Bike Xing

Dan Weber Grateful Blog, News

Grateful Blog: Day 37. This is yesterday’s blog for the 6th…Yesterday there was aLOT to Grateful for. Last night when I finally got off work around 6pm, after being up at 4:30am to do the radio show, and then working 10 hours, I was fairly punchy and bleary eyed. I got in the car, which I usually back in to the driveway (because my office is on a busy street and it makes it difficult to back out into traffic later) and prepared to head home. I looked back, no traffic just then, put the car I reverse, and then stepped on it. It was just then I happened to glance back one last time and caught the bicyclist in the corner of my eye. He was riding on the sidewalk where you wouldn’t expect him to be, and of course instinctively I slammed on the brakes. Then there was a sickening thud. Panicked, I threw the car in park and jumped out. Thankfully he was alright. He saw me right about the time I saw him. He was wearing a helmet and turns out he managed to avoid me as much as I managed to avoid him as he only glanced off my tailgate with his shoulder. He was more worried about a dent to the car, and realizing there was none, began to ride off. I chased down the sidewalk after him to make sure he was OK, but he assured me, twice, that he was totally fine and he was mainly worried about the car. It was weird, it was 6pm, just getting blue-dark, I was exhausted and not at my sharpest. He was wearing a helmet but nothing bright. His gray hoodie and faded blue jeans are the official color of winter in the Northwest. I consider us both lucky. Him probably more so than I. But as I drove home, all 4 blocks I have to drive, I was Grateful as I’ve ever been…