Tell me why I shouldn't be scared of dying on the road....
Originally Posted by
Newspaper_Nick
You should always be scared. That fear will prevent you from doing stupid mistakes. And it will save your life.
But then again, you can not prevent other people from making mistakes, so if it is your unlucky day, there is not much you can do about it.
Basically, it is life.
Originally Posted by
sumgy
Be more hysterical.
That’s a pretty fatalistic outlook.
I have recurrently posted, including earlier on this thread:
Originally Posted by
FBinNY
In all fairness,
I don't think there's anyone who's been riding for a long time, who hasn't at some time (or many times) ridden in that zone where the only thing separating us from disaster is favorable alignment of the stars. (Note the "us" rather than "him")
We all take chances and make mistakes, but fortunately life is"organized" with plenty of forgiveness.
In my experience the difference between disaster and "whew, that was close" is millimeters and microseconds, and not anything we can take credit for.
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
I try to keep safe with certain aphorisms in my head that come to mind to alert me when I encounter a situation where unseen dangers may lurk, such as “Like a weapon, assume every stopped car is loaded, with an occupant ready to exit from either side.” or“Don’t ride over an area (such as puddles or leaves) when you can’t see the road surface"
…I was hit from behind by a “distracted” (? inebriated) hit and run driver on an otherwise seemingly safe and peaceful route. By good fortune, I’m alive and relatively unimpaired.
Over the past few months I have come to realize that my safety aphorisms (link), collected over the years by personal or vicarious experience, are my way of actively aligning the stars in my favor, to anticipate those unseen and otherwise unanticipated dangers.
FWIW, for my own information at least, my other aphorisms beside those above [see the link: total of nine (9)]...
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
Those are all I remember for now, and they all pop-up in my mind as I encounter the situation.
Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
(from a now-closed thread)
A "whimsical" suggestion, how about a Crash subforum, where the old and young could share their cycling disasters?
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
…Wow, RF, sorry to hear about this. It sounds like a “major” crash, especially with such damage. I won’t ask “what happened?,” but posting details for me at least gives me renewed attention to such situations on the road....
kind of a "cycling post-mortem."
As noted above one can always improve their luck by paying attention.
Originally Posted by
birds01
Riding is freedom.
If you are scared pick roads or paths with little or no traffic. I figure we all have to go some day/ if it’s on the bike the. So be it.
Again,
be as careful as you can. That’s all you can control.
Originally Posted by Louis Pasteur
Chance favors the prepared mind.
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 09-10-19 at 03:42 AM.