Commuting - Broadsided a kid on a bike this morning

The most hazardous part of my trip actually involves bikers, not cars. It is at a roundabout just a few 100 meters from my destination, where school kids come off the roundabout onto a two way bike lane, riding towards me. More often than not they are completely oblivious to what is happening around them, talking to each other, text messaging wile riding, etc. I alway seem to manage to avoid a collision, usually by yelling at them, but this morning I broadsided a kid that just turned onto the sidewalk in front of me. I rang my bell and yelled, but to no effect. No one got hurt and my bike did not suffer damage, but it pisses me off how some people take their and other people's health for granted. OK, rant over.

Best wishes that it doesn't happen again. Lots of people out and about on bicycles in the Netherlands.

Maybe the bell isn't loud enough to break them out of their trance. How about trying one of those air zound horns? Those things are loud as hell!

Many sympathies--kids don't understand responsibility until late in high school. It's tough.

I got to really clang my bell hard this time of year. The cold weather cuts down the clang!

High school? Try the late 20s to early 40s. :p

Always expect the worst around kids. It would still be frustrating being that is sounds like the OP is doing everything short of walking his bike through that area.
Perhaps a different route is in order.

I feel for you. One time I was riding in an alley. There was a 90 degree blind corner. I was on the correct side and going slowly and as I got to the corner a 4 year old appeared, riding on the wrong side and there was no time to stop. We collided. Luckily the kid was okay, but my front fork was bent.

To be fair, when I was 8 or 9, I rode out of the bike rack at school straight into the front bumper of a Karmann Ghia. Somehow I didn't see the car parked straight in front of me. ;)

Kids bounce. They're also indestructible and their brains are made of rocks and snot. Don't worry about it. ;)

Many sympathies--kids don't understand responsibility until late in high school. It's tough.

I got to really clang my bell hard this time of year. The cold weather cuts down the clang!

Adults do the same thing in cars every day.

Actually, I wish that I saw another bike to run into on my commute.

Actually, I wish that I saw another bike to run into on my commute.

Yup, one of the many prerogatives of commuting in the Netherlands :rolleyes:

It's impossible to avoid that in Nederlands, not a matter that if it will happen, rather it's _when_ will happen.

Some of my colleagues try to avoid "bike rush hour" (8:30 to 9:00 am) due to the high density of youngsters biking. However I have to say that so far my "almost crash" events where against old cyclists.

Just keep a "Let op, verdomme!!" ready to go everytime, and drive defensively.

I was riding home last week on the MUP, and am usually pretty good about anticipating the foot/bike traffic at that time of day, from the kids learning to ride, along with the cross-country teams out practicing...but this time, I saw 2 kids riding on a berm next to the path, so I made note that they might do something stupid....and they did. I had already slowed a bit when one decided to hop his bike across the top of the berm and ride down the little hill.....right across my path. There were pedestrians on the left, and a drop off to the right, so all I could do was hit the brakes.......and my AirZound. I didn't hit the kid, but he got 115db of horn at point blank range.

I didn't hear any crash, but I heard him say "OH NO!!!".....


To be fair, when I was 8 or 9, I rode out of the bike rack at school straight into the front bumper of a Karmann Ghia. Somehow I didn't see the car parked straight in front of me. ;)

Arkansas...when I was 6 or 7, my brother taught me to ride by putting me on my sister's brand new Schwinn, taking me to the top of a hill...and giving me a push. It wasn't bad at first, but somewhere down the hill, I realized that I didn't know how to 1. Steer, or 2. Brake. I kept picking up speed until I swear I could see red shift. On the other side of the hill was a family cooking out in their front yard - at some point, they must have heard the screaming coming from up the hill while I was re-entering the atmosphere from Low Earth Orbit.....where I promptly ran into the car parked in the front yard, coming to an immediate stop. While the car wasn't damaged, I bent the wheel on my sister's bike....then she later bent me into several pieces.