We had to get a new bike carrier when we gave my beloved 4Runner to my adopted son in 2021. (Lizard could no longer drive a stick shift, and now he can't drive even an automatic....) We left our Thule bike carrier on the back of the 4Runner because (we couldn't get it off, and) we knew my son would probably enjoy it and couldn't afford to buy one of his own. (I can't believe I have no photos of the whole 4Runner with the carrier!!!)
The new bike carrier perfectly matches the off-white little hatchback Lizard's mom bought used for us, hoping to extend Lizard's driving privileges just a bit longer. We were so excited to purchase the last off-white carrier Kuat may have made! When we drove to Lizard's mom's house for our first "vacation" since Lizard was diagnosed with Parkinson's, we could just see the envy on other Moab- and Fruita-bound motorists' faces as they passed our beautiful color-coordinated set-up! We managed to earn a few delightful thumb's ups in passing.
We haven't been on our bikes since October, due to snow and ice, and I've been very tempted to take the bike carrier off because it's not allowed in the building where I work. But I can't get the rack off by myself, so I have been parking hourly on the street outside my building and running back down to pump in more quarters every two hours if I stayed longer than two hours. (Fourth quarter is always super busy, so I often worked four to six hours in November and December and benefited from neighbors who would check on Lizard while I was gone.)
The week of Christmas, we had our first work group Christmas dinner in three years (Lizard and I had not been able to attend in 2019 due to his total knee replacement just a couple of days prior, and no one was scheduling business Christmas dinners in 2020 or 2021). I parked close to the restaurant in a relatively expensive lot bearing the all-too-familiar warning: "Any damage or loss to vehicle is the responsibility of vehicle owner." Lizard is not able to attend such functions anymore, and I didn't want to leave him alone too long, so the parking made for quick and easy escape when it was time to go.
I had to pump a few more dollars (not quarters at this lot!) into the pay station about half an hour before I left. When I left half an hour later, I discovered someone had hit my car and left the scene in just that short time!!! (I'd checked the car when I monetarily fed the parking station.)
I was horrified. But I also consider myself extremely blessed.
The bike carrier is bent, but it still works. It actually saved the car. If I had removed the bike carrier two months earlier, the impact probably would have severely damaged our car, which had been hit just hard enough to move it a couple of degrees to the left.
The fleeing party (pun intended; I think the driver likely was highly spirited) wasn't so lucky. The rear lights on the other car were no longer attached, and I'll bet my bike carrier left quite the impact statement on its wrestling ring opponent. I often wonder what that driver must have thought the next day upon noticing the damage...
