Kids don't try this at home

On a beautiful sunny October Sunday, I met my friends at the annual Illegal Soapbox Derby races in Bernal Heights. It's a long standing San Francisco tradition, and one I have always wanted to attend. It was a great gathering of true San Franciscans, the kinky, quirky crowds that make our dear city so special. You can see the video here.

Paperboy brought his kite buggy, outfitted with a new braking mechanism, and he and other friends had many successful trips down the hill.


I, however unwisely, decided to take a spin. The trip down was thrilling! As I glanced the end of the course, I began to brake. Then to my horror, I saw that 2 motorcycles, used to tow folks back up the hill, were parked dead in the middle of the road! I quickly looked to the right and my brain said " I just have to drive up on the grassy area to stop. Then I made a mistake... as they say in the bicycle culture, "look where you want to go, not where you don't." I saw a wooden post in the way, and I panicked. I suppose my foot slid off the steering post and I lost control. I don't' really know. It all happened so fast. But the next thing I remember is that I was turned around 180 degrees, 2 guys were running towards me, yelling at each other that they should not have parked in the middle of the road, and I could not stand up. Someone towed me back up the hill, my friend took me home and another friend drove my car home for me. The next day I went to the doctor and sure enough, my ankle is broken. "You broke the wrong side of your ankle" he said. I guess these fractures have a high incidence of non-union, so on Wednesday I got a screw put in. Now it just hurts like hell and I'm off my foot for 6 weeks.