Dumb Peds
So last night I was riding to meet up with some friends, in 12 degree weather. I Was riding my fixed gear, and got down into the drops to charge a hill on a large suburban street on the outskirts of town. 2 young high school girls (later found out they were 13 and 14) were j walking coming from an ice cream parlor. At this point I was doing 22mph anticipating the long climb when they ran out in front of me at the last second. I was very visible, my bike is equipped with lights, and no cars were behind me, there was no reason for them to run in front of me(or to wait so late to do it). They started to do it, hesitated, then decided to go at the last second. The first one made it fine. The second one was chunky and had a large strawberry shake in her hands, she lost her footing and smash, I slammed into her. Me+my bike are probably around 160lbs. I was in my drops, and went over the bars. One of my front teeth was knocked out and my lip busted. Plus my bike and I were covered in pink Ice Cream:mad:
She was fine besides some cuts and bruises. Seriously parents need to teach their damn kids how to cross the street. So I got a nice root canal today, the tooth was knocked out at the root, so I was able to reuse it. Ah Well, **** happens. |
Were you running a brake?
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Yeah, but its on the flats, you cant run brakes on the drops when you use track bars, a brake wouldn't have helped, i had no time to react, as she stumbled in front of me
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Are you getting compensation for PI?
-Kurt |
NOPE! Cops would't even write an accident report, no one was held at fault. Didn't expect it really. The girl would've made it if she hadn't lost her footing. I thought she was going to make it, I didn't brace for impact or anything, probably wouldn't have lost a tooth if I was braced.
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Originally Posted by Chicagoan
(Post 10340172)
Yeah, but its on the flats, you cant run brakes on the drops when you use track bars, a brake wouldn't have helped, i had no time to react, as she stumbled in front of me
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Originally Posted by fosmith
(Post 10341271)
were you racing on the track??? :innocent:
But I love track bars they rock on hillclimbs |
sounds like you might have been at least as dumb as the girls
I think this guy might be your friend... ;) |
If you thought she would make it, and she thought she would make it, it's just bad luck that she didn't. Should she have waited for you, or crossed at the corner? probably. Should you have prepared to stop when her friend stepped into the street ahead of you? probably. We all do stuff all the time that would go badly if someone slipped and fell at the wrong moment. Mostly they don't.
I'm sorry this happened to you, and I'm glad it wasn't worse. |
So, You didn't slow down, or even reach for the brakes, even after seeing a potential conflict with teenage pedestrians?
Parents need to teach their children to anticipate road hazards, especially unpredicatable teenage ones. |
The other day, I was driving and there was a jogger going the same way on the other side of the street. As I approached a crosswalk, I slowed down just in case the jogger might decide to cross the street without stopping.
As it turned out, the jogger did cross the street without stopping. If I hadn't slowed down, I probably would have hit her. |
Originally Posted by MrCjolsen
(Post 10342826)
The other day, I was driving and there was a jogger going the same way on the other side of the street. As I approached a crosswalk, I slowed down just in case the jogger might decide to cross the street without stopping.
As it turned out, the jogger did cross the street without stopping. If I hadn't slowed down, I probably would have hit her. Chicagoan, were these teenagers at a cross walk? Or were they crossing in the middle of the street? If at a cross walk, you were wrong to not stop and wait for them. |
Originally Posted by Chicagoan
(Post 10339673)
Ah Well, **** happens.
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Originally Posted by mikeshoup
(Post 10342869)
And, at a cross walk, that's exactly what you should do. At cross walks, vehicles yield to pedestrians.
Chicagoan, were these teenagers at a cross walk? Or were they crossing in the middle of the street? If at a cross walk, you were wrong to not stop and wait for them. And let's not forget that it seems that most of them wear dark clothes. They don't wear any reflective material, they don't carry flashlights, it's almost as if they are going out of their way to be hard to see. If we're required to have lights and/or reflectors how come pedestrians aren't? Don't they want to be seen, don't they want to be safe? I know that a lot of cagers talk "smack" about us and how "dangerous" we cyclists but aren't pedestrians even more dangerous then us cyclists? They have even less protection then we do. Is it really that big of a deal for them to walk a couple of feet to a couple of yards to the crosswalk instead of crossing right where they are??? |
Originally Posted by mikeshoup
(Post 10342869)
And, at a cross walk, that's exactly what you should do. At cross walks, vehicles yield to pedestrians.
Chicagoan, were these teenagers at a cross walk? Or were they crossing in the middle of the street? If at a cross walk, you were wrong to not stop and wait for them. |
Originally Posted by Digital_Cowboy
(Post 10343164)
And let's not forget that it seems that most of them wear dark clothes. They don't wear any reflective material, they don't carry flashlights, it's almost as if they are going out of their way to be hard to see. If we're required to have lights and/or reflectors how come pedestrians aren't? Don't they want to be seen, don't they want to be safe?
Whatz next? A rant about the need to license pedestrians and "must take" training classes, given by "Certified" walking experts, in order for pedestrians to be Real Safe? |
Originally Posted by I-Like-To-Bike
(Post 10343984)
Are you serious?:rolleyes:
Whatz next? A rant about the need to license pedestrians and "must take" training classes, given by "Certified" walking experts, in order for pedestrians to be Real Safe? |
Originally Posted by randya
(Post 10343417)
keep in mind that there is a crosswalk at every intersection, whether it is indicated by paint stripes or not.
-Kurt |
OP,
Sounds like you got royally screwed, especially by the police (seems like that's worthy of some sort of report, and probably some sort of insurance claim). If there's a take away it's to reduce your speed when you see a fishy situation up ahead. You shouldn't have to, but sometimes it pays off big to do it anyway. Not saying it was your fault. |
Originally Posted by Digital_Cowboy
(Post 10344099)
No, just asking that pedestrians and joggers employ a little common sense. For their safety, if they're dressed in dark colored clothing no safety vest or flashlight how can they expect motorists or cyclists to see them and avoid hitting them?
Seriously, if you can't see a pedestrian with your lighting you either need brighter lights or to slow down. Pedestrians should *never* be required to do anything more than not jay walk. Everything else should be handled by the vehicles creating the dangerous situations. |
In all seriousness....was the girl upset that she spilled her shake? Did she get another one? Come on people...kids are stupid. I feel for the OP, but at least he realizes this. Sorry for your pain bro...keep on riding and be careful.
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Originally Posted by Chicagoan
(Post 10340172)
Yeah, but its on the flats, you cant run brakes on the drops when you use track bars,
oreally? http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/DSC_2235.jpg but I understand that they just jumped out. Last semester I had to ride by a high school just after 3:00, the kids just don't give a damn |
Originally Posted by crhilton
(Post 10344559)
Because cyclists and motorists should be operating slowly enough to handle the current lighting conditions for nearly stationary objects such as pedestrians and light poles ;).
Seriously, if you can't see a pedestrian with your lighting you either need brighter lights or to slow down. Pedestrians should *never* be required to do anything more than not jay walk. Everything else should be handled by the vehicles creating the dangerous situations. So why should pedestrians and joggers be any different? |
Why didn't you slow down when you saw the peds doing the will she/won't she routine? Why weren't your hands in a position to take proper braking/evasive action?
Were I that girl's father, and she were hurt, I'd be suing you until you were bleeding from every orifice. You were riding irresponsibly. |
Originally Posted by iforgotmename
(Post 10345114)
In all seriousness....was the girl upset that she spilled her shake? Did she get another one? Come on people...kids are stupid. I feel for the OP, but at least he realizes this. Sorry for your pain bro...keep on riding and be careful.
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