TheKua Vs The Landcruiser

Patrick General

Update 10 Jan, 2005, 4:00pm AEST
I’ve decided to put up some pics of the injuries I sustained, but be warned that you probably really don’t want to look at them. At least they’re all a lot better than they were.

Update 9 Jan, 2005, 3:00pm AEST
I’m walking about pretty well now as the bruising is healing extremely fast (yay!). I managed to get some pictures of the damaged bike (linked some to the previous update) after visiting the bike store. Here’s the rest:

Update 1:27pm AEST
Thanks to the super efforts of Sister Suz and Brother Al, I was able to get all my X-Rays done this morning and there are no signs of broken or fractured bones. I’m certainly a lot more relieved to hear it, although I still cannot walk very well. I also called Lifecycle to find out how much damage there was to the bike. It was obvious to the guys in the store that I had been hit from the back after finding severe damage to the rear wheel, rear derailleur, rear brake, rear bike light and rear part of the frame. They don’t have my frame in stock, so they suggested the next model up which was specifically designed for triathletes (not that I am one, mind you), called Kona.

By the way I don’t have any fantastic injury pics to post because most of the external injuries have been relatively superficial, and all others are near things that should probably shouldn’t be shared with the world ;-). Thanks to everyone for all the support once again, and I hope to be back to normal sometime in the near future. I’m a little ticked off I’ve now had to give my Summerfieldayze ticket away for this Saturday!

Original Post
Hmmm… don’t you hate it when you wake up and feel like you’ve been hit by a car? Oh hang on a second, that’s exactly what happened to me yesterday. Departing for work on the normal route from home on my bike, I was passing through the UQ information roundabout, and was on my way out of it to get to the bike path, when some unobservant mother in a 4WD decided she wouldn’t stop for me. She claims she didn’t see me, yet she did slow down upon approaching and I saw her looking directly at me. Needless to say, getting struck in the left hip by the front of the beast was certainly a painful experience. My forward momentum and the force of getting struck by a car from the left traveling at least 30km/h was enough to throw me into the gutter of the street I was entering, at least out of further harm’s way.

I’m amazed at how many people stopped to offer their aid although I was in no state at the time to be able to respond to them very well. First aid came quickly, as one of the people kind enough to stop was the head security officer at UQ on his way to work. I am so thankful to come away with what injuries I have, as I’m sure it could have been a lot worse. The doctor I visited later that day (thanks Sarah for the lift) was also amazed at how I didn’t get hurt more as well. Anyone looking at me could conclude that it wasn’t that bad, but if any of the hobbling around I’m doing at the moment is any indication, the internal ones are looking to be the worst. I was worried about having fractured bones so I found it strange that the doctor did not offer any X-Rays despite my insistence. A short consult with Suz and Al (both qualified doctors) assured me that I should get some done. They’re organising for me to get them done this morning so we’ll find out more information today. Thanks to everyone that has offered their assistance and their kind thoughts so far.

8 Replies to “TheKua Vs The Landcruiser”

  1. Let this be a warning to the selfish and thoughtless city 4WD drivers that you are wielding a very dangerous weapon that takes up excess road space, causes increased road-wear and reaps the Earth of even more fossil fuels than regular cars do.

    Now I’ve offended a great deal of people, hence the anonymous post 🙂

    Of course, any car driver can injure or kill a cyclist or pedestrian, but our society is structured in such a way that it’s near impossible to live without one. If you have a car, the least you can do is keep it small, keep it well-tuned and drive safely, keeping a close eye for more vulnerable road users.

    All the best Pat.

  2. Matey. That’s horrible.

    It’s one of the greatest fears when out riding. I sit there and shit myself everytime i go through an intersection or roundabout, etc. I always look straight at the driver and make sure they are looking at me but sometimes you just wonder if they are seeing you.

    I hope your x-rays don’t reveal any broken bones. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help out.

  3. Speaking from a hugely biased and legally unsubstantiated perspective, the driver’s claim that she “didn’t see you” is tantamount to an admission of guilt BECAUSE IT’S THEIR FUCKING JOB TO SEE YOU!!! Unless you were riding in stealth mode (wearing an Elvish cloak or the sort), then the onus is on the cage driver to look out for insignificant little insects such as cyclists, pedestrians, etc. Perhaps someone else who’s had to deal with this sort of thing legally can confirm or deny this…

    I too try the “stare them down” approach on determining whether the cage is aware of my presence, yet eye contact can also be a false positive: she could just be staring blankly into the space you happening to be occupying at the time and considering changing the CD she’s listening to or wondering whether the lippie is in need of a touch up in the vanity mirror.

    And Pat – you’re so lucky she was nice enough to give you a lift afterwards. I hope you didn’t inconvenient her too much.

    My slightly aggressive viewpoint notwithstanding, the best news is that Pat is largely OK and hopefully nothing undetected has been… well, undetected.

    p.s. I wasn’t trying to apply female drivers are any worst than their male equivalents. Based on 20+ of walking, cycling and motor bike riding, the two factions are equally retarded and moronic.

    p.p.s. Where are the photos? Jon had photos…

  4. Oh, I should add, you’re very, very lucky. A mate who was riding his Honda was t-boned by a 4WD and spent 3 months in hospital with a dislocated pelvis and needed a total knee reconstruction. Along with the bruises, concussions, scrapes he was a very sick and sorry boy for quite a while.

    Take care and get better soon….

  6. My deepest sympathies. Many years ago I was clipped off my road treadly by a van, who also “didn’t see me”. I hope you’ve got the name and number of the vehicle, and you should report her to the police and it’s her responsibility to fix your bike, not yours.

    When I was clipped, I ended up apologising to a couple of people who helped me out for the language I used against the driver of the van. Shock is an amazing thing. I wasn’t injured during that one, luckily.

    However, not being hit by a car can be a lot worse

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