General: Accidents

this reminds me of Charlie's FreeWheels Project.

If someone causes an accident with me I'll go to the ends of the earth to see to it that I get what I'm owed. I'm spiteful like that. A lot of people are satisfied with yelling at the driver then riding off. Its understandable I guess, cyclists are second class citizens. I don't care what the law says... Expect the police and insurance company to assume you are guilty until proven innocent. Getting what you are owed is an uphill battle when you ride a bike.

I think the real problem is the perception of cyclists by people who do not ride bikes at all, or at least not for commuting purposes (which is likely the majority). For one, people who ride their bikes daily are not only completely comfortable with their bike (to speed up, stop suddenly, cut between cars, etc.), but they are used to and comfortable with their surroundings -this includes drivers (both shitty and good), potholes, speed bumps, pedestrians, blind driveways and alleys, and such. For this reason, we can do what we do everyday to get to work or wherever with relatively little effort yet it may seem like we are doing something dangerous, risky, or stupid. For this reason, we will always be to blame for any accident we are involved in, no matter who is the more culpable of the two. And if we are simply run over and are (i supposed) in the wrong place at the wrong time (as I can attest to), those responsible seem to believe there is no way they could have seen it coming or avoided it or whatever other excuse there is simply because they are not used to seeing us or refuse to accept we are there...maybe going faster than them, maybe cutting more traffic than them, or maybe just making it to work earlier, more awake, and with a stronger feeling of accomplishment then them. Mexico City is an extreme case. You have two kinds of drivers: Those who out of ignorance just do not have their eyes open for anything but other cars (and sometimes not even them), and those who obviously see you and are either angry that you are on a bike or dont think you should be there, or are surprise you can travel so fast, and get as close to you in your lane or between lanes as they can to (hopefully) lightly hit you or scare you enough to knock you off your bike or have you swerve into another car and get away with it.

I know Mexico City is a horrible example for so many reasons but since it is only temporary, and I have ridden in the "the rule of law" US as well, its all the same story. I am just waiting for gas to become either directly or indirectly too expensive so that there are more bikes than cars and they become the second class citizens. And we can judge them for being posers and riding some kind of smart car or something. Or putting a spoiler instead of aerospokes are their smart cars, claiming they are more aerodynamic...when a box is the least aerodynamic thing in the world.