Who gets to use your Turntable?

Oh, don’t get me started. I’ve cycled nearly 70k miles in the last 12 years, and never got hit until May 2023, and then again Nov 2024. I ride with HD/4K cameras front and rear. My lawyer has collected nearly a half million from those motorists, and that video takes the "he said, she said" argument completely out of the equation.

First time I upgraded my turntable to a Clearaudio Innovation, with a 2nd tonearm. 2nd time I upgraded again to the Master Innovation, with a third tonearm. I’m all for making motorists finances hurt, when they hurt me for no good reason that’s 100% avoidable.

I am sorry you were hit not just once but twice @dwette. I had a lot of smaller accidents when I was younger, at moderate speeds in the busy and slower streets of Cambridge and Boston. You got a big chunk of money though, must be a good lawyer! 

The lawyers always get a third (and more when it goes to trial), and Medicare claws back 2/3 of what they paid. But still, I did OK. I’d rather it all never happened to begin with, but I will hold people accountable when they hurt me, as much as I can. If enough motorists figure out we ride with video and enough realize their wallets hurt when they get it wrong, then maybe things can improve little by little. 

Still thinking about upgrading my Naim gear to Boulder with some of the remaining funds. 

@dwette I am an avid cyclist too and my heart was in my mouth reading your post.  Yeesh.  I used to think nothing of riding on the road with cars.  Now I am convinced one in ten are not paying full attention to driving, either texting, or talking, or stirring their coffee, or what not.  The bike lanes here in Florida are defined by a white painted lines.  They offer no protection AT ALL.  So now I ride mostly on the side walk to reach a nearby park where there are paved paths.  Alternately I can ride inside my gated community and another across from us.  These alternatives provide 15-25 miles of reasonably safe riding without any overlap.  When we go to our home in New Hampshire, in good weather I can safely ride until I drop.  At my age I afraid my last century is behind me though.  Take care.

@billstevenson I really appreciate your perspective. I have become much more judicious about where I ride, and now really prefer joining group rides (safety in numbers I hope). When riding solo I void arterials and such. The problem is I had a close call on a residential street in my own neighborhood recently, with my wife riding behind me. It goes to show it doesn't matter where you ride. 

It's choosing the least of the evils for me. I can stop riding (something I love) and wait to die from inactivity (I'm 67 now), or I can continue riding and hope it doesn't kill me. What to do? I ride.