How does a car drive through a bus? Through it? Some guy on Charles Avenue — no, wait, let me say that differently: Some guy on the Charles Avenue Bike Boulevard, where I bike, and tons of other people bike, and kids play in the street, was going I-don’t-know-how-fast, hit the median strip and launched across Dale, where he struck the side of a #65 and continued through it, and out the other side.
I feel this when I think about it. I literally feel it. I feel myself flying through the air, not know what’s happening, just me not on my bike any more. I told Sean I’d like to think that if I’m killed in a horrible accident, my last thoughts would be of him and R., but I’m pretty sure if I get hit by a car going 70 miles per hour on the Charles Avenue Bike Boulevard, my last thought will be, Huh?
On my way to work today, my subconscious took me on another route. I think my brain couldn’t face the scene first thing in the morning, and it took me down Edmund instead, which I didn’t even realize until I was trying to cross Lexington and there wasn’t a curb cut at the intersection.
On the way home this afternoon barriers were up to block cars from Charles, and folks were setting up tables and chairs. Just as I rode past, they started up the sound system, with Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On?” A white guy from Minneapolis comes over and plows through our street? Yeah, I call that violence.
Mother, mother
There’s too many of you crying
Brother, brother
There’s far too many of you dying
You know we’ve got to find a way
To bring some lovin’ here today.