BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

This sounds quite odd to me. Why would you have hidden the amount you ride from your family?

Why would they worry before the accident? Is there some reason they consider biking dangerous? (It's not.)

How are they with other risky behaviors? Skiing? Playing football? Or the really fatal activities like all-terrain-vehicles (motorized)?

Would your family be equally adament if you were injured in a car crash?

I'm guessing (and it is only a guess) their problem really is that "you should grow up and use a car," and they they will use concern "about your safety" to get you to adopt their values. Only you would really know.

If that is the case, though, I think you should resist with you entire being.

I think you should also remember that they will still love you, even if they don't approve of what you are doing.

Welcome to the board. Good luck with the continued recovery.

What happened to you was an accident. If you had been injured while driving a car - you would probably continue to drive/ride in cars once you recovered. I don't see why biking should be any different. The only caveat -regardless of mode of transport- is that you do so safely, obeying traffic laws etc. Start slow and have fun.

i have an amazing amount of experience... having had two major accidents myself (neither my fault) and my brother literally dying and being brought back to life in the hospital with permanent (but minor) brain injuries...

my family has forbid bikes so many times you wouldn't believe it. however! that never stopped me for a second, and it shouldn't stop you either... i used this over and over as a chance to underscore the detrimental effect of cars in our lives, which is the real danger, and after three major accidents in our family and some time to let the drama fizzle out there is a lot more talking about public transit and car pooling than there was 10 years ago...

all that being said i have to insist that if you have even the slightest amount of lingering pain don't ride... especially now when the weather is crap and the roads are still narrowed by the snow and dangerous... it won't be worth it. i have never had a car and the second time i got back on my bike before i was fully recovered and i'm still feeling the pain... just be careful with your body!

You're an adult and you should make the decision for yourself. Your family isn't being rational or fair. IMO the positives far outweigh the negatives.

Aww, I feel for you. I've been riding since '89 and racing since 1994 with my parents acknowledging my cycling to some (little) degree or another that whole time.

Make your own choice, deal with it as best you can. Your odds of dying (or getting injured) from something else is way way higher.

Two thoughts: As 18th century British writer Samuel Johnson said, "It ought to be the first endeavor of a writer to distinguish between that which is established because it is right and that which is right merely because it is established."

Second, I grew up in a household which encouraged challenging the status quo, and in particular my father encouraged the safe use of motorcycles. Mothers of other neighborhood kids were aghast that I would dash all over (farm fields) atop a 70cc Honda, but at the same time would let their own kids jump on a mini-bike, sans suspension, lights, helmet and training. To my father that was both short-sighted and narrow-minded, and he made sure that we recognized that those did not trump rational thought.

Somewhere in there, I hope, are a couple of ideas you can apply to your own situation.

Thanks everyone for the thoughtful feedback. I really appreciate it. I guess since I am still going to PT once a week I'll figure on waiting a short while longer before riding... (not to mention I'll be needing a new bike!!). I still don't know how the heck I can possibly reason with my family in a decision to ride again, but am glad to hear, in your instance Mark, that your fam's become more accepting (yet far more glad that all's ended well with the accidents you'd mentioned). Hopefully mine will one day get there, but I really don't know. Sigh. Riding truly brings me joy, and I'm frustrated that I can't share that with my parents and sister... yet they are frustrated with me in thinking that they raised me to make safer and "more prudent" decisions. It remains a sore and sensitive subject and was certainly the cause of much tension in my household during my recovery, in begging me to promise them to no longer ride. Stu, what a rad quote... yes, I can definitely glean plentiful wisdom from those words. I feel like a need a new kind of helmet, protecting my mind from such warnings and fears.

Don't.Ride.Scared.

Good luck!

Just as background, where does your family live, rural, city? Did you ride as a child? Why do you think it is that they are so opposed to you riding, was someone else in your family badly injured? don't mean to pry, it just stumps me as to why someone would be so averse to such a common (and enjoyable) activity, and associate it with such danger.

Anyway, when you're ready to ride again, for your first rides, try and meet up with some Bikepgh folks and ride in the safety of a group, and then you can tell your family about all the great and wonderful people who ride all the time!

Hi Edmond, that's the odd thing. I mean, my family lives in the suburbs right now, but we grew up literally all around the world. In college, I didn't live on the same continent as my folks the whole time (apart from joining them for 6 months overseas). No one in my family was badly injured in a biking accident, but then again, no one in my family rides (not even any of my relatives). My parents just have really active imaginations when it comes to worry and my safety. It's gotten somewhat better over the years, but it's certainly been a struggle for me growing up. I know a lot of great people and friends who bike around the city and my parents think it's a foolish decision leading to unnecessary danger. As far as getting back on the roads, I think that is a great idea to meet up with folks to bike together. Thanks! I am looking forward to that time.

"I feel like a need a new kind of helmet, protecting my mind from such warnings and fears."

If you find one of those, let me know - I want one too!

Good luck with your family, or at least getting to where you can function happily despite their way of thinking.

Have you ever thought about getting your family on bikes? Maybe just an afternoon on a local trail or something. To piggyback off of Mick's "you should grow up and use a car," they may see that there are plenty of adults, children and seniors who ride as a way of life and do it safely to boot.

good luck with your recovery. i was in a similar crash about 6 years ago, got hit from the left side, broke my lower leg, week in hospital... luckily i didn't need PT, but getting back on the bike was a bit scary- but did help me build my leg strength up again. i definitely altered my habits a bit, mostly in that i'm willing to go a few blocks out of the way to avoid a particularly sketchy section of road.

fortunately, my family was very supportive of my bike love. of course they made jabs at me about it, but i just did as mark said. i was also in a car crash at the age of 18 (i was driving and rear ended someone pretty bad), and they didn't want me to stop driving or riding in cars after that one.

if you don't mind me asking, where did the crash happen?

also, if they worry about your safety, a great way for them to express that is to get them to support your local bike advocacy group!! Sorry for the shameless plug, but that's exactly what we're trying to do!

hey hey, I know you! So glad you have recovered so fast...what a miracle (and stubborn genes I guess).

Believe me I understand the feeling of your family not understanding the whole bike thing. The difference is that I was pretty out front with my family from the get-go about my bicycle commuting. They are still uneasy about it but have come to accept my lifestyle choice. I have thankfully not been in an accident in my three + years of riding, so I don't have that situation to contend with.

I would tend to think that most of the reason that they are irrational about your biking on city streets is because of ignorance. I believe this also stems from the fact that they do care for you, but like all families, tend to be overprotective and irrational at times. Also, that feeling was probably intensified since you were hiding your biking from them.

So two things:

1. You need to start believing that you can love and respect your family and also be an adult and disagree with their opinions. Be forthright with them and share your positive reasons for cycling (health, environment, changing the street culture by being a presence!). Don't be afraid to be who you are or that will show and this alone will cause your folks to be more wary of your choices.

2. Get informed with the facts of bike versus car safety...and your right to be on the road... and you'll be able to share this information with your family, showing that cycling isn't quite the horribly dangerous and immature thing to do. Emphasize that it wasn't your riding a bike that caused your accident, it was the irresponsible idiot that ran you down... and that could have happened with you in a car as well.

This isn't easy, but you can do it! And you aren't alone with that sort of situation. We should ride together sometime and work out some of those nerves if your body is up to it.

~Tricia

My family has been on bike trails, but has never used bikes as a mode of transportation. When I was a kid and we lived in Germany, we would ride trails for kicks on occasion, but things were far more bike-friendly over there, with trails all over the place. It's a far different situation in Pittsburgh (although I think we can all agree that "it's getting better all the time!" ...and this in spite of the current horrific potholes...). Although, one thing my parents continually emphasized during my couch time was, "This isn't Europe, Stef." (and truth be told, I started researching and emailing grad schools abroad...). Anyways... Erok: the accident happened on Highland Ave at Penn Circle S/Center Ave, right where Red Room used to be. I was coming down Highland's slight hill, entering East Liberty in the direction of Highland Park as it was nearing dusk (I had lights on my bike, but use this as a platform to encourage everyone to change their batteries often! Mine were dimmer than they ought to have been). As I was going straight through a green, the driver of the pickup, who should have yielded, hesitated at the intersection, then all of a sudden gunned it into my body (I presume he was thinking he could have made it past me in time, and during the green light). And yes, you know, speaking of cars as you mentioned, I was indeed in such an accident before, in which I was hit by a drunk driver when I was 19. Truly there is no totally safe mode of transportation (or safe approach to life for that matter), and I'm very uncomfortable behind the wheel myself, feeling that I'm capable of so much damage. Oh Tricia, thanks for your words!!! and yes, I come from a long line of such stubborn genes... I saw your FB post today re: taking action, transportation. Very nice. Let's hang soon, please!

the driver of the pickup, who should have yielded, hesitated at the intersection, then all of a sudden gunned it into my body

that's exactly what happened to me. weird. people i think, don't realize how fast we're moving. was the person remorseful? the more cyclists there are, the more people will get used to things like how fast we go.

Wow. Weird indeed. Oh untimely Pittsburgh Lefts. I agree that folks don't realize how fast we're going, and I'm not an extreme risk taker either. I recall having an inclination that he might do something unpredictable, but since I saw he had hesitated, and knew I had the "right of way", I decided to go for it. It wasn't the way I had intended to spend my Friday night, or the next several months thereafter, but I'm thankful that I've gained ability to walk again rather than having to learn to talk again. Definitely counting the many blessings in that regard... Speaking of which, there were some very kind people around me at that time who responded immediately to the situation. That said, I didn't really talk to the guy to get a gauge on what he was like or how he felt. He leaned over and asked "Are you okay" and I think I gave him a look like, "Are you kidding me?" but didn't otherwise respond. I was just kind of stunned on the ground, unable to move. Since that time, I haven't spoken with him directly. I'm just thankful he stopped. How was it in your situation?

Yeah Pittsburgh lefts...and sometimes even worse is when the light turns yellow as you are heading through, the left-turning people get pretty pissed that you didn't allow them to make their left... Dude, chill, I had the right of way. Or otherwise they just don't see you behind a bus or something and turn before you are through the intersection - had my back tire clipped that way one time on E Carson.

I don't go out looking to "piss off" car drivers, however, if they're pissed, at least it shows they are aware of your presence. That's preferable to having them not see you at all.

basically the guy came over and asked if i was alright. then said "sorry i hit you." i kinda looked at him and then looked at my leg and started cursing up a storm. he backed away. we got lawyers involved. his wanted me to reimburse him for the windshield that broke when i rolled up on his hood and the windshield broke under the weight of my body!!!

today, i'm walking fine. have a bump where the break happened, a few small scars. no joint problems- it was a clean break directly in between my ankle and knee.

his wanted me to reimburse him for the windshield

Like Rodney Dangerfield in Caddysnack: "Hey, you scratched my anchor!"

I have never been hurt as bad as you guys, but I've done some pretty nifty somersaults followed by road rash and scrubbing gravel from open wounds. I've grown to welcome car horns and yelling, at least I know that they see me.

It takes a couple of days or weeks to redo a route or pass through THAT intersection, but I have never thought seriously of choosing to not bike ever again.

@saltm as a friend, I would love to see you back on the bike. I can also appreciate how this was a traumatic experience not only for you (I assume) but for your family, as well. They were wholly involved and affected, maybe not in the accident, but certainly in your recovery. Given this, it is probably healthy to have them involved in your full recovery back onto the bicycle. Maybe some compromise can be made? Like promising not to ride at night/dusk (which would at least allow you to commute in the summer).

good to see you around!

Regarded perceived speed, I think this is generally an issue, regardless of whether the drive is dealing with a cyclist or another call. Typically if I'm approaching an intersection with a car turning left, I signal them through in front me. Better to hedge my bets...

Erok: his wanted me to reimburse him for the windshield that broke when i rolled up on his hood

When in doubt? Blame Erok!

Here's what I explain to my non-cyclist friends in the approach I use when I'm riding:

(1) Everyone else on the road is asleep, drunk, high, stupid or otherwise inattentive;

(2) Everyone is out to get me;

(3) I am invisible.

And that with those things understood, I take all the liberties granted by state law, and a few I improvise on the spot, to save my skin.

Staying within the law helps, but safety trumps legality. Being prepared (lights), very visible (blaze orange), and very predictable also helps tremendously.

It worked for my father for 40 years of riding motorcycles. So far, it's working for me, too.

saltm513: was the driver cited?

In too many cases of automobile/bicycle crashes, the cyclist is unable to report his side of the story. We only hear the motorist, who says something like "he swerved in front of me, what could I do?" and gets away with it.

But when the cyclist is cogent and there are witnesses, then clearly those motorists need to bear full responsibility for failure-to-yield accidents. If we can't get justice in these cases, we'll never get justice for those "single witness" cases.

@bjan: I use great caution but I absolutely don't wave them in front of me. I don't want to encourage them to take liberties with right-of-way. Next time, they might just assume they can do it without being waved through. Also, it confuses the other people on the road -- behind you, or on the intersecting road. You wave the left turner through, and then the guy to your right will try to take a right-on-red while you're dawdling, and then... chaos.

That is an interesting and fresh perspective about being okay with drivers who get pissed-- Hmm. yes at least they do acknowledge. @Erok, are you even kidding me? How totally ridiculous. Although I haven't seen the truck, or more unfortunately my bike since the accident (it is now in the possession of my attorney) I am pretty sure I was the only one to take the beating. I can't believe that dude tried to land a new windshield at your expense... as if you weren't paying enough already. Glad you live to tell the tale with minor physical reminders. I have a wicked long scar on my leg, but am thankful to say that the surgeon's report was that my leg was "perfectly realigned"-- a clean break. @Mister Troyer, it's great to see you around as well! I hope a compromise can be made, too, but really don't think my folks will ever go for that. I feel like we are both the dangerously all-or-nothing types, but perhaps you're right about nighttime biking, as I so often did so by myself... @Stu, good approaches. I refer to this as my SPR (i.e. Stupid People Radar), but perhaps this battery needed to be replaced along with that for the light on my bike. @Lyle, yes, he was sited, but I didn't get to tell my side of the story to the officer. The police report was largely inaccurate (which I found out 2 weeks after the accident). It said that I had no lights on my bike, yet I had 3 lights (one in front, one in back and one on the back of my helmet) and it also stated that I was wearing dark clothes... which happens to be a laughable statement to anyone who knows me, as I am highly identifiable by the bright colors I always wear and I consider myself a light show on two wheels. Anyway, I didn't get to be a part of the report, and I am sad that the main witness who was tending to me was not listed in the police report. I have no idea who he was, other than his name was Scott. Bless his heart.

I feel like a need a new kind of helmet, protecting my mind from such warnings and fears.

That's easy; just line your current helmet with foil. It'll keep the shadow government's mind control rays out pretty well.

But really, good luck, and I'd agree with others in this thread that your family (a) will love you no matter what you do, and (b) probably wouldn't have the same reservations if you had been injured in a car crash.

@everyone: If you're injured, you're not likely to talk to the officer, but you absolutely have the right to see the report later and have it amended if it is in error. I don't know how long you have that option. But if the police report indicates you don't have lights in an after-dark accident, the motorist will probably not be liable. Also, these things (like light or dark clothing) feed into statistics that advocates and educators rely on, so it's important that they are as accurate as they can be.

@saltm513: one thing that you might consider going forward is a good helmet-mounted light. I like to shine it right at the motorist as soon as I see them (and then away, as I get closer -- no point in blinding people). My favorite is the Cateye HL-510 if you can find one anywhere. It's real cheap, and you can replace the stock 2.4W bulb with up to a 10W bulb (I prefer 6W). I am always worried about left-turners when I go flying down Penn Avenue, though, and now "your" intersection too

@alnilam: foil, eh? Great tip for a shiny new helmet! and cost-effective to boot. And yes, I know my fam will love me no matter what... I just don't want to be the cause of heart failure. They've more or less indicated that I am taking years off their lives with every go-'round of the peddle... sigh.

@Lyle, thanks for the tip about the light! And yah, I have to try to not get nervous at that intersection. It was my work route, so I revisit it daily... I walked it today though, with somewhat less anxiety. That I guess is included in the healing process...

@salt, All riders go through something similar with non-riding friends and family. Every time I rode and came home just fine they got a little more comfortable with it. It's all a matter of conditioning.

For once I want to comment on a message board topic: my run-in with a car (not mentioning all the close calls...) where I went over the hood b/c the driver tried to jet across Bates St at the moment I was a car length away doing 16 mph. For the next hour after the incident & in our few followup phone conversations, she kept repeating, usually after apologizing, "but you were going so fast!" and "Couldn't you see I was going across?" thus rendering the apology a non-apology-apology, ie it was my fault.

My point? Is that it seems based on @salt & Erok's experiences as with mine, drivers may assume that because its a bike it must be moving slow enough for the driver to risk the manuever: that either A) they will clear the intersection before the cyclist reaches it or, worse, that the cyclist will slow down to avoid a collision with a car since the bike operator will lose that exchange.

In my case, the driver's two self-defensive protests, repeated ad noysim, are spelling out these two conclusions (forget right-of-way since I was not a car so to an uneducated driver I had no such right).

Finally, before anyone can say 'typical Pittsburgh driver', the lady was from France, lived in Quebec and was some sort of professional somethingorother.

I agree that if you still can, you need to get the report amended. When my wife had her accident, the report stated she wasnt wearing a helmet. Perhaps the officer didnt see it attached to her head as she was strapped to the backboard, either way, officers are people too and make mistakes. You have to option to correct those mistakes and should do so.

officers are people too and make mistakes. You have to option to correct those mistakes and should do so.

I think that's a really important point. As cyclists, we tend to think that everyone is out to get us, and while certainly, there are people out there who don't care much about cyclists, people do make honest mistakes. The only way to make things better is to do our part to correct them.

@meaculpa: which intersection? McKee Pl?

Alas, I have no resolve, and I need a space to vent. So Mother's Day, I went home and my mom and I went on a walk as we always do when together... when she started "Just promise me that you're not back on your bike." It was a tough conversation, sprinkled with questions of have I forgotten what happened to me just a couple months ago and reminders of how I could have been killed or a vegetable, etc.. I tried to have her hear me out about the ways in which I have amended my cycling activity (efforts to take the quietest roads, even when taking me out of my way, riding with others whenever possible, taking a cycling safety course to try and feel more confident and also to try to ease my fam's minds). The conversation seemed to end somewhat reasonably, and I felt really good about the fact that my family at least knew I was riding again (you would think that I'm like covering up scandal or drugs or something, but I supposed it's an addiction just the same). Anyway, my mom calls me this past Thursday, and evidently the only reason she was calling was to "make sure I wasn't riding to work." Caught off guard and really upset, I refused the conversation apart from hearing things like basically that she can't believe I would care so little about my family's feelings and how I am not "listening to the voice of reason." They called me multiple times after work yesterday to make sure I made it home safe... (which I didn't hear my phone's persistent ring during the FOC ride). Sigh. We'll be spending some time together today, talking about all of these things. There are many rough things about this, namely that when it comes down to it, I do love my family more than riding my bike, and my folks are seriously so amazing and some of the most beautiful people you'd ever meet. It is so bizarre to me. We've moved around to different countries my whole life, and seem to others as quite an adventurous bunch. You'd not think this would be such a huge source or monstrous fear and tension. Anyway, I'm not looking all that forward to this evening.

WOW. IMHO their fear is causing them to act unreasonably. Did they expect you to stop driving when you were hit (in your car) by a drunk driver? While we will always be our 'parent's little babies', you're a big girl now. Ride on sister.

Try to hold your ground Steph. A suggestion would be to have your mom follow us on this board to see that we are not all some death-wishing idiots. Would it be possible to get your mom on a bike while she's here? Maybe a few of us could meet up with both of you and do a mini-ride through your neighborhood? Support in numbers.

Stef, you should have brought your mom to FOC!

Though I believe in transparency and sharing information, I don't think sending your mom to this board would be a good idea. There are a lot of "some a** almost hit me" stories floating around here that wouldn't be too beneficial to your case.

Maybe a bunch of us could go out for coffee/lunch/dinner with your family sometime and talk about their concerns. I think it might also be to your benefit to show what kind of community we have.

Ditto what Nick said. Until I had done a bunch of street riding, the stories on this board about guys like the red jeep liberty and the dude at jo-mar meats scared my girlfriend. Even when I told her about what happened to Nick when he bailed in the gravel I could tell it wasn't something she wanted to hear with me riding on the streets.

After talking to you last night, and reading all of this, its hard not to say that they're just being unreasonable, irrational and insensitive to you're own feelings/needs/etc, I just have no idea what could crack the egg they seem to be stuck in. Talking it out in person is probably the best way, as infuriating as that can be.

If you're mom was interested in getting on two wheels to get a better relationship with it (worked for my gf) I know plenty of people would be game in putting something together.

You're in a tough situation, good luck with it.

I'm supposed to go to a fundraiser later today for a little girl who is 3 years old, and dying of cancer. There is nothing those parents could have done to protect this girl from that. Except for living in a world with fewer toxic chemicals, etc. etc. who knows.

If you had never gotten on a bike, you would still not be safe from all the things that could happen to you.

But if you had never gotten on a bike, it's 100% certain you would not have toodled around a beautiful city on a nice May evening, feeling the light refreshing mist. You would never have gone through Panther Hollow, in the dark, in a flock of goofily blinking lights, with crazy music, with a bunch of ridiculous idiots who are trying to do a little something to make the world more pleasant.

It sounds like a lose/lose situation, either you keep riding and subject yourself to this (unfair, IMO) constant guilt trip, or you give into them and end up resentful. So, there has to be another option - maybe suggesting that you all go to a therapist to try to work through these issues would help, but then again maybe that would just make it worse.

Your parents are definitely not the ones being the "voice of reason" in this case, that much is for certain. As others have pointed out, there's absolutely nothing you can do in life that's free of risk - least of all driving a car which kills 40,000 people per year... Best of luck.

I'm not sure I have anything to add that is much different than what others have said. Of all the dangers in life, riding a bike should be the least of them. Accidents can happen no matter what you are doing. The guilt trip your mom is laying on seems more appropriate for a child with a drug/alcohol problem than a cyclist. They might be upset or worried now, but with anything, time will fix that. I'm guessing they won't disown you for riding a bike so just keep at it. Stand your ground. Biking keeps you happy, healthy, and fit.

Before they even removed my cast, my dad offered me some money to go towards buying a new bike. I suppose a little more concern would have been nice though

When I was a freshman in high school I went unconscious while riding, hit my head on the asphalt (wasn't wearing a helmet) and half my face was a scab. I didn't ride for about a year or so. I got a free bike from my job around 10th grade, started riding again, and now do 14 mile commutes to work at CCAC campuses all over the county.

I've been sideswiped by a bus, purposefully sideswiped by a car, cutoff and ran into a minivan, purposefully bumped by a SUV from behind, exchanged plenty of obscenities, and have been threatened with violence on multiple occasions.

It's not uncommon for me to cycle 150+ miles a week just commuting back and forth from work, not including all the errand running I do. All those incidents are from about three years being in Pittsburgh. Most days it's just dealing with aggressive drivers that would be just as annoying if I was driving in a car.

So accidents aren't that common. The ones I got into probably could have been avoided if I was a less aggressive cyclist.

It seems like you want to cycle and aren't into cars. I wouldn't let one accident change your mind.

Stef, I guess it would help us if we better understand your Mom's objections. It might also help her if she knew more about us cyclists, about what Flock Of Cycles is about (my blog post from last night would be a good intro), and what Bike-Pgh is trying to do.

And you? You're not being rebellious, you're just trying to meet basic transportation needs. Living in the city, a car is more a liability than an asset. Transit works acceptably in some cases but not all. The bike is what glues it all together: cost-effective, adapability, personal freedom, an an unmeasurable sense of cameraderie.

But it all seems to come down to your Mom's reasons for objecting to your cycling. Whether they be intangible, justifiable, unreasonable, whatever, nothing will change in the situation until somehow she changes her mind.

Plus, your brakes work now...

hah! that they do, Nick. Thanks so much for your help with that. Great advice, all. Knowing how my folks react to things, I don't think sending them to the board would be too favorable for me (not to mention I'd have to first be sure to change my pic on here, haha). I feel like getting them to ride around the city wouldn't be a bad idea... joining in on part of an FOC ride would might possibly be good for them. I guess I kind of screwed things up from the beginning of not telling them that I was riding in the city 2.5 years ago until my accident- riding happy and incident-free. The only part they dwell on with my cycling is the fact that I crashed. Should have been transparent from the get-go I suppose. I think it really is going to just have to be some way for my family to change their minds. It didn't help that going into surgery my anesthesiologist named other (far worse) scenarios of people he had seen come through the trauma unit, telling my parents this before putting me under. Great timing, sir- thanks. Apart from him, my surgeon and PT both have encouraged me to get "back in the saddle," as have tons of other friends, and now bike-pghers. I tried talking to my mom about the whole "you can get hurt doing anything" and "would you tell me never to drive again because of a car accident" realities, but she blew that off, deeming it irrelevant, as when being in a car, I am surrounded by steel (which, to me, seems scarier). Anyway, I didn't end up going home today after all, but the subject still hovers, much like the gloomy clouds currently outside my window. Blech. But yes, I would definitely take some of you folks up on it to meet them when they come in to visit some time. I think my parents think I've gone off the deep end living in danger, so it would be good to introduce them to some kind and sane cyclists of this city.

We could ride a special (shorter, strategically routed) FOC ride for them. I think it would be a good time--meet the people who raised a fire-hooper who is known around the city for riding her bike with fenders in her bag.