The Q at Parkside

(for those for whom the Parkside Q is their hometrain)

News and Nonsense from the Brooklyn neighborhood of Lefferts and environs, or more specifically a neighborhood once known as Melrose Park. Sometimes called Lefferts Gardens. Or Prospect-Lefferts Gardens. Or PLG. Or North Flatbush. Or Caledonia (west of Ocean). Or West Pigtown. Across From Park Slope. Under Crown Heights. Near Drummer's Grove. The Side of the Park With the McDonalds. Jackie Robinson Town. Home of Lefferts Manor. West Wingate. Near Kings County Hospital. Or if you're coming from the airport in taxi, maybe just Flatbush is best.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Wear Your &$%*#&$ Helmet!!

Last week, the Q took a spill on his bicycle over by the House That Ratner Built, on the 6th Ave side across from the willy optimistic 500 bike racks (hey, man, let's bike over to the Nets/Islanders/Rolling Stones/Barbara Streisand etc. show!) 25 stitches and 5 days later, it still looks like this:

Is there a moral? Yeah, don't graze a curb in a swerve. A full day at Brooklyn Hospital on Dekalb ended in a big negativo for brain damage (perhaps it even corrected some of my previous brain damage due to a reckless youth). But the fact is, and my E.R. doc confirmed, that I'm incredibly lucky.  He sees bike accidents SANS HELMETS all the time, and there's often no opportunity to be grateful after those sometimes fatal and nearly always seriously concussive events.

Wear your helmet. Please. It's crazy out there sometimes, and while I drive incredibly carefully with the child on the back, I can be admittedly a bit risky when riding on my own. Given that we grown adolescents are going to continue sing along to Molly Hatchet's "Flirtin' With Disaster," just wear your helmet, no matter how dorky you think you look. I'm living proof that even WITH one you can sustain some pretty serious wounds.

Ride safe.

12 comments:

MadMommaCarmen said...

Ouch! I'm glad you weren't seriously hurt. Thanks for the reminder, I'll pass this entry on to my dear husband ;)

The Snob said...

Tim, hang in there. That people -- and by which I mean grown adults -- by and large have stopped wearing bike helmets in NYC never ceases to confound. Back in the (nanny-state??) Guiliani years, it was mandatory. Now I can't tell you how much potential brain trauma and death (and beards)I see zipping by. With headphones on. It's madness.

babs said...

Ouch! Glad you're OK.

Aranżacja wnętrz Poznań said...

Ostatnio czytałam coś zupełnie innego.

The Curmudgeon said...

Yowza! Glad you're ok. Wishing you quick healing.

Sean said...

yeah, you don't gotta fall real far or real fast for the pavement to ruin your day. glad you're doing okay.

You don't know me said...

When I first saw the photo I thought somebody banged a can on your face.

It may be a good time for the women in your household to pamper you. :-) Happy healing!

Anonymous said...

Heal up soon! And I will use your example to show my son's father, who never makes our son wear a helmet, sigh. On another note, what's with the random Polish comments that pop up? (Just guessing it's Polish, I don't really know..)

babs said...

You might also mention that it is the LAW in NYS for children under 14 to wear a helmet when riding a bike. If your son's father is out with your son he risks getting a ticket for breaking that law by allowing your son to ride without a helmet.

Karkade said...

wish you fast and full recovery!

I am glad to read from your last post that your good spirit has not even got a small dent from the accident!

ElizabethC said...

TIM!

Anonymous said...

So sad to hear this! And even more sad to see the photo! Ow. Heal quickly.