I was sitting way back in traffic behind the light at Belmont and 20th. It was late afternoon about a week ago when I saw something sliding across the pavement outside my right window.

You had been coming up the bike lane in your well used 10speed. You had clipped the back corner of a Subaru parked next to the tennis courts. You had fallen face first into the pavement and had your helmet on but still had a massive gash on your left cheek, maybe some bone showing. Six or seven people rushed up, and I put my car in park and joined them. I tried to help as you were covered with blood. Someone called 911 and we tried to keep you from moving because of the possible neck injury. I cradled your head, tried to soothe you let you know we were getting help. But you were thrashing, getting up, sitting up. I found your phone, a Blackberry with a keyboard. The fire truck came first and then an ambulance later. I asked a homeless guy in the park if there was a nearby water fountain. He pulled out a pretty clean water bootle. I rinsed off the blood and he asked if I had fifty cents. I had exactly two quarters and considered it fair trade.