If Frank Frazetta could learn to draw with his left hand so can I
March 12, 2016
7:01 pm
Boy howdy it sure has been a shitty month for me, hasn’t it.
Manly Guys Doing Manly Things
Updated Mondays or whenever I feel like it
Boy howdy it sure has been a shitty month for me, hasn’t it.
Omg I’m so sorry that happened to you QAQ I hope your healing process is swift and as painless as possible, though I’m sure you’re a long way from feeling semi normal again. :C
You have been through way too much Coelasquid! May you heal as fast and efficiently as possible your survivor! lots of XOXOXOs:)
Well, at least the “Helmet Zone” project was generally more effective growing up then D.A.R.E. was; USUALLY. I once barely avoided hitting a moron wearing only boxers who was racing while doing wheelies on what was maybe a moped. We were in my dad’s pickup, and we would still be finding bits of him in the grill if we had been a smidgin slower.
Nooooo! poor Coleasquid! I’m sorry you got hurt. Feel better soon! We’re rooting for you!
I’d pour Coleasquid a good stiff drink of whatever she’d want, but I don’t think the internet would transfer THAT data very well…Too much would get lost through the digital translation.
Of course it can! TO AMAZON… Now all we need is Coela’s wishlist of alchohols and get well goodies…
Dislocated shoulder means she might still be on the good pain meds, and in a couple weeks she starts cancer treatment. Alcohol is probably off the list of good gifts for the next few months. Now, some sort of motorcycle-mounted catapult that launches cantaloupes at bad drivers…
hmmm Yeah you’re right, my bad… maybe Coela’s favorite sweets/some good movies then.
I hope the treatment goes well….
as for the cantaloupe launcher… all google is revealing is a motorcycle mounted rocket launcher….
I’m sure that can be modified, or equipped with custom ammunition. I seem to recall that boxing glove arrows usually serve Green Arrow well; if the rockets fire with enough force, removing the explosive payload and capping rockets with cantaloupes, boxing gloves, or frozen chickens should be feasible.
Well, maybe not the chickens. They’d weigh less once thawed.
Could just mount a potato gun… it’s vaguely like an airsoft rocket launcher…. plus there’s less residual property damage to pay for. Though, cantaloupes would be more like a cannonball, but they probably couldn’t withstand the force required to launch them from any sort of firing mechanism besides an air powered gun or a cantaloupult… I wish her well with cancer treatment. Thyroid problems are already a bitch, much less a malignant growth…
Godspeed, and don’t take any wooden nickels
Matsuko
If they’re close enough to to pumpkins – they totally will(Google punkin chunkin)
Motorcycle-mounted rocket launcher?
Well, it would certainly serve the same purpose as launching cantaloupes but with the added effect of taking those jerk-drivers off the road.
Ulg… Stupid people for not paying attention to motorcyclists!
Get well soon! I hate having broken limbs… :'(
PS: If you must take time off from comic to heal then do so. We shall roast marshmallows on Commander Badass’ free range fire while we wait. And don’t worry. Commander will ensure that you get ice cream cake instead of whatever the guys want to suggest…
Seconding this, except instead of roasting marshmallows, I’d invite Jared over to squirrel watch at my bird feeder and eat his Cotton Candy coat. Maybe I’d teach him how to use Pokeballs.
“If you must take time off from comic…”
Indeed, I’m impressed that she even got a comic out at all…And a freebie comic at that.
One could just as easily say “Stupid motorcyclists for not giving enough following distance”. But that sort of negative generalization and blame-gaming is not really very productive, so how about this instead?
Stopping suddenly is a hazard for everyone – motorist and motorcyclist alike. If you’re behind someone and you don’t have enough room to stop if they suddenly screech to a halt without warning, you’re simply too close. No judgement, no anger, no insulting generalization of whatever kind of driver you are, just simple fact.
Everyone has to decelerate suddenly sometimes – typically because of an obstruction in the road, be it animal, debris, or another human being, but the precise cause doesn’t really matter. It’s one of the most common hazards on the road, and it’s ultimately inevitable, so give yourself plenty of room to stop suddenly if the person in front of you does.
This goes for everyone. If you’re driving a car and a motorcyclist in front of you suddenly pulls a stoppy for whatever reason, you should be far enough back to stop safely. And if you’re driving a motorcycle and a car in front of you slams on their breaks and squeels their tires for whatever reason, you should also be far enough back to stop safely.
This isn’t about being right or laying blame. It’s about being safe, and protecting life and limb. You can’t control road hazards – all you can control is your own driving. So why take unnecessary risks? Be extra safe. Everyon give yourself extra distance, always.
Careful….you’re venturing into All Lives Matter territory. :)
The problem is, in some areas it is literally impossible to drive a safe stopping distance behind a car. If you slow down to allow the appropriate buffer distance, another car will almost always insert themselves into that space and leave you with only a few feet of stopping distance again until you slow down and make more space. It’s an endless cycle that ends only in frustration.
Deliberately following at an unsafe distance just so an idiot doesn’t cut in front of you still makes you an idiot following at an unsafe distance.
It’s not your fault there isn’t much space between you and the car in front of you, if the car in front of you put it’s self there. It’s not like you can create a psychic barrier around the area in front of your vehicle to keep people out. You may as well be asking for a person to stay dry while in a pool by shoveling water away from themselves.
Except the issue is that people keep piling in or will violently cut you off and possibly cause a worse accident than if you tailgated
This has happened a fair few times to drivers I’ve been with. A few people will even try to cut you off when there isn’t enough room for their car to fit
Can’t wait for self driving cars. When driving according to the laws is more hazardous than driving recklessly, there’s a serious problem
I drive for a living, and I love driving my own car, it’s my personal catharsis, much like many of the bikers I know… And I cannot wait for self-driving cars to take the wheel from anyone who doesn’t care enough to drive safely and intelligently on MY F**KING ROAD!
I honestly have had nightmares where my insistance on safe following distance has backed me up all the way back into my driveway.
I ride a bicycle most everywhere. Even if I follow all the road rules and am a perfect gentleman, my motto for survival is, “They don’t see me, assume everyone else is INSANE” in regards to road safety.
To de-pack that. You cannot assume other people are paying attention or whether they might suddenly have the urge to murder you with their vehicle.
Many bicyclists in my town have been killed by “distracted drivers” and “sleepy drivers”. If I assume that OTHER PEOPLE ARE INSANE, then I have to accept the burden of responsibility to “let people know I’m there” (which often requires swerving into the middle of the road then going back to the curb / dirt zone as per normal when a driver is about 8 car lengths back on an empty road).
In normal city traffic I ride on the sidewalks as much as legally possible (not to annoy the walking pedestrians, but to keep myself out of the easy being crushed to death routes of cars). I have lights for night, of which I use my front lights and NEVER turn on rear reflector LED lights (drivers, especially sleepy drivers are attracted to these red LED lights and although they may not consciously swerve at you, their arms will be hypnotically subconsciously triggered to swerve at you and kill you).
Am I safe?
No driver is safe, no pedestrian is safe, no bicyclist or motorcyclist is safe.
You can only minimize the risks of injuring other humans and minimize the risks of being killed. You cannot 100% eliminate the risk permanently. Other humans may decide to kill you out of malice or carelessness, but you are not safe when traveling the roads, sidewalks, or even in your homes.
All humans are good and bad. Robot cars will not eliminate the death risk entirely either. Just try to minimize your danger to other folks on the road the best you can and figure out where your greatest risks are in your “comfortable patterns” of travel. As a former factory worker I warned employees that they should try to be deliberately a tiny bit nervous and on-edge just so they avoid “dangerous comfort zones of behavior, but try not to panic or get paranoid. Just stay slightly enough alert the you don’t get careless with your safety.”. Many of the machines could crush you like a bug if you got “too comfortable” with what you felt was “safe” or you got too bored or sleepy. When people get “too comfortable” with driving or motorcycling or bicycling or even walking home on sidewalks they can be a danger to others and themselves.
2) Robot cars might be programmed to reckon with cyclists riding on cycling lanes … about 40 % of the drivers don’t, and about further 40 % will just take your right of way, using their cars as a weapon to make you stop in case you want to survive.
1)If you don’t ride in the middle of the lane, most people will overtake as if their car ended with the driver’s seat. As soon as their nose has to cross the line, they suddenly are able to wait till they can overtake without endangering you, the oncoming traffic and themselves.
Some people will even needlessly endanger you while overtaking on an empty road.
If you stop riding in the dirt zone, you’ll discover that traffic lanes are much safer than sidewalks or cycling lanes. Act like a real driver, and you’ll be respected like one.
Also I’ve got a big red backlight. 2 * 1 W red LED (for 350 mA, protected by diode, counter-parallel) behind a reflector. It’s brighter than my motorcycle’s backlight (10 W), and the drivers WILL keep their distance. IMO the back light is the more important important one (I got good front lights, too), because if I can’t see, I can always go slower.
I get zen when I drive. Doesn’t matter if one or twenty people blaze past me, it’s not a race, I’ll get there when I get there and backing up a few more feet only loses me a few seconds. Main thing that bugs me is when someone drives way to agressively and shoves their way between lanes to get five feet closer in a traffic jam.
Where I live, I usually can keep a safe distance. I don’t know if I do something different from what you do, but maybe accelerating about as fast as the car in front of me and keeping it’s speed does help.
Cool as all you guys accusing me of being a “stupid motorcylist” are, I was actually leaving what would normally be a pretty safe amount of distance between me and the next car. I’m pretty anxious about following people too close (for exactly this reason), but it was a stretch of road with a whole bunch of turnoffs for driveways and parking lots packed close together that people are always making sharp turns in and out of traffic on (I almost got hit by a sportscar turning into a parking lot once when I was a pedestrian on the sidewalk of the same street, it’s a neighbourhood full of people who just don’t look) so I was trying to mind my mirrors and be aware of what everyone was doing and the driver in front of me just stopped abruptly while I must have been checking traffic around me. I had just barely not enough room to brake safely and the police/ambulance who showed up estimated the speed at about 5mph because there wasn’t damage to either vehicle. The driver in front of me didn’t give any reason for stopping so short, she didn’t claim to be avoiding an obstacle or anyhing, she just hit the brake like it was a normal person way to stop (there have been some suggestions she braked like she was texting but who knows) in any other situation it would have been a mild fender bump but hey, that’s just been my luck this month.
I don’t want to sound conspiracy-like, but if there was no legitimate reason to brake, they could have been after insurance money. I’ve read that there has been a growing number of people who keep an eye on drivers behind them for any sign of distraction and then brake hard to force an accident to occur. If that was what happened, the fact that you managed to slow enough to prevent any damage to their car probably ruined their plan.
Either way though, it is impossible to keep an unwavering focus on the car in front of you without sacrificing some attention from the rest of the road. There is certainly a huge difference between a driver not paying attention at all, and something unexpected happening during the exact moment a driver is checking their mirrors.
They could also have been one of those people that thinks it is their job to police the road and make sure everyone is going the speed they think is right. That with a combination of bitterness against people on motorcycles and a side of laws that always favor the person hit from behind many times wrongly so.
There is a high chance the lady could have been a real bitch with a nice facade. Depending on where you live this is a real problem. I know when I was in Maryland I saw this all the time and had several people try to cause accidents with me to enforce their view of the law. Thanks to the fact I am a paranoid driver though they always ended up paying me as I was able to recall every last detail with a witness or dash cam.
Sorry to hear about the wreck. Any who judge without being in your shoes are simply uneducated. As a full time all weather rider, I know the dangers, and how when keeping a safe distance, people often take that as an invitation to change lanes in front of you not realizing the bike can’t stop as fast (been there, done that, got the internal hardware as a memento). I hope you heel fast and are able to get back up on 2 wheels soon.
It sounds like your neighborhood has some real issues with people getting around due to the way it is setup. Have you ever considered installing a motorcycle dash cam or helmet cam? That way you’d have a record of something like this after the fact. Could be helpful in the future.
Who is accusing of ‘being a stupid motorcyclist’?
Full ACK.
Hold a safe distance and some fuck tries to clip you.
Sometimes I wish for reactive armor so they will blow up when they try to kill me. Two years and they rammed my scooter five times (with dozens of close calls)!
Dear drivers,
no, I won’t give you automatically right of way because you drive a car.
No, I don’t make way so you can jump a red light.
No, I don’t have to clear your path because you are on your mobile.
No, I’m not impressed by whatever car you drive, what job you have, how much money you got, whoever you think you are – because your guts will look all the same when wrapped around a lamp post.
Man, screw the haters. I’ve seen people do some incredibly stupid things in traffic. Things like stopping on an interstate exit ramp, not even pulling over to the shoulder, and then just creeping along. Weird, passive-aggressive shit.
Don’t watch your back too much. You can’t do * about most things anyway. ¢¢
As another motorcyclist, I feel for you. Anyone with 4 wheels is a psychopath and women are terrible drivers on top of that. I’ve gotten plenty of use out of the upgraded brakes on my bike. Heal well and ride hard, brother Coelasquid.
You do realize that coelasquid is a woman right?
Coelesquad is a girl. I get the feeling you don’t really understand the point of these comics.
https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/tactful.htm
This is how people *should* get around. Modern work enviroments, though – tight time schedules, elbow-mentality and increasing singling out individuals. “Teamwork” is a hollow word today. Superiors count politeness and correctness as a weakness. That’s why I show the finger to every career-obsessed fucker : You won’t ride to success on my back, lardo. I wonder how such people get through any social assessment because they are deeply routed sociopaths. Maybe because human resources are full of this kind of trash ?
The problem there is that on a motorbike getting the distance just right is extremely difficult, because of other motorists attitudes. I had a couple of situations very similar when I used to ride, one that resulted in a collision. The first time, I left sufficient stopping distance but sadly some idiot decided that that meant they had enough room to pull out between the car I was following and myself. Through sheer dumb luck I just missed slamming into the side of the car and scraped past.
So I closed the gap from then on. Sadly, this proved to also be a mistake as a vehicle I was behind was forced to perform an emergency stop. It transpired I was about 1-2 feet too close and I went into the back of him. Fortunately I had very nearly stopped so the impact was minor (bent the forks and it being a low-rider I slid up the tank genitals first. Walked like John Wayne for two weeks).
Riding a motorcycle is a balancing act – too much of a gap and you risk injury, too close and you also risk injury. The “sweet spot” is just a few feet, go either direction of it and you’re in danger. But measuring to that spot is not simple in constantly moving and changing traffic.
Sadly it is this way for nearly anyone with the higher risk to those on a motorcycle. I know the areas I used to live in on the east coast would never let you have any gap. If they could fit the nose of the car in they would force their way in regardless of area or speed. So many times have I had to do sudden breaking because of those fools and it slows down all of traffic on top of risking lives. All so they can save 20 seconds getting home. Just human garbage if you ask me.
Personally I tend to try and treat everyone how it would safe for both of us. I give tractor trailers the space to always be able to see me and get over before that space is gone to pass. Always try to never crowd a motorcycle if I can and pass them with plenty of space given if possible. People just make it really really hard to be considerate as a vast majority of them are jerks.
I welcome self driving cars just so I no longer have to deal with their shit. =/
I have often said that all motorists should have to spend some time on a motorbike, it might open their eyes to the danger they place others in with their recklessness.
That’s not to absolve motorcyclists of all blame – some are complete arseholes and cause a lot of bad blood with other road users, the minority giving the majority who are perfectly safe, considerate road users a bad name (the same thing happens with regular cyclists too, a few bad apples spoil the barrel). However, I do feel a lot of car users forget how protected they are and how vulnerable a motorcyclist really is. Sure, I used to wear a jacket with armour in it and a skid lid, but frankly they don’t do much when arguing with a car!
Freedom and safety are mutually exclusive concepts, having more of one means having less of the other.
the other motorists didn’t sign up to have your personal safety placed in their hands, they have no say in what form of conveyance you choose nor would you like it if they did.
by riding a motorcycle you take your personal safety into your own hands, If you are not willing to accept the greater personal risk that comes from not having a metal shell around yourself then you should pick a different form of transportation or just stay home.
Freedom and safety are in no way mutually exclusive – it’s a legal requirement that motorcyclists wear a helmet, people in cars use the seatbelt and using mobile phones whilst driving (without a hands free kit) is illegal. But people are still free to travel, free to drive where ever they like, whenever they like, free to do whatever – within a few rules established for the safety (in the same way as speed limits, driving on the correct side of the road and similar) of all road users.
Driving is a privilege, not a right – by engaging in that activity motorists take their safety AND the safety of others in their hands. Cars are large, heavy vehicles that can do a lot of damage if not handled correctly. And the CPS prosecutes people all the time for failing in their responsibility to the safety of themselves and others: driving without due care and attention, dangerous driving, causing death by dangerous driving – all crimes that many people are charged and convicted of each year, because they failed in their social responsibility to be mindful of the safety of others.
And if you read my posts properly, you will see that I did not just blame one group, there’s a whole paragraph that begins with “That’s not to absolve motorcyclists of blame”. People are to blame – people who are not observant on the road. The first incident I described happened because the other driver either wasn’t watching carefully enough or simply didn’t care. They put my life in danger, not me. Their bad driving was the issue. I did (I don’t ride any more due to unrelated matters) everything I could to minimise the risk – protection, high-vis clothing, headlight on at all times – and raise my visibility. But I was still at the mercy, as all road users are, of others taking their responsibility to others seriously.
Some motorists are crap drivers, some motorcyclists are crap riders. But in my experience car drivers tend to be more casually dangerous without even realising it – a motorcyclist is nearly always aware of the risks they take by riding fast or passing standing traffic, because of their vulnerability – because they are heavily protected. Put bluntly, if a crash happens, folks in a car are most likely to come out of it largely unscathed. This creates a complacency that motorcyclists, in my experience, don’t have. The flip side of that is that many motorcyclists take advantage of their small size to jump lines of traffic, sneak through gaps that would cause others to wait etc, aggravating others (one of the reasons I rarely engaged in either practice, don’t want to piss folks off).
and with those legal requirements you gained safety but lost the freedom to not wear that safety equipment or to do the things that the state deems “unsafe”.
you proved my point but it’s like you failed to understand even the basis of my argument.
Are you really sure you wish to use the law as the basis of your argument considering the overwhelming amount of immoral and unethical things which have been perfectly legal and are often done in the name of upholding the law?
considering the fact that Laws are nearly without exception penned by Liars and Con-artists it is a reasonable assumption that they are just about as far from what is right and good as it is possible to get.
what you are saying is that a biker needs more care and attention from other motorists, that they require special treatment because they have made a choice which places them at greater risk.
when an accident happens the people in cars are more likely to survive because they choose the safer transportation option, they chose not to take the greater risks the way that the biker did and yet you would place the blame on them because biker chose the less safe option and paid for it with their life?
I ask you how this is in any way fair to those other motorists who had no say in what risks the biker takes.
they are being asked to be responsible not just for their own choices as they should be but for the choices of the biker as well, and I say that is unreasonable.
By that logic, none of us are free because we are not permitted to kill one another, we are not permitted to take what we want even if it belongs to another, we are not permitted to have intimate relations with others without their consent and so on.
The broadest definition of freedom, which you seem to cling to, is a lie. It doesn’t exist. We all have restrictions placed upon us every day. If we exceed the designated speed limit, we are prosecuted – thus, we are not free to drive as we want. If we take another persons property and are caught, we are punished for theft. If we violate someone, we are charged with rape.
You are chasing the impossible – absolute freedom is not possible (unless you live alone on a small island), because we live within a society. And society requires rules to function. Theft isn’t tolerated. Dangerous speed isn’t tolerated. Drunk driving isn’t. That’s the sacrifice of living amongst other people. But even with those rules, we are still free. We can do what we will, within the rules established for the common good.
By your logic, no one should feel sad for any pedestrians hit and injured/killed by cars – they chose the riskiest option of all, humans are far slower (difficult to dodge something travelling dozens of times your speed) than any car or motorcycle, even more at risk than a biker because they lack the protective gear.
I would place the blame on the person who caused the accident. In the case of my near miss, the driver was 100% at fault through either negligence or deliberate lack of concern. They pulled out on me – I was doing nothing except travelling in a safe, considerate manner. In the case where I was involved in the collision, I place the majority of blame (a small amount to the person who stepped onto the road without looking, causing the other vehicle to do an emergency stop) on myself – ultimately I was too close, thanks to closing the gap because of the previous incident.
Your attitude stinks – motorcyclists are 100% to blame because they chose the “riskier” option? Rubbish. The person responsible for the incident is at fault. And in most cases, I have found the cause is a complete disregard for others, usually by those in cars.
And I have not said bikers need “more” attention from other road users, but rather that road users need to be more attentive of everyone around them. Not just bikers, but everyone.
There are far, far more collisions between two (or more) cars than between cars and motorbikes. And the majority of those happen primarily because of a lack of attention and a “I don’t give a shit” attitude. And that costs lives.
People forget that driving is a privilege, not a right. And it carries a great deal of responsibility, because cars are powerful, dangerous objects that can cause a great deal of harm if not handled properly.
you seem to see things only in black and white where absolute freedom and absolute safety are the only options when it’s more of a sliding scale between the two where more freedom means less safety and more safety means less freedom.
obviously a balance somewhere in the middle is necessary the only question is where.
most of your examples are of course bullshit because they would necessitate infringing upon another persons freedom which is an obviously immoral action.
yes there are bad drivers and bad bikers but more often than not everyone can take all reasonable precautions and still have bad things happen to them, that’s the perverse nature of the reality we live in. this means that on the sliding scale of freedom vs safety safety is always the less desirable option.
but in your imaginary fantasy world when an “accident” happens it’s always because someone was at fault. usually anyone and everyone except you. it’s always disregard for others” while you can’t find a shred of regard for anyone but yourself. it’s lack of consideration of those evil drivers and not the fact that motorcycles are far smaller and more likely to get lost in other drivers blind-spots. no amount of care and consideration will allow a human to see through solid metal but I guess everyone’s superhuman in your universe.
it’s quite amusing you talking about making other people more responsibility while you can even take responsibility for your own actions. you apparently got hit by a car that was in the process of “pulling out” most likely backing up with their lights on or simply unable to break fast enough to not hit you when you darted in front of them like an idiot.
but then I guess you are right you can’t expect responsibility from someone who rides a motorcycle so it’ll have to be the people in cars who act like reasonable adults.
since we are a little too soft heartened to let natural selection weed the stupidity from our gene-pool.
Driving is a privilege not a right, unless of course you are counting The Universal Declaration of Human Rights where it would be covered under article 13 as the freedom of movement and travel, which in our modern world is difficult if not impossible without motorized vehicles.
assuming of course that any country actually protected the basic human rights of it’s citizens rather than treating them like property… none do.
which again is why trading freedom for safety ensures that you have neither.
You make a lot of ASSumptions and make yourself look a bit of a tit. I was riding in traffic, travelling in the daytime, bright clothing and high vis vest. I had left a safe stopping distance between myself and the car in front (observing the 3 second rule – UK gov recommends 2 seconds for car to car, increasing slightly for bikes).
A car was waiting to pull out of a side street. The car in front of me passed by the side street and the waiting car then pulled out into my path without warning, causing me to have to swerve to avoid them, narrowly avoiding ploughing into the driver side wing. Of further note is there were other cars behind me who had to swerve as well. So, it was either a total failure of observation or ignoring the biker and thinking “I can just squeeze out in front of that car”. Either way, that driver was at fault, not the traffic they pulled into.
You also seem to only pay attention to the incident where someone else was completely to blame, ignoring the fact that I openly acknowledge my fault in the ACTUAL collision I was involved in. It’s become quite clear that, for whatever reason, you have a bizarre hatred of bikers. That’s your issue, not mine.
Driving is, indeed, a privilege. That is why every year the driving test gets stricter and harder to pass. One can move freely and travel wherever they will even if they don’t have a car. I travel all over the place and I don’t drive. A car is not necessary for freedom of movement and travel.
You seem to exist in this strange dream world where there are no rules. Fortunately for those around you, that isn’t the case.
Yes, some accidents occur without anyone being to blame – oil on the road, animal impacts, a load strap snaps and so on. Those aren’t the ones I’m addressing though – I’m discussing ones where it is just two (or more) vehicles with no outside influences.
so you knew the other driver was waiting to pull out and after the car in front moved he pulled out to merge with traffic. your “accident” occurred when you were a twat and failed to allow them to do so.
but you are British, this explains your strange love of unnecessary laws and totalitarianism.
that’s why nearly the entire world has rebelled against you at one point or another and following your lead by sticking our noses in everyone else’s business is why everyone now hates the US as well.
I don’t hate bikers, they are a little rough around the edges around these parts but most of them are a good sort who mind their own business and actually know how to ride. so almost entirely unlike the British fop we are currently discussing.
I dislike you and your insistence that the earth revolves around you and the fact that if you fell down and no one was around for you to blame you’d be mad at the ground for not getting out of your way.
one can freely travel where ever they like without a car? that’s more than a little presumptuous of you. perhaps it is so when your entire country is the size of a postage stamp. I’d like to see you try that here where the nearest town is 200 miles (321.8km) away across empty desert with average temperatures which more closely resemble an oven setting.
but if you honestly think your drivers tests getting tougher have anything to do with people’s safety rather than governmental control and bureaucracy then you are even dumber than I thought you were, in which case I’m genuinely amazed, do you pay someone to remind you when to breath or do they have an app for that now?
driving is a “privilege” for you because everything is a “privilege” for you as you have no rights.
all you have is the illusion of rights which you have no ability to have recognized or enforced but this doesn’t concern you because you’ve never known anything else and assume everyone else should be the same.
No, I didn’t “allow” them to pull out because it Wasn’t Safe To Do So. At 30 mph, with a 3 second gap reduced to less than half that by a vehicle pulling out into traffic I could have attempted to stop, however I WOULD have hit the vehicle because my safe stopping distance had been removed – and the car behind me would most likely have then hit us both.
Get this through your head, they pulled out into a gap insufficient for them to do so safely – and remember, Right Of Way falls to the traffic being merged in to, not to those doing the merging. It was my right of way and it was unsafe to allow them in. I couldn’t safely stop or slow for them because I was in moving traffic and it would have required a dangerous emergency stop to do so, likely resulting in the car behind hitting me. Had the gap been larger I would have been able to gradually and safely reduce speed but it wasn’t, it was standard travelling distance.
Had that incident occurred with a learner driver taking their test, they would have instantly failed for what they did. I know because I failed first time for something very similar. But then again, you are American and I’ve seen American driving standards. I was not impressed, you are a very unsafe lot on the roads.
Lets be clear here – if I described the above incident exactly the same, but described how I was in a car I would place money on you blaming the other driver. I get that you have a frankly bizarre hatred of bikers, but get a grip and see past your bigotry and intolerance.
I freely admit to my fault in the actual collision I was involved in (indeed, it is my nature – I was involved in a car crash a couple of decades later that in a moment of carelessness I caused. No one was hurt and I could have blamed it on an animal or similar, but I didn’t I held up my hands and accepted the consequences). If I am at fault I freely accept it and admit it, but if I am not expect me to fight to the last, I can be a stubborn man when I know I am right/innocent.
You seem to believe, without evidence, that I would blame others even if I were alone. It’s just your bigotry and xenophobia speaking, so I’ll let it pass. But you also ignore the fact that I *have* admitted my fault in other incidents. But I have also explained one where I wasn’t at fault, just as their were other situations where I *was* at fault. That’s not “blaming” others, it’s Explaining A Real Situation.
It’s not my fault you CHOSE to live in a place where you can’t easily travel. You made that choice to live in a inhospitable location. But driving remains a privilege, not a right – one that can be taken away if abused.
And I have as many rights as you. I just have enough of a functioning brain to recognise that, in order for society to function, compromises are a necessity. And those take the form of laws. We can’t steal. We can’t rape. We can’t murder. We can’t drive whilst drunk. We have these laws and restrictions to enable us to coexist, otherwise it would be anarchy.
yep remember kids basic survival is a privilege not a right, better remember to breath in accordance with the proper laws and regulations or the ability to do so will be taken away from you.
you started with “All automobile drivers are careless and incompetent” and you think I should get a handle on MY bigotry and intolerance?
because you’re slow I like bikers just fine, they are usually decent sorts even when they are wearing leathers proclaiming their allegiance to the forces of darkness but then the ones around here actually know how to ride their bikes, between the 70mph speed limit (112km per hour) needed to get anywhere in a reasonable amount of time, the semi-trucks, and the other bikers those that aren’t at least competent are weeded out quickly.
and as for those semis, if you don’t know how to drive properly you go splat even if you are in a car and it’s generally the cars fault then just like it’s the bikers fault when they tangle with a car.
it’s one of the unwritten rules of the road, the larger object ALWAYS has right of way.
with your better explanation I’d say the other driver probably readied them-self and started to pull out completely unaware that you were in that gap because they could not see you behind the other car until it was already too late.
who’s fault is that? theirs for not being super human? yours for driving too small of a vehicle? the cities for not having better roadways? or just a plain old accident?
I suppose you think they should have just sat there until hell froze over because any gap in the flow of traffic MIGHT contain an unseen fuckwit,
and being able to actually get anywhere to work or buy groceries is a privilege only you deserve.
and yeah I’m a product of that lawless wasteland across the pond but at least I don’t have to get congressional approval before I’m allowed to take a shit, yet, though Idiots like you who think that that’s a “more civilized” way to live are working on it. probably why you British go around acting like you have not just a stick but an entire tree stuck up your asses all the time.
personally I don’t steal or rape or murder because I don’t want to steal or rape or murder.
the law isn’t preventing anyone from doing any of those things, it’s hoping to discourage people by saying they may be punished for doing them.
if the LAW is your only reason for not doing horrible things then I fear for those around you.
what happens when the law says that some immoral and objectionable thing is legal or even required? would you kill people for being slightly brown or having the wrong religion if the LAW said you had to? it’s happened before and is not just possible but likely to happen again. yes even in the holy British empire pip pip N cherrO:
http://listverse.com/2014/02/04/10-evil-crimes-of-the-british-empire/
or you may very well be fined/imprisoned/ect. just for the hell of it even if you did follow the law.
the US for example has a greater percentage of people in prison than anywhere else in the world and most of them didn’t do what they were convicted of, most of them didn’t do anything at all except run afoul of the corrupt legal system.
hell it’s always iffy whether someone actually gets a trial or is just shot or suffocated by the police while handcuffed.
that’s what the LAW is like over hear and you are trying to tell me that having to fear armed sociopaths kicking in my door at any point and shooting me without justification or ramifications is for my own protection? that it benefits society to have the criminals stay on the street and in business because they can pay while Innocent people go to jail because they cannot?
we “vote” and even when we actually manage to come together the results are ignored completely, at best the corrupt officials just submit the same thing again and again and again until they can get what they want through with some middle of the night vote behind closed doors that no one was informed of.
The law is the thing decent people and society are in danger from. like my brother-in-law who’s currently locked up for choosing not to be robbed and murdered. He’s only alive because we have thus far held onto the right to bare arms. a right which like all rights we only have and can only protect because of the holding of arms.
meanwhile the people who forced him off the road on his way home from work are still running around free to rob and murder others because they ether paid off the police/prosecutor/Judge or are working for them directly.
it’s people like you that are trying to take people’s rights away and get us all killed or enslaved by a corrupt police-state because you are too lazy to take responsibility for yourself and want politicians and thugs in uniform to do it for you.
there are not enough words in the English language to properly tell you where to go or what you should do to yourself once you get there.
Are you shitting me? The rules of the road are in place to prevent a bullshit, dangerous ‘might makes right’ mindset that is the ‘unwritten rules of the road’ you are spouting off about. The biggest vehicle quite emphatically DOES NOT have right of way. Right of way is granted to the one granted it by the WRITTEN rules of the road. You run over a motorcyclist or bicyclist or pedestrian and claim “I had the bigger vehicle, I got right of way,” they will ship your ass off to jail for vehicular assault. I was in a position similar to the car that pulled out in front of CM. I was hit by an oncoming car that I did not see because of a snowbank. Did I bitch at them for not seeing my car? Did I make a big stink to the police officer who arrived at the scene? No, I failed to grant them legal right of way, as this other driver failed to grant CM. I took the ticket from the officer and I took the blame. because I fucked up. As did they.
The same applies to you. If you don’t accept the responsibility that comes with you causing a higher risk of injury, don’t drive a car. Get a bike or public transport.
This is true to a point, everyone is responsible for doing or failing to do what they can to prevent injury and death. there is however only so much which can be done in terms of consideration for others. cars have far less ability to maneuver. that’s simple physics greater mass requires more energy to get moving and therefor more energy to slow down, stop, or change direction.
you combine that with decreased vision and the major cause of vehicle accidents is neither negligence nor maliciousness but a simple lack of time and information (which may not even be available within the required time frame)
if you’ve ever gone to pull into an empty parking spot only to find it occupied by a hidden motorcycle it’s the same general principle except that when it happens on the road there’s not enough time to react and people get hurt.
it is just as reasonable to blame bikers for their smaller size and lack of safety features as it is to blame drivers for their lessened vision radius and maneuverability, which is to say that both are equally unreasonable.
Some people even intentionally endanger pedestrians, cyclists and bikers: “They are more vulnerable, they shall be more cautious!” “I can’t look into the cycling lane crossing that driveway – doesn’t matter, when something happens, it happens to the cyclist! He shall drive more slowly!” “I can see the cyclist using his lane, but he’ll have to brake cause I’ll block his path, everybody has to wait sometimes …” “Why is he riding on the normal lanes and not on the cycling lane? Now he’s making _me_ go slower than I want …”
(Also: If you park a motorcycle or a short car, try to stop at the end of the parking spot.)
I once had a woman decide she had room to pass me on the inside, forcing me sideways into the oncoming lane. I kicked her the driver-side window when she got level with me, she gave me a shocked look and backed off.
So yeah, bad car drivers can turn the most careful biker into a speedbump.
Wow. Just wow.
Mr D. Walker, I don’t think you could be more dickish if you tried.
Problematically, motorcyclists are often invisible :/
This. I try to be very careful around motorcyclists, but I run into a lot of them who think they’re immortal. Yes, you can drive between lanes, but that does not make it safe or wise! Also, I’m in a larger vehicle! I have blind spots! Sometimes I just can’t see you! And then you have motorcyclists who abuse their greater manuverability and swerve right in front of you, causing you to break hard. Or swerve around you when you’re in the process of changing lanes. >_< I have run into a number of respectful ones, but the jerks really stand out.
Coelasquid, please get better soon! I'm sure that you're a wonderful driver, but forgive me if I hope that you trade that cycle in for something more protective. Motorcyclists are so squishy when compared to someone who is surrounded by metal on all sides!
I hate driving cars.
That’s not the point I was trying to make at all! To add more detail: my uncles told me that motorcycles are inherently more dangerous than cars because even if you’re driving normally, people are way more likely to not see you and do something to wreck you. So even if a motorcyclist is driving just as carefully as everyone else, they’re more likely to get hit, cut off, or exactly what happened to Coelasquid.
I’ve found in my experience at least that whenever a motorcycle is within half a mile of me, I can hear it’s engine over everything else, thus alerting me to it’s presence.
Sending get well vibes over from here to you. keep yourself as well maintained as possible and get lotsa rest <3
As a professional graphic artist, I hope you can sue the b**tard (with emphasis on the “tard”) for loss of work.
In that respect most states probably would consider it his fault unless the guy merged in front and stopped suddenly. It’s usually anticipated as why the vehicle stopped as being irrelevant, since the situation in which there was a very valid reason would of resulted in the same scenario.
This is unfortunately the case, despite the fact that pedestrians and bicycles have the right of way. Logically that should apply to motorcycles as well, but we all know that logic has nothing to do with law…
Right of way only applies if the civilian or bycycle is in front. Even if he had right of way he would still be bled for a tailgate.
Why is everyone sorry it happened? Were they driving the car? In all seriousness, get well when you get well. If you’re going for that other practice, good luck. No, back to lurking for another 3 years.
*Now
This is why I don’t comment…
Not sure about elsewhere, but most citizens of the USA that I interact with use sorry as shorthand for both expressing sympathy and expressing regret. While I find the practice careless and imprecise, context is generally sufficient, as in this case.
It’s derived directly from lengthier phrases such as “I’m so sorry to hear that”.
It’s a simple truncation akin to saying “God Bless” without the “you” on the end, or signing a letter “Kind Regards” to convey the more complicated notion that you regard the recipient of the letter kindly.
It’s a cultural thing, Lomtre. It would be nice if you could not speak disparagingly of it just because it is not your practice, especially when the people who do it are only trying to convey their regret that whatever it is happened to the person and the fact they sympathize with the person’s situation.
My apologies, I did not intend to imply that I don’t fall into the same practice from time to time. I am well aware that it is a cultural thing, because I grew up in this culture. It’s not a serious issue, but it does annoy me, and it would please me if this were addressed in schools, as it would please me if our schools switched to the metric system. When I said that I find the practice careless and imprecise, that was a judgement on the people that started the practice, not those who were born into it.
Why was this even a debate? >_>
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/sorry
You’ll notice the first definition is “Feeling distress, especially through sympathy with someone else’s misfortune” – exactly the usage everyone here is employing. If you note the etymology, you’ll see that it comes from the Anglo-Saxon root word ‘sore’, and was originally used to convey that a person was full of pain, grief, and sorrow. It gradually evolved to express sadness in sympathy for someone else’s misfortune, and from there, it became an apology.
Words are inherently imprecise, subjective things – they have meanings, but those meanings can vary situationally.
A dictionary? Really? You god damn hero.
Oh no. I hope you heal well and that your cancer treatments don’t mess with your arm’s recovery.
Jesus Christ I’m sorry. This has been a horrid month for you. Really wish there was something I could offer to help aside from my best wishes, but I’m currently broke. Still, hope you have a speedy recover, stuff with meeting the surgeon goes well and possibly gets speed up, and that nothing else happens to you. Honestly, karma kinda owes you at least that much.
We armored truck drivers hate it too. Take it easy while you heal.
That’s gotta be a paranoia-inducing driving situation. Also, do they upgrade the brakes on them to cope with all the armor? It would seem like the smart move, but I’ve seen some careless oversight in the world, too…
Sweetie! Cancer, headcold, car-on-motorcycle accident… D: Which god has it out for you? Lemme at ’em!
An intriguing question. This does not seem to meet the domains of Greek or Norse deities within my recollection, seems more like what I would expect of a Chinese ancestral spirit. As a general rule of mortals tangling with deities, I might suggest appeasement over confrontation. Maybe burn some incense in honor of Coelasquid’s ancestors? As a derivative of Pascal’s Wager, the burning of incense, handled responsibly, should, at worst, result in a nice aroma, while assaulting a deity could land one in… serious trouble.
I don’t know, Apollo was a real prick when it came to inflicting diseases upon mortals. I might place my money on him and his twin sister. Cause, you know, greek gods are uncaring assholes.
Diseases, sure, but vehicular collisions aren’t exactly his style, nor that of Artemis. This sound more like a run of bad luck to me, which is totally in line with a disgruntled ancestral spirit.
Lomtre is right, Artemis is more of a “Hunting accident” type of girl. Though the cancer would be up Apollo’s alley.
Hermes, perhaps?
Lomtre seems to have forgotten Loki in the Norse pantheon… That sort of “freak accident” seems like something a Trickster God would get a kick out of….
But that would mean Loki was working with Apollo. And I cannot see those two working together.
Hermes doesn’t pull off that sort of thing. He once bored a many-eyed giant to death once, but mostly he just steals stuff.
“Which god has it out for you?”
Looks like “All of them.”
I’m so sorry, and I hope your recovery is super fast. After everything you’ve been through this month, it’s the least karma could do for you. Maybe Commander Badass can bring you back some cool healing tech from the nondescript space future. Or Jared can be on potion duty again and heal you up super quick (although you might have to flush some glass out of your eyes in that case).
Given your current run, I would advise that if you have any forecasts for thunderstorms or, oh, say, asteroid showers, please stay indoors.
But seriously, I pray you have a speedy recovery, and I look forward to seeing your stuff whenever you’re able to get back to drawing your comic again. Take it easy and stay strong.
Ouch. Sorry to hear about that, Kelly.
I am impressed that your characters still look like themselves despite having to draw them with your off hand, though.
Poor duck! May you heal well, and swiftly. I wish you the best.
Holy crap, glad you’re relatively okay! Hope you feel better soon <3
Yes, it has.
And woot, off-hand!
Feel free to, y’know, do non-MGDMT if you want ^^ We’re not your priority.
Is it weird that I hope we never get context for why Jared is covered in cotton candy?
The context is that Jared was left unsupervised near cotton candy for more than 5 minutes.
Get well soon, Coelasquid! Take the time to recuperate as well as possible so you don’t end up extending your recovery time, because who knows what shenanigans and tomfoolery Jared will get to while your eyes are off of ‘im.
Ugh! That’s awful. Get well soon, Coelasquid. You deserve far better than what the world’s been throwing at you.
Hoping for a speedy recovery to you. I’m not going to say I’d *plan* on it, because “Life is what happens to you while you’re making other plans.” I feel that if I were to plan on it, I’d just jynx it for you.
I also hope that you don’t experience something that I did: “One of *those* days that lasted a little over 3 months straight…
In response to Jared “I am satisfied with my care”
D; D; D; D; D;
As someone who has been hit by a car as a pedestrian, I absolutely feel your pain. Fuck shitty drivers!
As a fellow rider I’m sorry to hear of the accident but glad that it sounds like you’re still alive and with all your limbs. Hopefully you’ll get a speedy recovery and will be back on two wheels soon!
You broke your drawing arm?! That SUCKS. Hope it heals fast and clean!
Well, here’s to the rest of March being insanely awesome to balance things out.
If that’s what you can do with your non-dom hand I’m extra super impressed! I wish you all the best healing and will wait patiently for more comics until you are well again…while trying to check the site for new stuff only once a day In all seriousness, all my best wishes are for you!
Hooooly fuck Squid. I think we need a guest comic…. Month? Months? I’ve got an idea for one, but can’t draw worth a damn. Let me know if you CAN draw and want to help! :D
I’m sort of wondering if she’s going to do guest comics or commission someone to draw her scripts. I could see either, depending on what her goals are with MGDMT.
(I could also see her locking herself in her room and screaming for the next 6 weeks, which seams like the most reasonable reaction at this point.)
Jesus, this has not been your month. I am so sorry to hear of this with all the other crap piled on. I wish you a complete recovery.
If it helps any, your off-hand drawings are better than my on-hand ones…
As one ill-with-a-sucky-endocrine-disorder person to another I would like to give u hugs. Is there a place we can send chainmaille jewellery gifts? My roomie has hypothyroid (well actually, ‘never had a thyroid’) and likes to send presents to fellow butterflies.*
*y’all are butterflies bc thyroid gland is shaped like a butterfly. Idk man. That’s the mascot.
Man, that really sucks. Hope you get well soon.
I had always assumed you wrote your own dialog! But judging by how neat it looks right now it should be a typography, right? How’s it called?
it’s a font iirc. i remember reading a post on her tumblr about how she used a pay-for font site to make her own handwriting into a font for the comic. i don’t recall what the site was called, unfortunately.
I made a font out of my handwriting at yourfonts.com
Hey, just a heads-up but if you’re writing with your offhand consistently for a week or more and start to notice a bit of a stutter in speech – that’s not unusual, and it’s temporary. Brains really like being lazy and when you engage a new part of it to handle your writing, sometimes it gets other bits of language muddled in there.
Sadly my left hand skills only ever got as good as yours are STARTING at. So. Wow. You got some mad ambi-skills.
Here’s to your arm and your neck and your luck all improving.
By the Gods, what’s next? Your puppy dying? Nice you have a silver lining at least ot it.
Oh goodness, don’t even joke about that. D: Her brother has a super cute puppy…
….. Dayum girl. That sucks. Life sure does like to kick you while you’re down doesn’t it.
Did they at least be fount to be at fault for it?
…I just re-read that. Were they at least found to be at fault for it?
Why do I want to see a Frazetta style picture with Jared and Rock in the poses and outfits?
What is wrong with me, what have you done to me?
The twentieth worst thing about this is that you still draw better than me with the wrong hand. Because, you know, after the first 19 things it’s all about me.
Get well soon. And, y’know, maybe apologise to that old gypsy or something.
Yeah, I had something like that happen to me, but I was keeping a safe distance from the car in front of me, so this asshole sees an opportunity pulls out right in front of me to occupy the space. I slam on the brakes and go sliding. Needless to say I don’t ride motorbikes anymore.
Noooooooooo you just can’t get a break, can you? Feel better soon!
ouch! take a break and heal! :(
You know, it looks pretty good for being drawn with your superior-yet-non-dominant hand.
Anyway, good luck on getting better (and also on recovering from your injuries).
On the plus side, things can really only go up from here! Well, barring a few really terrible things that I won’t name lest they actually happen because the universe has a (shitty) sense of humor.
But seriously, get well soon, and please tell me you got the driver’s plate so you can sue the crap out of them.
Oh shit, that sucks :( hope you get better soon! we’re all pulling for you!! :)
Dear Gods you really have bad luck recently O_o
Well I wish you recovering from all those problems as quickly as possible!
Damn, get well soon :(
Wow, I don’t drive a motorcycle, but I got hit by an Explorer a couple weeks ago. I felt like it should’ve been their fault but dang… the sad part is it’ll be your fault too, I hope the insurance company’s nice to ya.
Damn Kelly, you got some really shit luck this month.
I think it’s about time to infer that it’s like you’re suggesting folks send you guest strips.
You need guest strips?
On the plus side, I’m sure the guys bitching about this having no game connections this week on Kotoku will get ripped a new one. That should be funny as hell if you guys need a laugh.
Hope you’re on the mend as quickly and painlessly as possible, C. And if it makes you feel any better, I can’t even draw my crappy ninja stick cartoons that well with my left hand, so you’ve clearly got mad l33t skillz. :)
Jeez louse, sorry about your shitty month. :((( hope things turn around soon, and seconding what others have said about putting the comic on the backburner until you’re feeling better. Tell those piges to kiss you better!
I hope your recovery goes properly, smoothly, and well. I know how much goes into the process, and I wish you the best of vibes and cellular reconstruction.
This month is ass. Get better soon.
Seriously, did you desecrate a shrine or something…?
Gee. I think after this month, there just needs to be this karmic payback where NOTHING BUT GREAT THINGS happen to you. Also, I have to give it to you, drawing with your off-hand is some serious commitment! Here’s hoping that old drawy gets better soon, your buds toss you a guest strip or two while you try to get back in the swing, and you treat yourself for a bit.
Well, hopefully you’ll make enough money off of MGDMT Volume I whenever you get around to it, that you’ll afford a tank instead of a bike. Oh, stopping short? WELL GUESS WHAT I DIDN’T EVEN NOTICE!
Really, all of society’s problems are solved by giving everyone tanks. I mean sure, there are NEW problems, but none of the old ones.
Oh gods, I’m sorry to hear that, Coelasquid!
I know how you feel, though. I ended up fracturing my right hand in January and it was bad enough that I had to undergo surgery to realign the bones and have a titanium plate put in.
I say we gather a mob and lynch the person responsible
Hey, I got in a car accident in January, and broke my left arm. I’m still healing doing pt, but man, you aren’t in for a good ride on that healing process. I wish you well, and it may not seem bad now, but it will if they put you in pt after 6 weeks. It takes 6 weeks for bone to heal, but not for ligaments and other things. It was hard for me not to be able to draw, but man, you are looking at 2-4 months of not doing anything at the very least. I hope you are able to heal right and without surgery and all that stress. I also hope they didn’t put you at fault, these things happen so fast, and you shouldn’t have been sited for assured cleared distance but, usually when you rear-end someone, then you are at fault, even if they did slam on their breaks. It’s not easy, you can be the safest driver in the world, but someone else mistake or fuck up can really mess you up. Don’t mind other people blaming you, they are just stupid. Best wishes <3
It wasn’t broken, just dislocated.
That’s terrible about your arm, sorry that happened to you. Rest well, we’ll be here for you.
I hope you feel better soon. That’s a great Commander for using your non-dominant hand.
Heal quick, Coela. Not because of the comic or anything, but because I know how much it sucks to get hit by a car. And because pain is a thing that shouldn’t last any longer than is absolutely necessary.
jeez rough month is right. cagers, amirite?????
Ouch
Wishing you a swift recovery. Unsolicited advice on the internet probably never makes it anywhere but on the offhand chance that you read this; Look for some comfrey/comphrey cream at drug store or pharmacy. It helps with speeding up the healing process by pulling out inflammation among other things. Even just applying the leaves of comfrey to the wounded area would help some. Ok, that’s it, take care.
You know, speaking of Frazetta, guy had thyroid issues too. Its the first thing I thought of when I learned of your condition. Now this. Maybe you’re channeling Fraz power!
Also – just thanks. For continuin’ the web-com. Its an over used term, but you actually ARE an inspiration. (BTW I don’t think anyone’s gonna hold it against you if you cut n paste some old headshots and go dialogue-heavy for a couple months. Commander’s ghost-stories/Jared’s poetry. Treat yerself to some wordfuns, Squid).
Dude, this past month has just been balls. Hope you heal up quickly & completely (or as completely as you can, given all the recent developments) and can have a little bit of stress/injury free time. Glad it wasn’t any more serious than it was (my uncle got hit on his motorcycle a couple years ago, ended up breaking his jaw amongst other things [he got better, but that took a while] all right after leaving his driveway)
Anyway, take it easy & take care of yourself.
Good grief. It’s been said, but I hope your recovery and subsequent treatment go smoothly. Thanks for taking the time and effort to hammer something out; it means a lot.
That’s all that happens to it? As in, they literally hit you with a car and you have something funny up on time anyway, and it’s drawn left-handed as well as Admiral Nelson wrote post-cannonball?
Turnbull, ma’am, you are a LEGEND.
No kidding. That’s dedication to updating.
“Stay strong” etc. almost seem redundant at this point. But get well.
Well…that is something shitty happening to someone undeserving. Sorry you got hit with this, Coelasquid, and I hope you heal well!
I hate stupid drivers. Your dedication to making sure we have SOMETHING every Monday is amazing. Thank you and I hope your shoulder feels better soon!
Shit really can pile itself high at ones doorstep at times.
Wishing you better fortune and strength.
This lineart still looks better than what I tend to produce. I hope you don’t walk into even more bad luck.
Sending even more getwells
Take your time and be back when you’re good again ^_^
Well, this sure has been a rough month, Kelly =/ Will you take a virtual hug? Here’s a virtual hug for the taking!
(Also: I wish I drew this well with my other hand :P That Commander looks like… just so good! *.* )
Virtual hugs and chocolate chip cookies!
Damn. What did you do to piss off Fortuna this bad?
Damn, when it rains, it pours. As another rider, I’m 100% on your side on this one. I e had so many close calls due to people not paying attention or just doing stupid crap, I’m amazed I still ride some days. Not that the same things don’t happen to me in a car, but it’s a little less life threatening, so the happenings leave less of an impact on me ( pun not intended). As someone above mentioned, I can’t wait for self driving cars, so that all these people who have zero interest in driving will by and large cease to be a problem. Heal up quick, and keep on riding.
I’m so sorry. >: /hugs
If it helps to pass the time… my friend once hurt her drawing hand and so we made a series of game cards out of the doodles she made with her other hand. She drew a set of various ways a stick figure could die and we used it for a game of bingo where if you hit a certain number, you’d lose a heart. If you lost too many hearts before you hit Bingo, you’d lose. We called it “Bingo in Sparta”.
I’m so sorry about all this. I’m always a little anxious around motorcycles because they are so small and frankly, have fragile people on them. Plus they are quite easy to mentally dismiss because they are small. So what I do is put, mentally, a car-sized space around them and treat them as if they fill up that space.
This is advice not for the motorcyclists out there, but the drivers.
As a pedestrian I have a LOT of first hand experience when it comes to asshole drivers, im sorry one of them managed to ruin your day. Take care of yourself, take some time out from the comic, and just focus on rest and relaxation until you’re back to normal.
Damn, I know that problem. Went through a bike, two scooters and a spleen because of idiot drivers.
Hope your recovery goes well, Love your work!
Heeeh, Jared. (And um, tiny you flying over the car. TinyYou is very cute)
Good luck with the healing process!
SHITE! I missed the last couple of comics. Thyroid cancer, flu and A FUCKING CAR CRASH?!
This is the shittiest superhero story I’ve ever seen and I super hope you get well soon. Lots of love & support from Argentina.
PS: Did you try to apologize to that Romani witch? I think it’s a gypsy curse.
Screw the comic, I hope this accident doesn’t throw you off your job too long. :/ Hope it heals fast and heals well. Take care of you first, comic distant second.
I wish you a swift and complete recovery
Perhaps this would be a good time for people to do guest comics, to give you a break from managing the comic.
You draw really well with your non-dominant hand XD Mine would end up like someone barfed on the page.
Also, people are notoriously ignorant of motorcyclists. I’m glad things ended up with a reasonably repairable injury instead of anything worse! Cars suck, and I say that as a driver myself. :(
Hey didn’t Frank Frazetta also need medication for his thyroid as well? So, two for two.
Holy cow, what a rough month. Hopes & Prayers go out to your speedy recovery!
(Gah… You’re off-hand drawing is better than my *dominant*-hand drawing. :<…)
Oh that just… sucks! I’m sorry about your month. I’ll just leave this pic and hope it helps a tiny bit!
http://s9.favim.com/orig/131118/chibird-cute-good-morning-happy-Favim.com-1070280.jpg
Ouch! My sympathies, ain’t fun when you meet a car on a bike.
I got knocked off my pushbike a while back, it was fun. It was dark and raining but there was plenty of street lighting and I had plenty of high-vis. (Flourescant waterproof coat, high vis vest over that, high vis cover over my backpack, flourescant ankle bracers.) N’ about four lights, (Two on handlebars, one on back, one on the backpacks high-vis cover.) so I was very, *very* visible. Was on a roundabout n’ I was doing something I normally didn’t do which was turning off on the second exit rather then the first, I was doing so cautiously and I saw, to my relief, the car about to enter from the first exit stop, so I assumed he saw me and that he was letting me go forwards as there wasn’t anyone in front of him, so I pedaled forwards.
Then he accelerated forwards.
Next thing I know I’m flying over his bonet as he smacks into my front wheel and after a decidedly weird few stop-pause moments I find myself lieing on my back in the rain thinking ‘what?’.
Driver stopped and tried to help me up but I couldn’t get my legs to work for a few moments so it took a few tries. He apologized, said (to my considerable shock) that he didn’t see me then got me and my bike out of the road then drove me and my bike home, decent enough guy.
I really lucked out with that, turned out my only real injury was a pulled stomach muscle and a torn muscle in my back/hips area that causes a sharp pain every so often when I’m twisting around or bending over. Considering that it’s not so bad as your injury (my sympathies a dislocated wrist sounds -painful- but I’m glad you’re okay) n’ that it could’ve been worse in that the car could’ve gone into my left leg rather then my front wheel, I’m actually entirely fine with how it all turned out.
Did and still does make me a bit worried about the idea of cycling on the road tho’.
Oh, wrist wasn’t dislocated (i dunno if that can happen?) just shoulder. it’s a pain but they gave me the go-ahead to start practising drawing again, at least, so the prognosis is good.
Yeah, it can happen – I had a minor case where mine was for a few months, it was just an odd “lump” on my wrist until one day it snapped right back into place and all was well.
And outh, get well soon.
Shoulder, my bad! Either way, glad it was limited to that but sympathetic that the shoulder was dislocated in the first place, that had to suck.
But yeah, get well soon!
You are super tough and awesome.
FEEL BETTER! I’m sending you all the positive energy I can. Rest and get better! Take off any time you need!
Seriously, this x1000. Life’s throwing a lot at you right now Coela, but you got this under control. I feel a lot of sorrow that an artist I love so much is having so much hardship. Whatever goes on moving forward, you’ll always be in my thoughts. Hopefully things turn around.
Holy fuckshit dude I’m adding your name to our “list of people to pray for healing” on the Judaism subreddit.
Feel all the better.
Holy fucking hell, Coela – Fate REALLY has decided to shit down your chimney this month!
Here’s hoping for a better month to come, swift recovery from all that ails you, and a big ol’ FUCK YOU to shitty drivers out there (THINK BIKE, guys!).
I wish you the swiftest recovery possible from all your ailments! And much better luck for the rest of the year. So do thousands of people. We love you, Squid. You make the world a better place.
Oh god. *hugs*
Major Bummer that this happened to you, if there’s anything i can do to help, like maybe do a guest panel to give you time to heal, which you may not seeing as you’re quite ambidextrous but y’know just throwing it out there, don’t hesitate to ask
My Friend died back in Ocotober cause a driver didn’t see him.
I know that feel, dawg. I was being tailgated by a huge pickup on a scooter that couldn’t go faster than 25 mph (40 kmph) on my way home. The guy behind me refused to pass me or back off, so I had his grill about 2 feet behind me. I pulled off into a parking lot to get him to leave me alone, and then I remembered it was GRAVEL. I rolled about 30 feet but somehow managed to end up at the end of it. Fortunately, a cop pulled in behind me to see if I was OK before turning on the blue light special and going after the guy. My bike came out of it far worst than me and took a few minutes to get started again due to rolling on its side somehow clearing the fuel line.
This is why I’m discouraged from driving a motorcycle in North America. If this happened in Vietnam or in some other country with high motorcycle traffic, people just get up and walk away from such a collision.
Aw, jeez, I’m sorry to hear that coelasquid. I hope you get better soon!
If it helps, Rich Burlew also injured his drawing arm/hand, but eventually got better, so that after a few months his comic was back. So you’re in good company.
My sympathies. I hope your recovery is quick.
Holy Hannah! Your meat-suit has really been through the wringer lately. Sorry to hear all the awful is happening to you, doubly so because it’s decided to happen all at once. Here’s hoping you’re able to get the rest and treatment you need without much hassle. *hugs*
Aww! I hope you get better soon, Coelasquid. I’m sorry that had to happen. As a car driver, I apologize for all of us. I’m sure we didn’t mean to break your arm.
Wishing you a speedy, sturdy recovery.
People really should drive that little bit extra carefully around motorcyclists (and cyclists, and pedestrians). They’re just more breakable. Maybe you could say they take that risk, but I think most conventional car drivers would want truckies to apply a little extra awareness to the road too. ‘It’s your fault for not driving a tank’ doesn’t quite cut it.
Considering that I have no trouble telling what characters are represented today (yourself, Rock, and Jared), having left-handed comics for however long you need will be no trouble for the readers. I’ve broken an elbow before (non-dominant, slipped on a sliver of black ice here in Massachusetts), so I know it can be painful to have a broken bone.
Now I just want to draw a Swirlix/Slurpuff face on Jared, or perhaps a Bing Bong…
Also, just the fact that you’re still making webcomics for our entertainment through your troubles gives you major bonus points. You’re more than entitled (and you’ve more than earned) to take some time off completely, but I truly admire your dedication to schedules. As long as you feel you have something worth putting up…
Get Well soon Coleasquid.
OMG. I am so sorry to hear this. THIS HAS BEEN A BONE BREAKING MONTH.
Look at it this way, this is superhero origin story bad luck.
You should get your powers in 3-4 business weeks.
Yikes, this month is indeed not your month! Get well soon in all manners applicable. Hopefully maybe it’s some kind of cosmic thing trying to balance out the incredible amounts of luck coming your way in the future?
I got it, Coela’s gonna win the lottery big time for the next 3 times in a row she plays. Or at least 1 win for every bad thing happening now.
I remember near the end of my nerve-wracked driving test, roughly a decade ago, the examiner told me that her son was a motorcyclist and to always be extra careful whenever one was around. I took it to heart.
May your recovery be swift and without cybernetics.
Heal fast and stay strong! Your physical and emotional health are most important right now. We’re all pulling for you!
Looks good to me!
And tragi-comic really, this whole thing.
Don’t worry about the comic and “fudge you” to the naggers.
Heal up and be well.
More concerned with how this affects your working situation :/
Hope things work out!
Your left hand drawing is still better than any of my drawing so dont feel too bad! Hope you get well soon!
Oh god! *massive sympathy.*
Personally, screw the comic! As much fun as the comic has been, would much prefer you take the time off to get better so that when you start drawing again it is top-notch and not poor-quality and less likely to do yourself further injury
Agree.
Most important here is her healing.
Though considering she loves drawing it might be a pain in the butt to be patient and careful :)
Well, she could still do some doodles, maybe practice being all sinister about it, but nothing major
…Totally right. Health and recovery are the priority.
That’s terrible, Coela. Life is really playing whack-a-mole with you right now, but you’re tough and awesome, I know you’ll get through it. I can’t do much, but I’m definitely donating this week.
Downside: Injury
Upside: A good reason to mount a sweet assembly of hydraulic claw and a spinning sawblade to terrify your foes with, Mad Max style.
Oh man, sorry to hear that! On the bright side, you seem to draw with your left hand better than I can, and I’m a left-handed art major!
Same thing happened to me a couple months ago, ended up breaking my left femur, so I know it sucks. Sending well wishes your way!
Sorry to hear about your accident. Don’t stress comic updates for our sake, heal up. You do you. Us fans can wait.
Millions more hugs to go with the previous hugs. <3
Sorry to hear about your recent spate of awful luck, hope your health overall improves very soon and that you get all of the excellent medical treatment cheaply and in a timely manner. :3
I’ve dealt with thyroid crap and radiation for it. I’ve been injured in a car wreck. I cannot fathom how it must feel go through both at the same time. Take care of yourself.
:/ Sorry you are going through all of this! Lots of positive thoughts for you. Please, please, take care of yourself! No need to start drawing. Let yourself heal.
Seconded.
Holy-!
Feel better!!!
Also, your drawing with your left hand is far better than my drawing with any hand.
Get well soon! And try to ignore the idiots in the comments.
That sucks. I’ve never forgotten that I am behind the wheel of a very large dangerous machine when I drive, and I can’t say I really enjoy driving a car, so I’m not going to attempt a motorcycle.
I know Coelasquid probably knows this already, and others, but most people think chemo and such, when it’s less complicated than that. Thyroid cancer sucks, but the treatments are (relatively speaking) simple, they remove your thyroid, and you have to go on a nasty no iodine (salt, processed food) diet for a couple of weeks, before and after, and then they give you a radioactive iodine pill, and you can’t share a bed or towels or pet animals, or touch babies or pregnant women for a week. For my Mom, the worst part was the diet, she said nothing tasted good. But after she recovered from the surgery, she’s been great for three years now.
Never got into an altercation with another vehicle on my bike, thank God. No matter what else happens, the motorcyclist always loses.
Pray you heal quickly and completely. If you need to have guest columnists fill in for a few weeks, please don’t hesitate to do so.
I won’t pretend to know what it’s like to drive a motorcycle, in my very narrow experience of driving and driver’s training when someone rear ends someone else it was because they were following too closely.
That being said, I’m sorry you were injured and if I may be so bold as to give a piece of wisdom given to me by my step-father ( who loves riding his motorcycle ): Drive like everyone else on the road is trying to kill you, because they can and will if given the opportunity whether or not they know it.
I honestly wish you could just take a hiatus from MGDMT and people could just understand and not get pissy about it. I’d rather you get better than trying to shell out a comic for the sake of the viewers, but that’s also one of the kickass things about you, too; you still care about your audience.
I agree! I personally wouldn’t mind if she took a break, especially when considering the circumstances. Or if she had some guest strips instead. This really has been a super shitty month for her and with everything going on, I’d rather keep Coela on the road to recovery than getting bogged down with side projects that don’t pay.
Then again, I can’t imagine she’s at work with her arm in a cast… But that’s just less stress hopefully? I dunno! :I
Either way, I hope you feel better soon, Coela, even if getting better might take a lot longer! :)
Be strong, Squid! All the fans are cheering up for you!
Sorry to hear that. But this comic is still hilarious, and Commander and Jared still look awesome. Love that stupid, goofy grin.
It’s all so that when you’re standing in front of the minister, or the rabbi, or the judge, or whatever – you can say with all honesty that you don’t know how you made it this far.
Ouch… 2016 is shaping up to be worse then 2015 isn’t it? Didn’t think it was possible…
Well I’m glad you survived the asshole, and I hope you recover quickly.
That sucks, and means you need a new helmet. Can I drop a few bucks in the tip jar and label it just for that?
Also, if your brakes are locking on you, you’re coming on too hard too fast. Which may be your only choice, but the only way to prevent that is to have a steady increase in pressure applied to the brakes, even if you have to do it quickly. Other than that, practice your swerve drills.
That’s legit impressive for drawing with your off hand.
Injured but still capable of humor. Ha!
Ah geez, know what you’re going through. Over a year ago I was cutting across a parking lot on foot when out of nowhere I was hit by a car. Dislocated my right arm and broke one of my metacarpal bones and something in my shoulder. Guy was driving fast enough that I must have been airborne and landed on my arm and then hit my head. Took 12 weeks till I was at a hundred percent, shoulder and hand still ache from time to time, so that’s to be expected.
This is almost the same accident I ended up in… on the freeway. Instead I braked hard, back tire slid out from under me, and I was lucky the guy behind me was paying attention. Arm in a sling for a while, but otherwise unscathed. Had to build new forward controls though.
It’s funny because I was expecting it to be like a Red Rider BB Gun scenario where all the non-bikers who tell me how dangerous bikes are every day come out of the woodwork to “I Told You So” at me, but honestly they were mostly fine and knew not to rub salt in the wound while other bikers on the internet who were the shittiest to me. I got a whole lot of “Um sweetie if it was me in your place I would have done X Y Z to prevent the scenario, you need to get more practise riding” and “Well actually you know I just got my license through the MSF safety class and they taught me you’re supposed to brake with your front tire more so maybe you should try that next time. I’ll never get into an accident like that” and it was like yo fuck off, I’ve been on a bike for three years and I did the exact same fucking MSF class that everyone else did. SOMETIMES SHIT HAPPENS. Especially when you live in a nest of terrible drivers who talk on phones and do their makeup and stir coffee while they’re trying to exit a grocery store parking lot, you can be the most safe and careful driver in the world and SHIT CAN STILL HAPPEN TO YOU.
I have lost count of the numbers of motorcyclists i have seen crippled or killed through no fault of their own because of a bad car driver.
The thing is, if you were in a car instead of a bike you would have been relatively safe. Accidents happen, to everyone. And for almost every accident one driver is not at fault. Motorcycles are a deathtrap where you are putting your life in the hands of others, others who you know for a fact are bad drivers and will hit you. It is not a question of if, but when.
I know too many victims, just protect yourself and drive a car instead of a deathcycle.
Cool story bro.