There's rarely a week that goes by in Wiesbaden.....where some bicyclist doesn't get hit or killed in an accident. I've come to realize this after a couple of months in the local area.
Last night? Somewhere on the main drag through the shopping district of town....some mid-twenties gal on a bike got hit and run over by a city bus. They brought out a vehicle to lift the bus off her....but it was too late.
The cops will spend some man-hours to analyze the episode....but you can toss in darkness (after 7PM), a busy street, and virtually no real protection, and then come to the conclusion that it's closed.
Bicycling is a major deal in the local area. In June and July.....on the streets of any German city....you see hundreds of folks over a eight hour period on bikes. Most wear helmets...some don't.
I'm often amazed at the risk involved with heavy traffic and the number of folks who survive an entire day with no accidents. On the back side of my village is a forest, with miles and miles of trails made for bikes. Even in October with fall in full swing.....you could bump into a dozen guys or gals on bikes in the middle of the day. It's the safest place in the world....but it's a recreational bike run.
From an American prospective, you'd have to be accepting of huge risk if you got into the German concept of biking from your house to your job daily. Toss in darkness and traffic....it's not the normal type risk that Germans tend to accept or limit themselves.
From the local newspaper article this morning over last night's episode....the bus driver was in pretty bad shape after the accident. The odds are.....he won't be driving again....ever. There will be weeks and months of therapy, but I doubt if he is willing to step back onto a bus.
Life, as it is.....in Wiesbaden.
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