I’d like to express my heartfelt thanks to Nicholas Winger, Nico Cervantes and the unidentified others who came to my aid when I crashed my bicycle during my (successful) attempt to avoid impact with a vehicle driven by someone who apparently did not notice a cyclist in the bike lane.

I’m grateful beyond words to live in a community where people care, and I’m also glad to be alive. Several onlookers shared with me the opinion that the driver of the vehicle simply failed to see me, even though it was a clear, sunny Santa Barbara afternoon. If by any chance you are the person who was heading south on Patterson Avenue a little after 3 p.m. on Jan. 31 and turned right onto Overpass Road, I’d like to talk with you. And for everyone: Cyclists help keep the price of gasoline low, we share the road with you and we are your friends. Please be ours.