July 30 ride.

1 year ago
46

July 5, 2023. After a long holiday weekend, I was ready to get back to work. I got up, made some breakfast, showered, dressed, & took my bike out to get on the crosstown train. I rode half an hour to the stop where I would then ride in to work. I got on my bike and began riding in the bike lane, with traffic, towards work. 3/4 of the way there, there's an intersection with I-84, and there's only a bike lane on the west side of the street, because of the eastbound on ramp.
As I'd done several times before, I waited for the light and the crossing signal, to ride to the west side so I could continue my commute. When the light changed, I took off to get out of the way of traffic turning left, when, suddenly, from around three lanes of northbound STOPPED traffic, this asshole in a minivan comes barreling through the intersection straight for me. It was all I could do to get stopped before ending up right in front of the van. As he flew by (50MPH+) I plowed into the side, lodging my front wheel between his rear tire & the fender well, which flipped & tossed me & the bike about eight feet, where I landed, on my back, in the lane, with two lanes of turning vehicles bearing down on me.
Fortunately, they managed to drive around me, as the asshole sped up the on ramp onto the eastbound freeway. I had to carry my busted up bike out of the street, and then spent seven hours in the E.R. getting checked out & CAT Scanned. I was physically alright, but the bike would need major work.
Thanks to the "defund the police" politicians in Portland, the cameras in that intersection haven't worked since before Christmas. So, no video, no license plate, no description, no tracking down this loser. I get stuck with the bill for the repairs.
Four weeks, & $1200 later, I got the bike back together, & I can ride again. So I went out this morning for a 40 minute ride with the camera rolling. Since the audio from the rides is crap, I replaced it with the music I listened to while riding.
Enjoy.

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