A detour from my usual picture post. (Sorry, JR; I will get those CA Independence Day photos up some day - I promise.)

I had sort of a scary experience today: I was knocked off my bicycle by a kid driving an Jeep Cherokee. I was on my lunch break, headed out to buy some bagels on a bright, sunny afternoon. There wasn't much traffic. Suddenly I saw this huge beast of car veer toward me from the opposite lane. He was making a left-hand turn into the street I was passing, but cutting it much too short - starting his turn well before he reached the intersection. Luckily he only just clipped my back wheel but sent me tumbling. I scraped a knee and bunged my left wrist, but that seems to be about it. The bicycle fared a little worse. Both wheels were pretty badly bent and probably will have to be replaced. I only hope the frame is not bent.

The driver, just a kid about 20 was in a big hurry to go somewhere. His cell phone kept ringing non-stop, and he apparently had to keep telling the same person over and over again that he had been in an accident and to "hold up". To his credit, I guess, he did stop, but later tried to persuade me not to call the police; seemed concerned about his insurance. I hesitated in calling the police, because the kid seemed so upset at the prospect of having a report filed. When the police did come, it came out that he's already had two other big accidents.