Bike trouble

Today, my bicycle suffered one of its worst traumas yet. Now keep in mind that this bike was purchased for about $12, has a flat tire every other week, and rattles constantly (imagine a rabid rodent trapped in a have-a-heart trap...that's what I sound like as I ride down the street.) Anyways: so it's been really cold here recently, and so today, for whatever reason (perhaps having to do with the subzero temperatures), when I went to stop, both of my hand brakes just ripped off in my hands. That is, the plastic part that attaches the wire part to the handlebars ripped through--now the completely unattached plastic brake handles dangle uselessly from the wires, and drag on the ground. So now, in order to stop my bike, I have to do the following: a) pull futilely on the wire portion of the brake cord sort of near where it attaches to the wheel, to limited effect; b) drag my feet along the ground in an attempt to slow my lightning-speed careen through traffic; and c) yell loudly in an attempt to alert those around me that I am out of control and have no means not to hit them. (unfortunately, this is usually a wordless "AY! AY! AY!" since in the heat of the moment as I am about to crash I do not have the Chinese language capacity to say, "Watch out! I can't stop! Get out of the way!")