I'm probably going to Hell for this...
Was sitting at a stop light in town today and just happened to glance over as this guy was riding a bike. It was a small BMX style bike and this was an adult man, no helmet, no gloves. Obviously not a cyclist, just someone using the bike as get-around transportation. Well, he's cutting across the gravel shoulder between a store parking lot and the cross walk at the light. I don't know if he hit something or just cranked on the front brake for no good reason but he endo'd the bike.
I know I shouldn't laugh at something like this. Eventually we all go down. I have. A couple times. But I couldn't help myself. What made it funny is that he wouldn't let go of the handlebars so he ended up face-planting in the dirt (again, no helmet), then as if that weren't bad enough after he finally did let go of the bars, the momentum carried the bike over. By this time he had rolled over onto his back and to add insult to injury, the bike hit him in the face again. I did not laugh at that. I almost asked if he was injured and needed assistance but he sprung up real quick and hopped back on the bike like nothing happened. I didn't see any bleeding and he appeared to have full ROM. I think his pride took the biggest hit. OK, now I'm laughing. Always wear the gear, even if you're just puttering around. I've found old helmets in Goodwill for as little as $3. |
Taking delight in the misfortune of others. How classy.
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Having someone do something in front of you that strikes your funnybone is not the same as "taking delight in someone's misfortune". The OP didn't ask for this, nor was their response thought out. I pulled a "best of" many years ago that would have had all viewers watching doubled over, even if I broke multiple bones. (There were no witnesses and I was unhurt. Had there been, I could have faulted no one for their reaction.)
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My GF loves it when people crash. She laughs a lot when I or anyone else crash. I always feel bad for when someone crashes and check on them except when the GF crashed then I laugh at her for all the time she has laughed at me because I am petty like that. ha-ha
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when someone wipes out who might desperately deserves it, it can be a sublime case of schadenfreude.
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Originally Posted by 79pmooney
(Post 22557409)
Having someone do something in front of you that strikes your funnybone is not the same as "taking delight in someone's misfortune". The OP didn't ask for this, nor was their response thought out. I pulled a "best of" many years ago that would have had all viewers watching doubled over, even if I broke multiple bones. (There were no witnesses and I was unhurt. Had there been, I could have faulted no one for their reaction.)
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He probably saw you and tried to make you laugh and it worked!
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It's nearly impossible to not laugh at certain types of 'crashes' and this sounds like it was one of those. Thousands and thousands of people watch Pink Bike's Friday Fails every week...for good reason.
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Originally Posted by koala logs
(Post 22557485)
He probably saw you and tried to make you laugh and it worked!
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Originally Posted by cxwrench
(Post 22557487)
It's nearly impossible to not laugh at certain types of 'crashes' and this sounds like it was one of those. Thousands and thousands of people watch Pink Bike's Friday Fails every week...for good reason.
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ooofphh
The guy must have been rather average in size as to not snap a bone. A long time ago, I snapped my wrist when I went for an over the bars vacation. Wasn't high speed, just was a heavy weight load & the wrist taking on all the load. |
Laughing spontaneously is something you probably had no control over. I can't honestly tell you whether I would have laughed or not. Now, if you had taunted him or scolded him, that would've been a different matter. Then you're in "kick him when he's down" territory.
It's amazing what you can ride away from when you land on dirt. |
Originally Posted by Troul
(Post 22557570)
ooofphh
The guy must have been rather average in size as to not snap a bone. A long time ago, I snapped my wrist when I went for an over the bars vacation. Wasn't high speed, just was a heavy weight load & the wrist taking on all the load. I never voluntarily take my hands off the bars during a crash because it stops me from landing on my hands. I went over the bars last year and essentially did a belly flop at about 20 mph. It hurt a lot, and I definitely felt it for a few days, but I finished the ride and didn't need medical attention. |
I always jump up, raise my arms and shout "Ta Da"...makes em wonder.
He didn't laugh at the man but the incident...that is different and often humorous. |
Originally Posted by Troul
(Post 22557570)
ooofphh
The guy must have been rather average in size as to not snap a bone. A long time ago, I snapped my wrist when I went for an over the bars vacation. Wasn't high speed, just was a heavy weight load & the wrist taking on all the load. |
Originally Posted by VegasJen
(Post 22557386)
Was sitting at a stop light in town today and just happened to glance over as this guy was riding a bike. It was a small BMX style bike and this was an adult man, no helmet, no gloves. Obviously not a cyclist, just someone using the bike as get-around transportation. Well, he's cutting across the gravel shoulder between a store parking lot and the cross walk at the light. I don't know if he hit something or just cranked on the front brake for no good reason but he endo'd the bike.
I know I shouldn't laugh at something like this. Eventually we all go down. I have. A couple times. But I couldn't help myself. What made it funny is that he wouldn't let go of the handlebars so he ended up face-planting in the dirt (again, no helmet), then as if that weren't bad enough after he finally did let go of the bars, the momentum carried the bike over. By this time he had rolled over onto his back and to add insult to injury, the bike hit him in the face again. I did not laugh at that. I almost asked if he was injured and needed assistance but he sprung up real quick and hopped back on the bike like nothing happened. I didn't see any bleeding and he appeared to have full ROM. I think his pride took the biggest hit. OK, now I'm laughing. Always wear the gear, even if you're just puttering around. I've found old helmets in Goodwill for as little as $3. I went down one time since returning to bikes when I rode my freshly refurbished 66 CM '81 Schwinn exactly 10 feet out my garage door in the gravel driveway. This with unhealed spinal fusion surgery half way through months of PT. Wife was not amused in the slightest. Haven't crashed since. |
Originally Posted by Rolla
(Post 22557403)
Taking delight in the misfortune of others. How classy.
(No doubt I'm dating myself with that quote.) |
Originally Posted by rsbob
(Post 22557431)
when someone wipes out who might desperately deserves it, it can be a sublime case of schadenfreude.
When we were little kids back in the late 60s/early 70s…my little brother came flying into the yard on his bike. A Schwinn Racer with 26” wheels. He intended to make a turn and go to the backyard. But the garden hose was stretched from the faucet to the nearby tree and was wrapped around it…about 12” off the ground. Either he didn’t see it, or thought his wheel would go over it. It didn’t. The hose went over the top of the wheel, snagged at the steer tube, and immediately stopped the bike…but not him. He flew over the handlebars like Superman. He landed in the grass, and wasn’t hurt. To this day I laugh when I think of that (and so does he). Dan |
Originally Posted by VegasJen
(Post 22557386)
..... this guy was riding a bike. It was a small BMX style bike and this was an adult man, no helmet, no gloves. Obviously not a cyclist, just someone using the bike as get-around transportation.
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Originally Posted by Rolla
(Post 22557403)
Taking delight in the misfortune of others. How classy.
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Originally Posted by Reflector Guy
(Post 22557706)
Using a bike for transportation..... Isn't that what cyclists do?
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Originally Posted by VegasJen
(Post 22557386)
Obviously not a cyclist, just someone using the bike as get-around transportation.
Originally Posted by Reflector Guy
(Post 22557706)
Using a bike for transportation..... Isn't that what cyclists do?
Dan |
Impossible to know the backstory behind an adult on a BMX, but age and epic fails sometimes go hand in hand.
The “let’s see if I can still pull this off” should be preceded with “let me see if I have my insurance card and a ride to the urgent care.” But it’s not. I think most of us have had those moments. John |
Originally Posted by _ForceD_
(Post 22557805)
I think we had the “bike rider” vs. “cyclist” debate a couple of weeks ago.
Dan Those are, of course, obviously synonyms. I continue to believe that people who think "cyclist" means anything other than bike rider are allergic to the use of adjectives. |
Originally Posted by VegasJen
(Post 22557386)
Always wear the gear, even if you're just puttering around. I've found old helmets in Goodwill for as little as $3. What problem are the gloves supposed to solve here? |
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