Poor Squirrel

Today I was riding my bike back to my dorm after eating dinner at East Halls because that's close to my INS 410 class. There are always hiccups when you're riding your bike - people get in your way, people just stand still as they're terrified that you really really want to kill them, cars and intersections are a nightmare, etc. - and I had encountered a few on the way back, but nothing bad.

For some reason, I was thinking about cars and woodland animals just as I got to Mifflin St., which is the small street to the East of my dorm [Simmons Hall] where I park my car. I was coming South, back to the part of the sidewalk that actually dips down so you can ride your bike up on it from the street. For some reason, I was thinking about cars and them hitting squirrels or other animals, and I thought, Man, I hope I never hit a squirrel on my bike.

Then I saw a squirrel on the grassy part on my right, near where my dorm was. And I just though, Nah, no way, that squirrel's not going to come out here. And it moved around a little bit, and I went on by, and then suddenly, it darted for my bike. It was moving around at the bottom of my bike, running very quickly, and I was taken aback and scared for the poor thing and didn't know what to do. It ran to my front wheel and I heard a harsh hitting sound, and then it ran away, back to where it came from. I'm assuming its head hit my front spokes.

It was so surreal. I could not believe that I was actually thinking about that happening just a moment before it happened.

If the curb had dipped earlier, I wouldn't have hit that squirrel. Also, I would be significantly less inconvenienced. So the squirrel and I would both me much happier now, so I suggest we lower the sidewalk further up that street.

I feel so bad for that poor squirrel =(

Peace out.