bikecrashblues

I was crossing 17th street and New Hampshire Avenue on T street. On one
of those DC three-way intersections. I was brazen like usual, not really
stopping at the stop sign just cruising through and weaving around the
cars stuck in congestion.

There was a car stuck there that was turning left and blocking the left
side of the rode so I swung around in front of that car and just by a
pedestrian that was startled by me and froze for an instant.

I passed her fine and easy and launched on the peddle w/ a standing push
down but the entire crank arm that supports the peddle gave an audible
crack like glass. I heard it tinkle on the ground as I was launched down
and forward into the pavement. I thought in that instant, "I haven't
felt this before, I wonder if it hurts."

It must have been the hardest fucking smack into the asphalt, I think I
laid there for half a second before I rolled over to sit up. The driver
of the car next to me was rolling down their passenger window, "You
okay?" he asked.

I looked over at the car stopped in front of the broken-off crank. I
raised my arm like, there ya go. Then I stood up. I waved to everyone
since there were like multiple cars and pedestrians stopped and looking
at me. The driver in front of the crank was kindly waiting for me to
pick it up. They were smiling at me as if in relief. I walked over and
picked the fucking thing up and smiled to the driver, to say, its okay
go on.

A jogger approached me and asked if I was okay and what happened. I
said, yeah, and showed him the crank. He said I wouldn't get far with
that. I agreed and said, "grounded."
He was like, "wha?"
I said, "Looks like I'm walking."
He was like cool and took off, but I was totally rattled and more
interested in what kind of shit just happened to my body and
possessions. I put the bike against a tree and went over my clothes.
Pulled off my gloves and helmet, looked at my pants, looked at my
hoodie, took my camera out of my backpack and looked at it. I figured
that was a close one.

I called Esther to tell her I was going to be late getting home and to
meet me at the bike shop and bring a bowl.

I walked into the bike shop and the proprietor guy asked me what he
could help me with. I told him I was missing something and motioned to
the missing crank arm on the bike, then I held up the arm itself and he
was was astounded and giddy over that. Like, "No way! It just sheared
right off!" he said. Then he called the dog and said that he had a new
chew toy. The bike techs were all like, whoa, and one guy was pretty mad
that it broke off like that and checked for any recalls. He was very
serious.

They told me it was going to be TEN DAYS! until the part would arrive
and it would be 50 bucks. I asked him if he thought I shouldn't order a
more expensive one. He said that wouldn't happened to the new one, it
was made out of solid metal and not aluminum.
Fucking A cheap manufactured shit.

Esther showed up and we walked to my place but neither of us had a
lighter. I was completely high on adrenalin anyway. She commented that
everyone was probably so relieved when I stood up and thus did not delay
their commute home, like, "Oh god, I don' want to get caught up in this!
Oh good, he stood up. Thank God! I was late anyway."
We both laughed about that. It was probably mostly true.