Sept. 16th. Day 47
I don’t even want to do this right now but I’m keeping in the habit because I might be glad I did one day.
Canada and it’s “no fault” law is bullshit. It’s legal to open a car door in a cyclist path. Not drivers fault, not mine. And certainly not something Canada wants to deal with so be on your merry way you cyclist with a broken bike.
The only plus is that I’m not hurt bad. But if I were that’s when Canada would maybe do something. Cop said I could go to the hospital and not be charged for service.
Well shit! I guess I should have let the semi run me over too!
Forget it, it’s a different country.
But I did almost get killed by an 18 wheeler. Had he been less aware of the road ahead of him or even just been a tad further up the road at the time the kid in the Monster energy drink hoodie doored me, then I would be dead. My bike and I landed straight in the center of the driving lane.
I could have died without a doubt.
But as it happened I have a wasted front rim. Blew tire at the side wall (junk now), tube, bent the shit out of my brass bell, ripped the outside and broke the inner frame of my right front pannier (it still holds the rack and things won’t fall out but the zipper is thrashed, holding it closed with safety pins) also my jar of jelly busted in the street but that I just think is kind of funny because I was only wanting it to be gone anyway.
Damage to me? Cut hole in palm even more from last nights spill, a hipper, and scraped knee.
I jumped quick when I heard those 18 wheels hit the brakes right behind me. Trucks look big already. Try looking at one up from the ground and just a few feet away. Later the stress caught up to me and I felt sick in the stomach. Good thing I was away and in the clear before that happened.
Anyway. Cop was near useless but took my ID and said he’d meet me at the bike shop. I carried my tacoed wheel bike about half a km to a bike shop. I had passed by it just before. Had the thought “don’t need anything from there” guess I do. I knew already they would not have a 48 Velocity Dyad. (turns out he never even heard of Velocity, sad) I did the pol0 trick of hitting the worst part against the ground, right in front of the shop, and made it a lot less U shaped. Now a thin 8 shape. I’m called to come inside. Kimy, a very nice guy, did his best to true my wheel. But in the end I had to remover my brake pads to get the wheel to spin w/o rubbing.
The cop came back and gave me my ID and said he talked the kid into giving me $40 Canadian. A least it was something. Not enough. But not nothing.
I left the shop, Kimy was not going to charge me. As I packed up he came out to give me a couple of the power snacks they sell and wished me luck.
Later, after a ditch visit, I was just walking because I was forced off the 132 (no bikes/ped). Walked thru a park along the bike path and met Claude and France. An older couple who wanted to chat, how nice. Yes I’ll chill for a bit and talk with you nice people. They had done a tour in 97′ of Newfoundland. I showed them my trip on the map. We spoke for about 15 min. I felt more relaxed after. On the bike again riding a bike trail. Totally cool with it today.
Found an IGA in a town I don’t know the name of. I sat outside for 30 min eating all my cheese and crackers before I went in to buy dinner. I sat right next to the front door. My bike was nearly blocking the door and I was just on the other side of a trash can. Sitting on a bench. Not one person said a word. I go in. I buy food. I sit back down.
I had a spot scouted, was just waiting on dark to go set up.
Eat more. Write in notebook as I play the iPod (charging the whole time, outlet was reason I was so close to door). In my notebook I was just finished writing about how I could sit at any random grocery in US and not 20 min could go by w/o someone chatting. But in Canada hours could go by in silence.
And then a lady stands in front of me and quickly offers a yard to camp. Her name was Louise and her husband I met soon was Yues. She was admittingly drunk but I was not yet committed or really even worried. In my mind I was just going to see. They lived two blocks away.
Turns out it was all good. The three of us talked for a few hours before my bed time. Ate food, drank coffee, I even took a shower (first since hotel day in Percé).
Tent in the grass right outside back porch, bike indoors safe and a promise of breakfast.
Just not being alone, and having company of people excited about my trip and happy to talk made my day much better.
I can’t really go faster that 18 or 20km/h on this wheel the way it is. Bad hop in it and no front brakes.
Saturday in Montreal. And again on Sunday to play pol0(I hope to god they show up) and Sunday evening I roll south. With any luck at all by Monday after noon I’ll be back in America. Not sure that anything will be any better(?) but it’ll be in the direction of home and friends.
