New Low on Cokey: Near-Death Experience

4/16/02

Today I reached a new low in Coker riding, tho luckily no one and no thing was injured.

I was riding to my mom's on the Upper West Side of Manhattan as I do several times a week. Having missed a light, I decided, as I have done before, to ride the wrong way up Broadway at 79th St. For those unfamiliar with Manhattan, let's just say it's a pretty busy area most of the time, and this was 3 in the afternoon.

It didn't help that was on my cel phone. I always have a harder time adjusting when on the phone, and my worst falls have been while talking on one.

Anyway, I felt a lurch as the road suddenly sagged -- later I saw that there is this 6" dip in the road -- and I knew I'd be making an unplanned dismount. At the time, I was going about 10mph. The problem was that I began to fall to the right -- into oncoming traffic. Luckily, since the light had just changed, there were fewer than usual cars coming at me, but I still knew I had to jump off. I tried holding the extension to regain my balance, but my slippery hands (I was sweaty and had sun lotion on, too) couldn't hold on.* I landed on my feet and watched as the Coker zoomed out in front of me, across all three lanes of traffic, flopped a few times, and came to rest, amazingly, in the grassy island which divides Broadway at this part in the city. Since the cars were not too close as this happened, I made angel motions to warn motorists to slow down, and they did. I sheepishly retrieved the monster uni, crossed the street, hopped
on, and rode home.

I am never riding the wrong way on a busy street again, esp. when on the phone. And I am looking forward to the day when I don't need to go into Manhattan three times a week to tutor. Then I can just ride around the park for exercise.

* Word to the unwise: If you are (stupidly) in my position, do NOT attempt to catch the uni. I realized that had I done so, a car could have smashed into the Coker and knocked it thru me. That's why I made little effort to hold on once I knew I was falling off.

Hope your riding is safer than mine was.

David "Changed Man" Stone
Co-founder, Unatics of NY

Added later:
I actually never shook afterwards. I didn't see flashing before my eyes anything but a few cars. No white tunnel. Just this sorta surreal feeling like in one of those movies where the audience sees what WOULDA happened if the protagonist hadn't done this dumb thing. I guess from here on in, I get to be Jimmy Stewart in "It's a Wonderful Life."