Worst first ride ever

[emckee1]

A friend of mine at work wanted to get into cycling. She borrowed a bike one day last Fall and planned to do her first "serious" bike ride that day after work.

So, next day I pass her in the hall and casually ask how it went. Not so good she said. She said she had been riding only a short time when the skies opened up and she got totally drenched. That sucks when that happens I said, I hope that doesn't keep you from sticking with it. That wasn't the worse part she said, after the rain storm, I was riding up a short hill when I got hit by a car. What!!?? Oh yeah, this car came by me very closely, banged me with the rear mirror and knocked me over. Holy crap! Are you OK? Did the person stop? Not at first she said, but after a while the driver pulled over and waited for me to pass. He said he was not sure, but thought he felt a "bump" as he passed me. My friend told him what happened and assured him that she was OK. As a formality, he gave her his insurance info and during the process she got a look at his driver's license. His birth date was in 1912! The dude was 99 years old! She commented on that and he offered that he didn't see quite as well as he used to.

It took her a little while, but I am happy to report that she gave riding another try and now gets out 1-2 times a week. Hopefully, she will have lots of good karma built up from that first ride.

[ultraman6970]

99?????In my country after 75 no old guy can pass the phsycotechnical tests, in europe is the same thing. Here in the states is piece of cake to get driver license, so easy that really can't understand those dudes that can't pass it the 1st time.

Happy your friend is ok.

[deechee]

omg. Thanks for the story. I'll definitely think about it the next time I think I'm having a bad ride. And I thought the seniors in my neighborhood were scary...

[jmason6]

Must be in FL, since they let anyone pass the test. Once watched at the DMV when they let the woman take the eye at least 6 times then told her to put on her glasses and she still couldn't pass the test. She walked out of the DMV with a DL that day. Yup only in FL. Your head needs to be on a swivel when riding.

[fogrider]

you gotta use that spider sense to stay out of the way of bad drivers!

[SoCalSteve]

The one and only time I got hit by a car was a woman who was 82. Her passenger side mirror whacked me and the only reason she stopped was because she heard a thump. I never even fell off the bike, but I was badly shaken up.

I believe as people age, they lose some of their peripheral vision. This is why she didn't see me riding on the side of the road.

I too believe that at some point, that getting a drivers license should be much harder as you age (maybe starting at 65 to 70) and that you should have to take an actual driving test every year or two and get a medical certificate signed off by an MD. Of course, none of this will ever happen.