Advocacy & Safety - Ran a red, almost hit a ped

I was tooling along at about 19mph on Evelyn, and ran a red light, it was one of those t-intersection things in mountain view, and I was on the closed side of the T, so no potential car interference BUT.... a pedestrian stepped out to walk on the crosswalk there, and I almost hit her! If she'd been aware of me and froze, I probably would have.

I just want to make one thing perfectly clear: I suck.

Moral: It's not just cars, there can be pedestrians "hiding" behind the lamp post, the light and crosswalk may be there for a REASON, at the very least slow the heck down and look around!

Man I feel bad.......

Nah..-she shoulda been on a bike

I was tooling along at about 19mph on Evelyn, and ran a red light, it was one of those t-intersection things in mountain view, and I was on the closed side of the T, so no potential car interference BUT.... a pedestrian stepped out to walk on the crosswalk there, and I almost hit her! If she'd been aware of me and froze, I probably would have.

I just want to make one thing perfectly clear: I suck.

Moral: It's not just cars, there can be pedestrians "hiding" behind the lamp post, the light and crosswalk may be there for a REASON, at the very least slow the heck down and look around!

Man I feel bad.......

Just curious?
If it was a car which jumped the red light and almost hit you would you have had the same attitude and said you where 'hiding'?
Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't stop lights there for a reason? Shouldn’t you always STOP and not “at least just slow down"?

... ran a red light...
...I almost hit her...
Man I feel bad....... What exactly do you feel bad for? For almost hitting a pedestrian or for violating a traffic law? or both? Seems to me that your post is trying to warn people to watch out for pedestrians "hiding" but says nothing about the potential cause of the incident ... a driver in/on a vehicle ran through a red light.

If you are presented a green light at an intersection, do you wait for the cross traffic to stop before proceeding into the intersection or do you assume they will stop because they are supposed to when they have a red light. If you were presented a red light then the pedestrian might have assumed that you were going to stop (or they could have been daydreaming and not paying attention).

Where I ride, cyclist blow through red lights and stop signs all the time. I don't. People look at me as if I were green. Some even get confused when they see me stop. Either way, I make every attempt to obey the traffic law.

d.tipton

Were you participating in a Critical Mass at the time?

Yes stopping is the best way. No, I was not participating in Critical Mass at the time lol.

Will "feeling bad" make you consider changing anything about the way you ride? Doubt it.

Will "feeling bad" make you consider changing anything about the way you ride? Doubt it.
geez...kick a man when hes down

geez...kick a man when hes downBet he's feeling better than the ped he almost mowed down.

wow, you guys really are being harsh. I try and follow all the laws myself but I have to admit, when it's a -l intersection and the light is red (assuming the shoulder is oversized) I don't always stop. I mean if the light just turned before I got into the intersection I'll porbably go through. However, if it's been red and there are cars backed up I'd probably stop along with the cars. So sue me. I stop at stop signs, I pull into a parking lot if I'm holding up traffic, I stop at red lights, I let anyone who is going faster than me pass. But if I or the OP doesn't stop at a -l red light, we're horrible people? Give me a break.

Bet he's feeling better than the ped he almost mowed down.

I refer to; "I just want to make one thing perfectly clear; I suck" He is remorseful...this is not the sentiment of a wreckless person...however, we all get wrecked sometimes, -and do things we hopefully live to learn from, yes?

-but more importantly, whats a cheebahmunkey?

This is funny, I was walking across the street today and heard something like a car, and looked, and it was a family, 5 people on bikes, riding along. I said, "The five of you sound like one car" and got smiles.

I run reds at T intersections, but I do so in a similar mode as when I pass stopped cars on their right... at a slow speed and with a plenty of caution. In particular, I'm always looking for "hidden" peds.

I have one of those annoying itersections of my commute, and it is right on the top of my only real "climb" of the route (well almost at the top). On my giant loaded I am doing about 12 MPH. I never see people walking on the right, I am looking to the left to avoid the cars making a left turn... very close to me, expecially when I am riding VC... at that point I usually move over to the right anyway.

On a bike we can not watch anything, and even if the light is green a ped can get in our way, but since it takes me 10 - 15 seconds to cross the large intersection at 12 MPH I am bound to run the red... oh well. Personally (not to sound cold) I would rather hit a ped than get hit by a car anyday.

BTW wrong way cyclists are more of a problem on my route than PEDs will ever be.

I run reds at T intersections, but I do so in a similar mode as when I pass stopped cars on their right... at a slow speed and with a plenty of caution. In particular, I'm always looking for "hidden" peds.
Does the "looking" provisio make such behavior "lawful" for vehicle operators in California?

[Added Edit] I assume that the correct answer is no, it is illegal behavior. Is such presumably illegal operation of a vehicle considered "VC riding" by those who would like to measure the phenomena? If yes, who makes the determination about which illegal behavior is "VC riding" and which illegal behavior is only for non-VC riders?

...and ran a red light...
... Moral: It's not just cars, there can be pedestrians "hiding" behind the lamp post, the light and crosswalk may be there for a REASON, at the very least slow the heck down and look around!
...But if I or the OP doesn't stop at a -l red light, we're horrible people? Give me a break.
If in violating a traffic law no ones safety is jeopardized, then no, you are not a horrible person. If by violating a traffic law (running through a red light in this case) and some ones safety IS jeopardized (..."I almost hit her" ...), then yes, not stopping (when you are supposed to) makes you a horrible person.

The OP glossed over what should have been very prominent in his "moral" and that is: the light and crosswalk may be there for a REASON. The truth is, they ARE (not may be) there for a reason.

d.tipton

I run reds at T intersections, but I do so in a similar mode as when I pass stopped cars on their right... at a slow speed and with a plenty of caution. In particular, I'm always looking for "hidden" peds.

Bingo, short of stopping dead etc I think this is the way to do it.

I have nothing against running lights IF you can absolutely see traffic (or rather, lack of it) AND IF there is no place for pedestrians to be "hiding." Obviously, this was not the case in the OP or little eno would not have "almost hit" a ped. Sorry, but he should feel bad.

I have nothing against running lights IF you can absolutely see traffic (or rather, lack of it) AND IF there is no place for pedestrians to be "hiding." Obviously, this was not the case in the OP or little eno would not have "almost hit" a ped. Sorry, but he should feel bad.
I agree with you about nothing against running lights IF you can absolutely see traffic (or rather, lack of it) AND IF there is no place for pedestrians to be "hiding."

But would you call that illegal behavior "VC riding"?

And as I pointed out, I DO feel bad. Spot-on, Roody! There's a telephone pole and a light pole, or light pole and sign, I forget, but yeah it can kind of hide someone, and there are office buildings there and it's people leaving those buildings to walk across the street. A lot of t-intersections are wide open and you can see where everyone is, this isn't one of them.

Look, we all know the laws. Bikes are consider vehicles, and thus should abide to traffic law. If you do not follow them, do not follow them. If you do, thanks for making my streets safer. Just don't rationalize why you follow this rule, but not this one. Laws are to assist with establishing order and keeping people safe, not restricting people's freedom. I stop at almost all lights. The only times I do not stop is when I am late similar to a person in the car. I am willing to tak ethe risk of the ticket, but I would rather follow all the laws.

I agree with you about nothing against running lights IF you can absolutely see traffic (or rather, lack of it) AND IF there is no place for pedestrians to be "hiding."

But would you call that illegal behavior "VC riding"?

No.

But then, you're the only one who insists on categorizing people as "VC" or "not VC." The rest of us don't worry about your labels. We're just trying to figure out the safest way to ride our bikes.

I'm curious ... what's the beef with stopping for a stop sign or red light? Too lazy to put your foot down? Then practice your track stand. Afraid of running late? Then you'll be practicing your acceleration, or work on your timing.

Having just spent 2 weeks in the hospital ... trust me it's no fun for you or the person you clobber.

John Wilke
Milwaukee

I stop at all red lights, regardless of whether any other bicycles, cars, or pedestrians are visible. I also can't understand why anyone would blow a red light.

Paul

I stop at all red lights, regardless of whether any other bicycles, cars, or pedestrians are visible. I also can't understand why anyone would blow a red light.

Paul

In Ohio, all bicycles are required to follow the same laws as motor vehicles. I'd wager that these folks who don't care about traffic laws on their bikes, giving us all a bad rap, also don't care about them when in motor vehicles and are dangerous to all of us as well.

In Ohio, all bicycles are required to follow the same laws as motor vehicles. I'd wager that these folks who don't care about traffic laws on their bikes, giving us all a bad rap, also don't care about them when in motor vehicles and are dangerous to all of us as well.
Well, that's pretty strange, really. But since you brought it up...

On the bike, I stop for almost every light, but don't always wait for it to change green, if traffic (incl. ped traffic) is not an issue. I slow down for stop signs, but don't stop unless there is traffic. I have a hunch this is how many, maybe most, cyclists handle intersections.

On those (now rare) occasions when I drive, I stop for every red light, and usually for yellows, and religiously wait for it to change green. I stop for all stop signs, and what's more, I sit there and count to five before I gently pull away.

(And ILTB -- to save you the trouble of posting, No, I don't consider this to be vehicular behavior. Do You?)

I often 'jump' red lights whilst driving my SUV. But I always put my headlights on full beam so I can see any 'hidden' cyclists, so that must be okay, right? :rolleyes:

Well, that's pretty strange, really. But since you brought it up...

On the bike, I stop for almost every light, but don't always wait for it to change green, if traffic (incl. ped traffic) is not an issue. I slow down for stop signs, but don't stop unless there is traffic. I have a hunch this is how many, maybe most, cyclists handle intersections.

On those (now rare) occasions when I drive, I stop for every red light, and usually for yellows, and religiously wait for it to change green. I stop for all stop signs, and what's more, I sit there and count to five before I gently pull away.

(And ILTB -- to save you the trouble of posting, No, I don't consider this to be vehicular behavior. Do You?)
I consider it appropriate and sensible behavior for an experienced/knowledgeable cyclist. My point in asking is two fold.
One to point out the hypocrisy of the VC spokesmen who smugly AND pompously crow about their special status as "lawful" cyclists in contrast to the lawless, non-vehicular hoardes of incompetent cyclists who need VC training.
Two, if VC riding is allegedly based on lawful vehicular operation who is left to be a "VCer or "VC rider"? A handful of cyclists willing to wait for a red light to change at a deserted intersection?

No.

But then, you're the only one who insists on categorizing people as "VC" or "not VC." The rest of us don't worry about your labels. We're just trying to figure out the safest way to ride our bikes.
I believe most cyclists (especially experienced) have already "figured out" the BEST way to ride their own bicycle in their own environment and don't want or need VC devotees proselytizing for implementation of various schemes to train them in VC approved/operated classes. The favorite method approved/devised by a relative handful of Club Cyclists may be irrelevant, if not unsafe when implemented in the environments disregarded by the sun belt/suburban oriented advocates.

I may be the "only one" because the enforcers of VC correctness on Internet advocacy lists browbeat and harass those who dare to question their comfortable belief that only they know what is "best" for everybody else.

I was tooling along at about 19mph on Evelyn, and ran a red light, it was one of those t-intersection things in mountain view, and I was on the closed side of the T, so no potential car interference BUT.... a pedestrian stepped out to walk on the crosswalk there, and I almost hit her! If she'd been aware of me and froze, I probably would have.

I just want to make one thing perfectly clear: I suck.

We all make mistakes or use bad judgement, and most of the time nothing happens. By being aware enough to realize we make mistakes, or put ourselves in dangerous situations, we can become more careful in the future.

So I have to give you credit, lilHinault, for sharing this with us.

Now, who among us that reads this thread will repeat this error?

On the bike, I stop for almost every light, but don't always wait for it to change green, if traffic (incl. ped traffic) is not an issue. I slow down for stop signs, but don't stop unless there is traffic. I have a hunch this is how many, maybe most, cyclists handle intersections.

On those (now rare) occasions when I drive, I stop for every red light, and usually for yellows, and religiously wait for it to change green. I stop for all stop signs, and what's more, I sit there and count to five before I gently pull away.

Common sense dictates that you don't come to a complete stop and wait for 'all' lights to change. If you want to wait for a metal activated light, you might be there for days. The law has supported this for both motorcyclists and bicyclists - in cases where you cannot activate the light, treat it as a 4 way stop.

There is a difference between using common sense and riding safely and blatently ignoring the law. By your logic, it should be perfectly allright for me to ignore all traffic signals that are inconvenient to me - in my car or truck. Ok well around here that is common, which is why if I had a lick of sense I would always wear a helmet when sharing the death roads of NE Ohio metro areas.

Here's a legal thought (no I ain't no lawyer) - if you blow a light on your bike and a guy in a car coming the other direction blows the light as well, taking a left right into you - who is at fault? Who's insurance pays for your stay in the hospital, or settles with your survivors? Do you get a ticket posthumously? Can the case be made that even though you were both running the light, you had the right of way since he was making a left? Ok, you lawyers out there feel free to chime in and expand this thread beyond the capacity of the server.

Actually I think you brought to light an interesting point - I figure the odds of getting splatted by a car when illegally crossing intersections are at least as likely (if not more likely) as the odds of getting a head injury in a non-motor vehicle related accident when not wearing a helmet. (Mr. Spock, please calculate that for me...thanks!) So, it is not logical for a person to wear a helmet for 'safety' to then turn around and ignore traffic laws, and visa-versa for those who are more safety-minded concerning their noggin than I am.

Hmm, that was fun, I think I might have almost developed an intelligent thought. I should rest now. ;-)

I got a ticket last month for not stopping at a stop sign. The cop was right behind me when I did it. He yelled at me to stop, but I couldn't hear him since my hearing isn't so good, so he really scolded me when he finally stopped me since he thought that I was intentionally trying to ignore him which I wasn't.

I admitted that I wasn't paying attention when I ran the stop sign and I said I learned my lesson. He still ticketed me which I couldn't blame him; I was totally in the wrong.

I these situations just swallow your pride and admit you made a mistake. It sucks, but at least no one was hurt in my situation as well.

I went through there again, it's the stop light on Evelyn at Evelyn Station, where the underpass is. And when I say went through I mean it, red but I didn't let that stop me, I looked around REALLY carefully first though lol.

your asking for it, man. Really.

no run on red. around here, i believe it's a $350 fine.

I went through there again, it's the stop light on Evelyn at Evelyn Station, where the underpass is. And when I say went through I mean it, red but I didn't let that stop me, I looked around REALLY carefully first though lol.

It's a pity their isn't more cyclists like you around here. I reckon all those crashed bike frames would make an excellent rollover cage for my Land Rover :p