Nearly flatened a pedestrian this morning

[David Lloyd]

I spotted two young ladies up the road from me this morning, holding a
conversation with someone in a building across the road. One of them
had a jacket with a fake fur lined hood, which she pulled up as she
continued to talk to the third person, who was hanging out of a first
storey window. Knowing how effectively a hood acts like blinkers, I
just knew this girl was paying no attension to what else was going on
around her.

I wasn't going fast, but I knew that I'd have to keep an eye on the
hooded young lady, in case she did something stupid. Sure enough, just
before I reached them, she steps off the pavement, right into my path.
I shout, apply the brakes on and prepare to change directions rapidly.
She doesn't respond, but continues to saunter across the road, her
attension fixed on her conversation with her friend above. Lucky that
she did continue in the direction she was heading, as I was able to
swing behind her. Thankfully, her companion seemed to gather what was
going on, and remained on the pavement.

I don't think she even noticed when I shouted "You dizzy....." at her
as I passed. I didn't finish that sentance, as it would have ended in
a swear word.

David Lloyd

 

[The other view point, there is one you know...http]

On 20 Nov, 10:10, David Lloyd <[email protected]> wrote:
> I spotted two young ladies up the road from me this morning, holding a
> conversation with someone in a building across the road. One of them
> had a jacket with a fake fur lined hood, which she pulled up as she
> continued to talk to the third person, who was hanging out of a first
> storey window. Knowing how effectively a hood acts like blinkers, I
> just knew this girl was paying no attension to what else was going on
> around her.
>
> I wasn't going fast, but I knew that I'd have to keep an eye on the
> hooded young lady, in case she did something stupid. Sure enough, just
> before I reached them, she steps off the pavement, right into my path.
> I shout, apply the brakes on and prepare to change directions rapidly.
> She doesn't respond, but continues to saunter across the road, her
> attension fixed on her conversation with her friend above. Lucky that
> she did continue in the direction she was heading, as I was able to
> swing behind her. Thankfully, her companion seemed to gather what was
> going on, and remained on the pavement.
>
> I don't think she even noticed when I shouted "You dizzy....." at her
> as I passed. I didn't finish that sentance, as it would have ended in
> a swear word.
>
> David Lloyd

Good job you were anticipating, motorists have to do it all the time...

 

[David Lloyd]

On 20 Nov, 10:26, "The other view point, there is one you
know...http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/03.htm"
<[email protected]> wrote:
> On 20 Nov, 10:10, David Lloyd <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > I spotted two young ladies up the road from me this morning, holding a
> > conversation with someone in a building across the road. One of them
> > had a jacket with a fake fur lined hood, which she pulled up as she
> > continued to talk to the third person, who was hanging out of a first
> > storey window. Knowing how effectively a hood acts like blinkers, I
> > just knew this girl was paying no attension to what else was going on
> > around her.
>
> > I wasn't going fast, but I knew that I'd have to keep an eye on the
> > hooded young lady, in case she did something stupid. Sure enough, just
> > before I reached them, she steps off the pavement, right into my path.
> > I shout, apply the brakes on and prepare to change directions rapidly.
> > She doesn't respond, but continues to saunter across the road, her
> > attension fixed on her conversation with her friend above. Lucky that
> > she did continue in the direction she was heading, as I was able to
> > swing behind her. Thankfully, her companion seemed to gather what was
> > going on, and remained on the pavement.
>
> > I don't think she even noticed when I shouted "You dizzy....." at her
> > as I passed. I didn't finish that sentance, as it would have ended in
> > a swear word.
>
> > David Lloyd
>
> Good job you were anticipating, motorists have to do it all the time...

And a fair few motorists fail to do it when needed, as well

I wonder if this dizzy muppet would have even noticed a car. A car,
being wider, would have had no options if she stepped out the same
distance away from it as she did from me.

 

[dkahn400]

On Nov 20, 10:26 am, "The other view point, there is one you
know...http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/03.htm"

> Good job you were anticipating, motorists have to do it all the time ...

And to be fair, many of them do.

--
Dave...

 

[squeaker]

The good (?) news is that as more, relatively quiet, hybrid-electric
vehicles appear on our roads, this sort of behavior will have it's
Darwinian consequences....

 

[big_one]

dkahn400 <[email protected]> wrote:

>On Nov 20, 10:26 am, "The other view point, there is one you
>know...http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/03.htm"
>
>> Good job you were anticipating, motorists have to do it all the time ...
>
>And to be fair, many of them do.

and to be honest, many of them just hit the horn & drive on

 

[bugbear]

David Lloyd wrote:
> I wasn't going fast, but I knew that I'd have to keep an eye on the
> hooded young lady, in case she did something stupid. Sure enough, just
> before I reached them, she steps off the pavement, right into my path.

I had a school boy (guess age 17) do this;
He was of the "too cool for school" persuasion,
swaggering along, talking at his mates.

Then he just stepped...

I shoulder checked him - hard.

Cycling experience kept me up ;-)

BugBear

 

[bugbear]

squeaker wrote:
> The good (?) news is that as more, relatively quiet, hybrid-electric
> vehicles appear on our roads, this sort of behavior will have it's
> Darwinian consequences....
>

Ah - I can see the headline now...

"Toyata Prius - the new killer"

BugBear

 

[tam]

"bugbear" <bugbear@trim_papermule.co.uk_trim> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> David Lloyd wrote:
>> I wasn't going fast, but I knew that I'd have to keep an eye on the
>> hooded young lady, in case she did something stupid. Sure enough, just
>> before I reached them, she steps off the pavement, right into my path.
>
> I had a school boy (guess age 17) do this;
> He was of the "too cool for school" persuasion,
> swaggering along, talking at his mates.
>
> Then he just stepped...
>
> I shoulder checked him - hard.
>
> Cycling experience kept me up ;-)
>
> BugBear
>
The pedestrian is going to experience a whole new world of pain on impacting
with my recumbent trike.
I have avoided them so far on my 15000 triking miles could be 25000 lost
count.
I just look upon them as wooly sheep-a bit difficult tho when confronted by
a drunken down and out usually swarming in any European city centre 24x7.
Tam

 

[Rob Morley]

In article <[email protected]>, bugbear
bugbear@trim_papermule.co.uk_trim says...
> David Lloyd wrote:
> > I wasn't going fast, but I knew that I'd have to keep an eye on the
> > hooded young lady, in case she did something stupid. Sure enough, just
> > before I reached them, she steps off the pavement, right into my path.
>
> I had a school boy (guess age 17) do this;
> He was of the "too cool for school" persuasion,
> swaggering along, talking at his mates.
>
> Then he just stepped...
>
> I shoulder checked him - hard.
>
That's my preferred approach - it raises their bike awareness more
effectively than ringing a bell.

 

[Phil Cook]

Rob Morley wrote:

>In article <[email protected]>, bugbear
>bugbear@trim_papermule.co.uk_trim says...
>> David Lloyd wrote:
>> > I wasn't going fast, but I knew that I'd have to keep an eye on the
>> > hooded young lady, in case she did something stupid. Sure enough, just
>> > before I reached them, she steps off the pavement, right into my path.
>>
>> I had a school boy (guess age 17) do this;
>> He was of the "too cool for school" persuasion,
>> swaggering along, talking at his mates.
>>
>> Then he just stepped...
>>
>> I shoulder checked him - hard.
>>
>That's my preferred approach - it raises their bike awareness more
>effectively than ringing a bell.

I've done it the other way round. Shoulder checked a POB riding on the
pavement. He made a close inspection of a solid brick wall. Very
satisfying. >
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

 

[Ekul Namsob]

bugbear <bugbear@trim_papermule.co.uk_trim> wrote:

> David Lloyd wrote:
> > I wasn't going fast, but I knew that I'd have to keep an eye on the
> > hooded young lady, in case she did something stupid. Sure enough, just
> > before I reached them, she steps off the pavement, right into my path.
>
> I had a school boy (guess age 17) do this;
> He was of the "too cool for school" persuasion,
> swaggering along, talking at his mates.
>
> Then he just stepped...
>
> I shoulder checked him - hard.

Who had right of way?

Luke


--
Red Rose Ramblings, the diary of an Essex boy in
exile in Lancashire <http://www.shrimper.org.uk>

 

[bugbear]

Ekul Namsob wrote:
> bugbear <bugbear@trim_papermule.co.uk_trim> wrote:
>
>> David Lloyd wrote:
>>> I wasn't going fast, but I knew that I'd have to keep an eye on the
>>> hooded young lady, in case she did something stupid. Sure enough, just
>>> before I reached them, she steps off the pavement, right into my path.
>> I had a school boy (guess age 17) do this;
>> He was of the "too cool for school" persuasion,
>> swaggering along, talking at his mates.
>>
>> Then he just stepped...
>>
>> I shoulder checked him - hard.
>
> Who had right of way?

Well, I'm willing to be corrected on the highway code,
but I was riding along, on the road, about 1 yard from the pavement.

I think *I* had right of way.

I'm fairly certain from his POV that stepping
out onto the road without looking isn't recommended
in the highway code.

BugBear

 

[vernon]

"David Lloyd" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:c06ea7eb-2873-4de1-8a9b-7f5ff6a72fb4@d50g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
> On 20 Nov, 10:26, "The other view point, there is one you
> know...http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/03.htm"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>> On 20 Nov, 10:10, David Lloyd <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> > I spotted two young ladies up the road from me this morning, holding a
>> > conversation with someone in a building across the road. One of them
>> > had a jacket with a fake fur lined hood, which she pulled up as she
>> > continued to talk to the third person, who was hanging out of a first
>> > storey window. Knowing how effectively a hood acts like blinkers, I
>> > just knew this girl was paying no attension to what else was going on
>> > around her.
>>
>> > I wasn't going fast, but I knew that I'd have to keep an eye on the
>> > hooded young lady, in case she did something stupid. Sure enough, just
>> > before I reached them, she steps off the pavement, right into my path.
>> > I shout, apply the brakes on and prepare to change directions rapidly.
>> > She doesn't respond, but continues to saunter across the road, her
>> > attension fixed on her conversation with her friend above. Lucky that
>> > she did continue in the direction she was heading, as I was able to
>> > swing behind her. Thankfully, her companion seemed to gather what was
>> > going on, and remained on the pavement.
>>
>> > I don't think she even noticed when I shouted "You dizzy....." at her
>> > as I passed. I didn't finish that sentance, as it would have ended in
>> > a swear word.
>>
>> > David Lloyd
>>
>> Good job you were anticipating, motorists have to do it all the time...
>
> And a fair few motorists fail to do it when needed, as well

And a fair few cyclists fail to do it when needed as well.
>
> I wonder if this dizzy muppet would have even noticed a car. A car,
> being wider, would have had no options if she stepped out the same
> distance away from it as she did from me.

And a bus or lorry being wider still would have got her sooner??... ;-)

 

[[email protected]]

bugbear wrote:
> Ekul Namsob wrote:
> > bugbear <bugbear@trim_papermule.co.uk_trim> wrote:
> >
> >> David Lloyd wrote:
> >>> I wasn't going fast, but I knew that I'd have to keep an eye on the
> >>> hooded young lady, in case she did something stupid. Sure enough, just
> >>> before I reached them, she steps off the pavement, right into my path.
> >> I had a school boy (guess age 17) do this;
> >> He was of the "too cool for school" persuasion,
> >> swaggering along, talking at his mates.
> >>
> >> Then he just stepped...
> >>
> >> I shoulder checked him - hard.
> >
> > Who had right of way?
>
> Well, I'm willing to be corrected on the highway code,
> but I was riding along, on the road, about 1 yard from the pavement.
>
> I think *I* had right of way.
>
> I'm fairly certain from his POV that stepping
> out onto the road without looking isn't recommended
> in the highway code.

well, since you are willing...

Nobody had ROW or even priority. You seem curiously proud of cycling
without sufficient care to avoid a collision. Taking your description
as accurate, it seems that the pedestrian could have done something to
mitigate the risk you pose to other road users but I don't think that
really excuses your part. Were you just being inattentive or were you
trying to "teach him a lesson".

Don't get me wrong, I find pedestrians who fail to look as frustrating
as the next commuter cyclist but I accept my responsibility for
avoiding a collison when they do

best wishes
james

 

[[email protected]]

bugbear wrote:
> Ekul Namsob wrote:
> > bugbear <bugbear@trim_papermule.co.uk_trim> wrote:
> >
> >> David Lloyd wrote:
> >>> I wasn't going fast, but I knew that I'd have to keep an eye on the
> >>> hooded young lady, in case she did something stupid. Sure enough, just
> >>> before I reached them, she steps off the pavement, right into my path.
> >> I had a school boy (guess age 17) do this;
> >> He was of the "too cool for school" persuasion,
> >> swaggering along, talking at his mates.
> >>
> >> Then he just stepped...
> >>
> >> I shoulder checked him - hard.
> >
> > Who had right of way?
>
> Well, I'm willing to be corrected on the highway code,
> but I was riding along, on the road, about 1 yard from the pavement.
>
> I think *I* had right of way.
>
> I'm fairly certain from his POV that stepping
> out onto the road without looking isn't recommended
> in the highway code.

well, since you are willing...

Nobody had ROW or even priority. You seem curiously proud of cycling
without sufficient care to avoid a collision. Taking your description
as accurate, it seems that the pedestrian could have done something to
mitigate the risk you pose to other road users but I don't think that
really excuses your part. Were you just being inattentive or were you
trying to "teach him a lesson".

Don't get me wrong, I find pedestrians who fail to look as frustrating
as the next commuter cyclist but I accept my responsibility for
avoiding a collison when they do

best wishes
james

 

[bugbear]

[email protected] wrote:
> bugbear wrote:
>
> well, since you are willing...
>
> Nobody had ROW or even priority. You seem curiously proud of cycling
> without sufficient care to avoid a collision. Taking your description
> as accurate, it seems that the pedestrian could have done something to
> mitigate the risk you pose to other road users but I don't think that
> really excuses your part.
> Were you just being inattentive or were you
> trying to "teach him a lesson".

The latter. Read on.

> Don't get me wrong, I find pedestrians who fail to look as frustrating
> as the next commuter cyclist but I accept my responsibility for
> avoiding a collison when they do

I had no way to avoid a collision. He stepped out pretty suddenly,
right in my path.

I did have a brief moment to prepare for a collision.
I braced, and led with my shoulder.

BugBear

 

[Tony Raven]

In article <7f858d0d-822e-433d-83eb-
[email protected]>, [email protected]
says...
>
> I wasn't going fast, but I knew that I'd have to keep an eye on the
> hooded young lady, in case she did something stupid. Sure enough, just
> before I reached them, she steps off the pavement, right into my path.
> I shout, apply the brakes on and prepare to change directions rapidly.
> She doesn't respond, but continues to saunter across the road, her
> attension fixed on her conversation with her friend above. Lucky that
> she did continue in the direction she was heading, as I was able to
> swing behind her. Thankfully, her companion seemed to gather what was
> going on, and remained on the pavement.
>
> I don't think she even noticed when I shouted "You dizzy....." at her
> as I passed. I didn't finish that sentance, as it would have ended in
> a swear word.
>

I had a similar one yesterday near London Victoria. Man sauntering
across the road so I aimed to go round behind him when he suddenly sees
me and stops dead right on the spot I am heading for. I make a further
correction to go further behind him when he starts to step backwards in
panic. I eventually ended up coming to a stop in front of him and let
him sort himself out and go on his way. If only the dozy idiot had
carried on walking all would have been fine.

--
Tony

"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has
taken place"
George Bernard Shaw

 

[Jim Ley]

On Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:03:19 -0000, Tony Raven
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I had a similar one yesterday near London Victoria. Man sauntering
>across the road so I aimed to go round behind him

When a pedestrian is in the street, you're supposed to _stop_ to give
him right of way, not go around him.

> I make a further
>correction to go further behind him when he starts to step backwards in
>panic. I eventually ended up coming to a stop in front of him and let
>him sort himself out and go on his way. If only the dozy idiot had
>carried on walking all would have been fine.

So eventually you figured out the correct thing to do, but not before
alarming a pedestrian, no wonder cyclists have such a bad reputation.

going around someone who's seen and acknowledged you is fine, as you
noted yourself the gentleman hadn't, so you should've acted
appropriately and stopped as is required.

Jim.

 

[Ian Smith]

On Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:14:42 GMT, Jim Ley <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:03:19 -0000, Tony Raven
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >I had a similar one yesterday near London Victoria. Man sauntering
> >across the road so I aimed to go round behind him
>
> When a pedestrian is in the street, you're supposed to _stop_ to give
> him right of way, not go around him.

Says who (or what) (besides you)?

> going around someone who's seen and acknowledged you is fine, as you
> noted yourself the gentleman hadn't, so you should've acted
> appropriately and stopped as is required.

So, you're saying that the bloke had not seen Tony? Why diod he stop
and reverse then?

regards, Ian SMith
--
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