Dooring a Cyclist is NOT COOL
It was about 10 degrees fahrenheit this morning without windchill, so already I was pretty miserable on my bike to work on a Monday morning. About 5 blocks from my house, I was slammed by a car door off my bike into the middle of a very busy street. Luckily, I wasn't going that fast, so I didn't fly too far out. Also, the cars behind me were aware of the situation and managed not to run me over as I was lying in the middle of the street. One such passerby even got out of his car to make sure I was ok.
The man who doored me got out of his car and apologized. He asked if I was ok and helped me get up. He stayed with me until I was able to walk away. That was the very least he could have done. He did say quite a few times that I shouldn't be biking so quickly, and that just pissed me off. I was wearing multiple layers with a heavy backpack containing my laptop and biking into a biting and strong wind. I couldn't have been going more than 4 MPH, and probably even slower. I was trying to get to work on a Monday morning- who would be rushing to do that?
Luckily, I seem to only be bruised and swollen around my knees and left thigh, but certainly bruised pretty badly. My legs and the elbow I rolled onto are also pretty sore. I also do have a bit of a headache. Though I didn't land on my head, it was certainly jarred up from all the falling and hit the bike. I landed on my knees first and then fell over onto the side of my left thigh, all on top of my bike. As I was parallel to his car, I noticed that the driver's door was opening, so I steered to the side to try to avoid it and tried to jump off my bike. I wasn't able to execute that fast enough, but my actions luckily prevented the door from really making me fly and having my bike land on me. He did hit me, not my bike, pretty hard with the door, though. Perhaps more luckily, I wasn't run over on the busy street. The cars weren't going that fast, so they were able to avoid me.
I felt a rush of adrenaline and was able to walk away, but now, 2 hours later, I'm starting to feel the pain in my legs and knees. I'm more affected, though, by the shock of it all. I really could have died out there today or been severely injured. I'm still shivering from it. :(
I've filed a police report and a claim with his auto insurance company. In Cambridge, there is legislation being put in place so that a person can be fined $500 for exiting his or her car on the side of traffic, and especially if the door opening causes some sort of accident, like hitting a cyclist. The police officer this morning in fact said some sort of fine is already in place, though I'm not sure the details of the fine amount nor the nature of the violation. Such dooring has already led to a tragic death in Cambridge and many accidents ranging in severity.
I've had to take a sick day to cover my not being at work, so that's one less sick day I can take for when I'm actually sick. We'll see what comes about of this police report and claim I've filed with his auto insurance company. Luckily, I don't seem to have any broken bones or other immediate and severe injuries, but who knows what sort of long-term injury I incurred (like weakened knees/ligaments) or what will become apparent later after my adrenaline wears off completely. I may need to go to a doctor for a check up just to make sure I'm ok. And my poor bike. :( I have to have her scratches fixed up as well. The handle bars came a little loose and turned 90 degrees. My lock holder broke in half and off my bike. My chain came off the gears, and the back break isn't working properly anymore.
I just hope this guy is careful from now on about opening car doors. He's lucky something worse didn't happen to me. He'll likely have to pay that fine and perhaps even a higher insurance premium. That should teach him.
The man who doored me got out of his car and apologized. He asked if I was ok and helped me get up. He stayed with me until I was able to walk away. That was the very least he could have done. He did say quite a few times that I shouldn't be biking so quickly, and that just pissed me off. I was wearing multiple layers with a heavy backpack containing my laptop and biking into a biting and strong wind. I couldn't have been going more than 4 MPH, and probably even slower. I was trying to get to work on a Monday morning- who would be rushing to do that?
Luckily, I seem to only be bruised and swollen around my knees and left thigh, but certainly bruised pretty badly. My legs and the elbow I rolled onto are also pretty sore. I also do have a bit of a headache. Though I didn't land on my head, it was certainly jarred up from all the falling and hit the bike. I landed on my knees first and then fell over onto the side of my left thigh, all on top of my bike. As I was parallel to his car, I noticed that the driver's door was opening, so I steered to the side to try to avoid it and tried to jump off my bike. I wasn't able to execute that fast enough, but my actions luckily prevented the door from really making me fly and having my bike land on me. He did hit me, not my bike, pretty hard with the door, though. Perhaps more luckily, I wasn't run over on the busy street. The cars weren't going that fast, so they were able to avoid me.
I felt a rush of adrenaline and was able to walk away, but now, 2 hours later, I'm starting to feel the pain in my legs and knees. I'm more affected, though, by the shock of it all. I really could have died out there today or been severely injured. I'm still shivering from it. :(
I've filed a police report and a claim with his auto insurance company. In Cambridge, there is legislation being put in place so that a person can be fined $500 for exiting his or her car on the side of traffic, and especially if the door opening causes some sort of accident, like hitting a cyclist. The police officer this morning in fact said some sort of fine is already in place, though I'm not sure the details of the fine amount nor the nature of the violation. Such dooring has already led to a tragic death in Cambridge and many accidents ranging in severity.
I've had to take a sick day to cover my not being at work, so that's one less sick day I can take for when I'm actually sick. We'll see what comes about of this police report and claim I've filed with his auto insurance company. Luckily, I don't seem to have any broken bones or other immediate and severe injuries, but who knows what sort of long-term injury I incurred (like weakened knees/ligaments) or what will become apparent later after my adrenaline wears off completely. I may need to go to a doctor for a check up just to make sure I'm ok. And my poor bike. :( I have to have her scratches fixed up as well. The handle bars came a little loose and turned 90 degrees. My lock holder broke in half and off my bike. My chain came off the gears, and the back break isn't working properly anymore.
I just hope this guy is careful from now on about opening car doors. He's lucky something worse didn't happen to me. He'll likely have to pay that fine and perhaps even a higher insurance premium. That should teach him.
posted by Christina at 10:17 AM
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