My bike and I fought the Portland Streetcar rails and the rails won...

Or did they?

So I was riding my bike downtown, minding my own, when the Portland Streetcar rails decided that they needed to interrupt my bike lane in a parallel-and-inside-my-lane fashion. Que peligro! So I dipped between the rails so I wouldn't have to ride in the 8 inches between the right rail and the curb. No problem. But when the bike lane widened and the rails were no longer in it, I tried to get back over the right rail and my tire slipped down in the track. I proceeded to fly forward (and as sideways as I could manage midair) right off my stuck bike and landed sprawled on the street. It was like a wheee!, then a whump! with a little skidding thrown in. My friend stopped behind me, rather than running into me (thanks!) and a lady dropped whatever big thing she was carrying and ran over to help.
I pretty much jumped right up (afraid of cars) and snatched my bike out of the track/road and scooted the whole party to the curb behind a parked car. I couldnt figure out why nothing hurt. I thought maybe I was just still shocked. The lady with the package asked me like 6 times if I was alright, even though I answered her every time. It must have looked really bad. I guess there were a few feet between my body and the bike by the end of it. Finally I told her I was just rattled but I'd be fine, and she picked up her crazy huge thing and walked off.
Thank goodness for my new gloves that I was wearing for the first time, cuz my hands would have been bloody and gross without them. They're pretty well broken in, now. I am sooooo glad they were padded palms! Also, a thank you to my jeans, that bore the brunt of the skidding of my knee and shin - I would be road-rashy without you. Actually, the only thing I'm feeling now is a stubbed big toe. And it's minor.
On top of my body luck, my bike came out of it amazingly well. Ordinarily, in a fight with streetcar rails, a bike's wheel will be bent and rendered useless. But my superbike came out of it with a few scuffs to the paint and the front brakes bumped off center. A little hand tap and the brakes were fixed. I really can't believe how lucky this whole thing was, especially for how bad my friend behind me said it looked.
Phew!


Also, you should visit velociraptorz.org for laughs (but seriously.) and change.gov for inspiration and patriotism.