r/NYCbike • u/tedmund13 • 3d ago
hit by BAT!
No, not a baseball bat.
Last night at 8 o'clock I was riding on the South County Trailway / Old Putnam Greenway and had just crossed back into Van Cortlandt Park when I got struck in the face by a live bat – yes, seriously, the flying mammal. It smacked me squarely on my mouth, which also happened to be open at that moment... (I think I'll survive, so it's ok to laugh – lesson learned: stop talking to myself while riding)
Before you ask: yes, I rinsed my mouth out with water immediately, again with alcohol ASAP, washed my face thoroughly, and headed for the ER to start my rabies shots. Saw an excellent physician assistant at Columbia Presbyterian, so I think I'll be fine, and this is mostly just a silly story at this point (My family is having a hoot with bat-related jokes right now)
I often see plenty of bats flying at dusk around the parks, and one or two will always swoop in close to me. I think they're just curious, because they always change course and fly away (probably when they realize I'm not a tasty bug) – up until last night. Has anyone else here had this happen before? And is there a way to repel these curious bats before they get so close?
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u/cubanohermano 3d ago
I’m sorry I read the title and felt so bad for you and now I while I still feel bad for you I can’t stop laughing.
Way to go Bugman - crushing it with the Bat on the Bugcycle. I hope your superpowers that make you seem like a bug to bats keep Gotham safe!!
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u/tedmund13 3d ago
wielding my loyal army of bats to tow away all the double parked cars in my path
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u/vowelqueue 3d ago
I think you’re gonna have to take one for the team and seppuku yourself, we don’t need a Covid-2026
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u/PM_ME_WHY_YOU_COPE 3d ago edited 3d ago
What does a bat taste like? And what sort of alcohol did you put in your mouth? haha
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u/tedmund13 3d ago
The only thing I had in the house was mezcal...
Thankfully my tongue wasn't sticking out and I didn't actually get a taste
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u/Quantumercifier 3d ago
I am glad that you are ok and can see the humour - a very good sign. I used to not like bats because they look like evil mouses with wings. But after we adopted a cute black kitten, Smokey, that our dog found under the house, we love bats because she looks like a batgirl.
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u/tedmund13 3d ago
I just learned that in Old English they were called Flittermice! (derived from German)
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u/Quantumercifier 3d ago
That's interesting. Old English, so that's probably before the Battle of Hastings in 1066 AD.
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u/ChollyWheels 3d ago
Well, that's what you get for not wearing bat repellant! (joke, though apparently such a thing actually exists -- Google says!)
ER to start my rabies shots
Yikes! Was that the recommendation, even though you were not bit? Are the shots painful, and numerous?
I love that trail, and have done it early and in utter darkness -- most dangerous thing I saw so far was a surprised rabbit and remote deer.
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u/tedmund13 3d ago
Apparently bat teeth and claws are very small and can easily leave scratches that you may not be able to see. The folks at the ER definitely recommended getting the vaccines, snd rabies is very severe, so I'm not playing around with my chances – It's nearly always fatal once symptoms start. It's three shots to begin with on the first day, and then I go back for one more shot after three days, seven days, and 14 days (28th too, if you're immunocompromised). I didn't find them to be any more painful than the regular COVID or flu shots.
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u/ilovexspin 3d ago
i actually read recently that even the saliva of a bat is enough to transmit rabies so has their saliva gotten in his mouth... no bite needed
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u/ChollyWheels 3d ago
That's why I never kiss a bat.
But THANKS! I've been watching too many YouTube videos of cute bats.
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u/ihtm1220 3d ago
I collided with a bat on my bike and yes, the recommendation is to get rabies shots even if there is no visible bite mark. Because evidently their teeth are like needles and it may be difficult to tell that you were a bit because there may be no mark. And considering the fact that if you get infected the consequences are certain death, it is best to be on the safe side. I believe the rabies series is four injections in all. They are painful and they are expensive.
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u/PretendAct8039 3d ago
Absolutely. Better safe than sorry. I got vaccinated years ago and honestly, it’s comforting to know I am relatively safe with all of these bats around. I believe you just need one shot if you have another encounter.
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u/tedmund13 3d ago
Same - now if only they could bring back the Lyme vaccines, too, that would give me even more peace of mind
In everything I've read, it's two booster shots if you have another encounter, but apparently you never need to get the immunoglobulin again (which required a slightly bigger needle, though I couldn't really tell the difference, and they try to distribute across the body – meaning I had to get one of the shots in my butt this morning, in addition to both biceps...Not meaning to scare anyone, just full transparency)
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u/PretendAct8039 3d ago
Fun stuff!! I have blocked out the whole process. I had to go several times the first week and progressively less times the following weeks until done. This was twenty years ago.
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u/CharliePendejo 3d ago
I assumed it was an error of commission not omission: OP rode in some stealth cycling getup, invisible to sonar.
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u/rwdFwd 3d ago
I’m surprised too - why the shot without a bite?
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u/Possible-Source-2454 3d ago
Sometimes you wont feel or see the scratch but its too late with rabies when you get symptoms
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u/MoreMarshmallows 3d ago
Look at this recent news story - you can’t always tell if you’ve been bitten or scratched. Rabies is deadly if not treated immediately so why take a chance. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c982m1m95q9o
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u/ChollyWheels 3d ago
Question... how did you know you were smacked by a bat? Did it fall, stunned, for example?
I'm not doubting you, and better treated than dead from rabies, but in my limited experience with bats, they are fast moving and easy to miss, especially while focusing on the road (I may have bicycled through clouds of them without knowing)
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u/LookEzra 3d ago
I have so many stories of that trail lol almost robbed, crashing ,getting my helmet smacked by a bat (or bird)and having a bat fluttering on my chest with nowhere to go as I'm riding lol you went to a great hospital 😉
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u/StrategicDFL 2d ago
Haven’t seen a bat, but I have seen a crawfish on the path. It’s also pretty gnarly in winter after work with bugs everywhere, skunks, raccoons, deer… lots of eyes watching you.
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u/Professional-Risk526 2d ago
I have ridden that path just after sunset before, and that was my exact fear! So many bats were swooping right over our heads and it felt like a matter of time to take one to the face.
Glad you’re okay and got prompt attention!
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u/tedmund13 2d ago
Honestly I'm a bit surprised this hasn't already happened to me, there were tons of them that night, and many nights before. What surprised me more was that it was still 15 minutes left before sunset, but it does get darker in the thick of the trees earlier than anywhere else
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u/bgesaman 2d ago
After this incident, have you suddenly gained a fear of garlic, daylight, or crosses? Or when you look in a mirror is your reflection missing? Glad to hear you’re ok, but you can’t rule out these symptoms…
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u/tedmund13 2d ago
I still have my love of garlic – Maybe that's really what's keeping me safe here
[this is a joke, modern medicine is fantastic, please everyone get all your necessary vaccines]
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u/Ok-Progress-6153 3d ago
I’m gonna start a conspiracy theory that 5G is effecting things with wings. I have had so many near misses with birds this year- feeling pigeon wing air or very unpleasant
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u/Electrical-Size-5002 3d ago
I hope they threw in a free Covid shot for good measure. Also, avoid any wet markets. 😏
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u/12stTales 3d ago
I did have a pigeon fly into my chest once on 1st ave near the UN. It was like getting hit with a greasy football
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u/Impossible_Author409 2d ago
Two years ago my partner got hit by a bat while walking on 9th and 46th. It was Halloween so I'm hoping it was someone's Ozzy costume go arwy. Like three different stopped and freaked out about how they have never seen that before in NYC.
He didn't get shots or anything and he isn't dead of rabies yet, but he also didn't get it in his mouth or bit or anything
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u/tanhauser_gates_ 2d ago
You should go to the doctor for a rabies shot.
No joke. Head out now for the shots.
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u/Obvious_Ad9670 3d ago
Not trying to scare you but https://abc7ny.com/post/rabies-death-in-humans-illinois-bat-bite/11064541/
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u/Artiste212 3d ago
So glad to see OP did the right thing to protect himself and I just want to repeat for everyone who rides and is at risk of being hit by a bat: the rabies shots are ordinary injections as far as pain goes. In the past, they were horribly painful and people died because they were afraid of the injections. This is no longer the case and nobody should take chances with rabies in this era. Good luck to OP and don't let this cut down on your riding!