NYC Six Doug Zero
I think this city is out to get me–by my take trying to drive me out with mental, physical and mechanical abuse. It's winning. By my count 6 to 0 in the past month. And by very creative and unprecedented dirty tricks.
(1) In my first NY accident, after years of succesfully avoiding them, the dreaded car door opened directly in front of my when cycling. No serious damage.
(2) The 2nd happened close on–a cyclist in front of me on the Central Park roadway swerved suddenly directly into my path. I was going to fast to stop and so slammed into the back of his bike, shearing off his entire rear deraileur in the process. Again, no serious damage, at least to me.
(3) After the last 2 events, I was shy of taking my bike out again and so the city took a different tact and possessed my television. Whether turned off or on, it would start turning itself on and off randomly. It now does nothing but turn itself on and off rapidly as soon as plugged in.
(4) Avoiding my bike, I took my rollerblades out to the nice safe Hudson river pathway. I was promptly attacked by a dog who looked like Benji–the killer instinct just came at him out of nowhere. He shredded my new shorts but didn't quite break the skin. Again–a first, I've never had any problems with dogs before.
(5) In the first of 2 events yesterday, I was out cycling and hit a NY phenomenon–the well paved pothole (i.e. they paved over a depression without levelling it having the effect of making it hard to spot since there is no ragged concrete or other obvious sign like a normal pothole. Completely caught by surprise, I was already in the air by the time I knew what had happened and so fell directly on my head–cracking my helmet in two and saving myself a concussion or worse. First bike accident I've ever had where I had not even a split second of warning. I sure hope the resulting sore neck is not serious since I hit very hard.
(6) I came home and attempted to print a letter. The first one worked. The second one indicated something seriously wrong with the printer. I checked the warranty–it had expired 9 days earlier of course.
The pace of events seems to be accelerating….but as soon as I leave the city all seems to go well–I'm out of its evil reach.
A friend suggested another more optimistic (?) suggestion–that in fact NY was not trying to drive me out but instead was trying to keep me here–in court, in hospital, in 1 repair shop after another. Is this why people stay in NY–they are too entangled in the mess it creates in their lives to leave?
Am I whining again? You betcha! But you know it's not getting me down particularly since I know I'm not staying–it's just a matter of a few months to extricate myself.
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Posted by Doug Dosdall on September 6th, 1998 in Articles.
