I’m a little tea pot

In the center of my town a heavy rail line runs through the middle of a residential street. These tracks are active and they are used by freight trains. Quaint, isn’t it? Welcome to Middle America.

But to put this into context: I was riding down this street at 10:00 PM and I noticed that the tracks veered off to my right. This did not unsettle me, as I had driven over these tracks before. But what I did not realize was that I had never peddled over the tracks at a 75 degree angle.

I heard a dull clack, and my front wheel sank into the rail groove. I dislodged it, but I must have twisted my handlebars in the process, and my rear wheel became locked in the groove. Naturally, I fell. I caught my fall with my left hand. But somehow, I split my knuckles in the process. Knuckle wounds are great. They take a very long time to heal.

Damages: i) Apparently destroyed the neck of my mirror. Further observation shows that the mirror is still usable. ii) My chain fell off.

I am very lucky. If this event occurred at rush hour, I might be dead. I have a very vivid image of my skull being crushed under a pickup truck wheel like a pumpkin. Fortunately, no cars were on the street.

Please enjoy my first documented crash.