Crash, Crash 48 Crash

The title refers to cycling matters and not the world economy. Also, its only a second Crash, not the 48th

The news on the cycling front is less positive than I had hoped. I have not managed more than two successive days riding since my last blog. The injuries from my accident are taking longer to heal than I anticipated. The whiplash type injuries are slowly healing, but still cause some pain and discomfort, especially if I sit at my desk for a lengthy period of time, or if I try to reach behind me.

However, what is causing me more concern is my knee. I got a knock on it when I came off my bike on 5th November, but it seemed to be nothing. However, it has gradually worsened. I went out for a ride in the rain yesterday and managed a very slow 30 miles with Drew and his son Sam. However, by the time I got home, my knee was quite painful. Cycling to and from work today has aggravated the knee. I think that tomorrow I will be using a geared bike instead of my fixed wheel bike to allow me to rest the knee by freewheeling at times.

I have arranged an appointment with my GP for this coming Thursday to discuss the problems with my knee. I fear the GP will say that I need to rest the knee and have to stop cycling to work.The thought of travelling by the tube at rush hour is enough to make one go off sick again. (If my boss is reading this, I'm only joking).

As to the title of this thread, I am pleased to say it wasn't me that ended up on lying in the road this time. Shortly after commencing our ride yesterday, an idiot in a car overtook the 3 of us cycling in a line and IMMEDIATELY then turned left across my path, causing me to take evasive action to avoid being hit by his car and as a result poor Sam collided with my bike and ended up on the road. We then had the farcical situation of the driver of the car ( who turns out to be a consultant paediatric surgeon) initially refusing to stop, then refusing to provide his details and then trying to reverse his car at Sam to get away from the scene, before driving his car against me as I stood in front of the car on the phone to the police.

When the police arrived, the simply took names and addresses and said that was the end of their involvement. So it seems the moral of this is that if you want to assault or kill someone and get away with it, you use a car and the police take no action. At a brief count, I came up with the following offences:
1. Careless driving for the left turn across our path.
2. Failing to provide name and address after an accident.
3. Attempting to leave the scene of the accident (an attempted fail to stop?).
4. Careless driving for reversing the car into Sam as he tried to leave (I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt in that I am assuming it was not deliberate).
5. Common assault for driving his car forward into me as I stood in front of him on the phone to the police.

To all these offences there were at least 3 witnesses, i.e. myself, Sam and Drew. The police however take no action. Is it any wonder there are so many accidents on the road if there is so little chance of being prosecuted.

The good news is that I have now raised at least $245 sponsorship monies, although I think that the correct figure may be $260. I need to check with first giving. I need to get the total up to at least $500 before Christmas, so please dig deeply now. Instead of sending Christmas Cards, why not donate the monies to this cause.