ZiP0082

i've hit a tourist that jumped into the bike lane as well before (i was going downhill from BK to Manhattan) on the Brooklyn Bridge. Since then, it's been the Manhattan Bridge or Williamsburg exclusively for me.

gfrance

I ride the Brooklyn bridge daily. Yes it is very frustrating. But I am not one to get all bent out of shape at the oblivious tourists. I give them the benefit of the doubt. They are on vacation enjoying themselves in our city. I respect that and can see myself in exactly the same situation in their city. I hate it when I'm riding behind another cyclist who yells or screams at them. Just slow the **** down and pick your way thru them.

I do wonder how this particular guy got so beat up. Was it on the descending side? Hard to imagine one has enough speed going up or flat to really hurt yourself, helmet or not.

frymaster

i feel your pain. literally. i have two fractured ribs from crashing. that was two weeks ago and it still hurts like blazes to rotate or lift my hands above my head or pretty do anything that isn't sitting straight. and don't even think about sneezing! of course massive amounts of ibuprofen make me functional, but ribcage injuries are definitely no fun.


and +1 on the helmet. if a fall can do that much damage to an unprotected ribcage, imagine what it would do to the skull. i (literally) shudder to think.

ZiP0082

While you do have a good point there, there have been times in the past where I've not been going very fast, but people have been blocking the entire bridge, from railing to railing, and I've tried to politely shout "excuse me!" and "bike lane!" and "heads up!" but people have just become blinded, like deer in the headlights, until I have to come to a complete stop. I'm not sure if they don't know any English at all, or they are just so engulfed by the beauty of the bridge or what.

pappymd

I know he's a person and I'm very sorry that this happened. From a public health standpoint, however, sevre brain trauma in uninsured people are part of the reason health care costs increase 15% per year. It's not my money - it's yours. Helmets should be mandatory.

EGreen

I share your basic attitude and outlook in principle, however, I cannot always remain so even tempered and tolerant.

I am resentful that posted on the bridge are signs clearly warning cyclists however, I think more effort should be made to alert pedestrians as to which side they should be on and remain on to avoid an accident.

On the last point, he was on the early part of the descent on the Manhattan side. You may still view his blood on the pavement

Regardless, yours is a common misconception though -it really doesn't take a whole lot of speed to sustain serious injury, particularly head injury.

kiesterstash

Yeah it says he endoed trying to avoid a pedestrian.

Guvna

I feel like a face-plant can be pretty devastating at even fairly low speeds with no helmet.

bakaster

I am very sorry to hear about this kid. It is always a shame when something like this, and let us keep this thread free from the helmet debate.

I will open a new thread for that.

frymaster

there's already a helmet debate thread over on a&s

https://www.bikeforums.net/advocacy-safety/96298-helmets-cramp-my-style.html

3,700+ plus posts.... mostly ad hominem attacks, gross misinterpretations of statistical data and anecdotal "evidence".

ch0mb0

bicycle bell. even when the bridge is swarmed people hear that sh*t. works for me so far...but on the streets it's another story...

uke

As a casual estimate, I'd say no more than 1 of every 10 cyclists I pass on campus wear helmets. I'm one of them. Yeah, it doesn't look as cool as riding without. But it would sure suck to have to drop out of grad school because I fell off my bike at 5mph and cracked my helmetless head on the sidewalk.

kergin

what the **** does looking cool have to do with it? I'd rather be wearing a helmet to cover my quickly thinning hair than wind up in a casket.

EGreen

My roadbike has Campy hubs. All I need to do is to lay off the pedals and the loud clicking signals my approach to pedestrians very effectively.

uke

You're asking that on this forum? For real?

mconlonx

Duderancher gets f*cked up and you use this to preach your political BS? Shame on you. From a public health standpoint, anyone in a car should have to wear a helmet--auto accidents account for the majority of brain injuries. You don't mind paying for them?

ilikebikes

Yeah, its my money, and I dont mind a bit as its going to help people that need it, I know that there are a lot of people that dont need it, but as long as it helps at least a few people who do Im cool with it.

Jabba Degrassi

I have to admit, I love the sound of a good freewheel hub coasting. It's like a rattlesnake!

EGreen

I'll adapt that! It's a cooler sensorium than a fishing reel!

Catnap 

did you just say "Duderancher"?


really???

SheistyMike

lol he said duderancher.

rickyaustin

Before I rode much - I was one of those tourists who obliviously wandered into a bike lane... and rightfully was screamed at by a cyclist.

The problem isn't tourists, the problem is uneducated tourists. I had no clue that there was serious bicycle traffic on the bridge - how could I? Just a country boy visiting the city at the time. In retrospect, that seems silly, but the truth is, people just don't know about this stuff.

Now, it's been a while since I've been on the bridge, I was in NYC last summer but didn't walk or ride the bridge... is there sufficient signage for tourists, letting them know that this is basically a traffic-way with cyclists?

I think if people knew they could injure a cyclist just by wandering into a lane, they'd be a lot safer on the bridge.

If I were in town I'd be making some posters... or something.

[Hope the kid is alright. I do always say that it's better to look like a mushroom than be a vegetable. Hope he turns out alright.]

thomas_at_BF

true that.

EGreen

bakaster

+1

rickyaustin, well said. That same situation is found all over the country. That is one of the reasons i prefer to bike in santa barbara than in even the bay area, the rules are the bike have right of way in their areas, and they are allowed to hit you if you get in their way.