment you are a person, with feelings and experiences and goals and relationships
In the next you are velocity and mass and angular momentum.


The way the door caught me, just on the edge, I went off at an angle, feet first somehow, I twisted and spun and ended up right in the middle of the street on my front with my head pointing the direction I had come from.
Got up quick in case there was any traffic coming, assured the apologetic driver that I was fine, and finished my commute to work (where I discovered that our first aid kit is badly in need of restocking - I have a napkin and tape on my arm at the moment)



And on that note:

The East Bay Bicycle Coalition's Spring series of free urban bicycle safety classes are set and online sign-up is open. Just go to: www.ebbc.org/safety to sign up (or call 510.533.RIDE) and please be sure to tell all your friends about these great classes. Classes are scheduled throughout the East Bay.

The bicycle safety classes include a Day 1 Street Skills class, 3.5 hours classroom course that teaches the basics of safe cycling, riding in traffic, equipment, crash avoidance, rights and responsibilities. Adults 14 and over. No bike needed.

The Day 2 class is a 6.5-hour on-road course that provides an opportunity to put into practice what was learned in the Day 1 Street Skills class (a prerequisite), including emergency maneuvers and riding in various traffic conditions, to test your knowledge of vehicular cycling skills. Bicycle required for Day Two.

Class are taught under the direction of EBBC's lead certified bicycle safety instructor Jason Agar and his team of certified assistant instructors. And this June we are also offering our first bicycle safety class taught in Spanish.