On the first true biking of the season and why it is so late.

Winter hung on hard in Montreal this year, or so it feels.  Non-trivial amounts of snow have fallen this month, including 10 or 15 cm of snow on the 5th which contributed to a car accident I was ear-witness to. I had just crossed the street from the Metro station coming home from work late, when I heard a loud crunch behind me. I turned to see that a car had hit a light pole at the intersection I had just crossed. I ran back about 50 feet to lend any assistance I could. There was a black car with a schmucked grill against the post and beige one at an odd angle.  The driver of the black car got out holding his left forearm in his right hand. He was in a state of shock likely both from the impact and emotional distress of seeing his car which I gathered from his anguished wails was his pride and joy.  (It was a B-Class Mercedes and he didn't look all that rich.) I didn't witness anything useful though I gathered he had swerved to avoid the beige car and ended up hitting the lamppost. At least two other passers-by called 911 as some others and myself tried to calm and comfort him. As the event took place within sight of a firestation, the firemen where the first to arrive. Heck, if they had walked they would have arrived more quickly owing to the road geometry.  Thankfully, the driver of the black car was the only person requiring medical attention. Even then, I suspect that shock was the major issue.  After the police arrived, I gave my statement to the effect that I had only heard the accident and that I felt the driver was in a state of shock and was given the okay to leave.

Getting to the point of this post, I had dropped Floria die Fleddermoose off at my usual bikeshop on the 2nd and only got her back this morning.  Even then, as I rode off, I realised I had forgotten to bring my lock with me so my first excursion involved a detour back home to get it.  One of the things, the shop did was to put on some new bar tape, which I must admit had been needed. However, I had already had some tape at home that I was intending to put on myself.  Then again, I hadn't mentionned this to the people at the bike shop. Actually, to be honest, I had forgotten about that project during the winter. I only remembered when I saw the brand new bar tape. Anyway, I biked around Downtown shopping for birthday presents for the Agéd Parental Units, some of them have biking uses.  After returning home, I dozed and then biked to James' for a barbecued supper with his family and various guests.