C
Colin
Guest
On my commute to work I pass a pelican crossing on a busy main urban road. This morning as I
approached the crossing, pedestrians began to drift across. I began to slow down and rang my bell
but they kept coming. I slowed down some more and aimed for a gap in what was now a fairly solid
stream of people. I gave a loud whistle, but there was no response so I slowed further. The gap I
had been aiming for had now closed, so I decided to exercise discretion and allow the pedestrians to
cross, even though I was running late. I was now riding at walking pace, a few metres from the stop
line, and as I braked again, my brake let out a squeal. The woman nearest to me on the crossing
looked up startled, leapt about ten feet in the air and tumbled over sideways dropping her bag. I
got off the bike to help her up, but before I could, an irate man rushed towards me shouting "bloody
red light, ********!", and pointing at the traffic light, which had now, of course, turned red. I
began to protest, but the woman had now been helped up and started shrieking "you could have killed
me! he could have killed me! you nearly bloody killed me!" and the chorus joined in with "bloody
cyclists, don't pay taxes, think they own the road, ride on the pavement, never use lights, never
wear helmets." I was trying to fend off the angry vigilante and reason with the shrieking woman. My
bike was still lying in the middle of the road, cars had begun to arrive and were beeping their
horns as the light was now green again. Thinking discretion was the better part of valour I picked
up my bike and rode off, rather shaken and very depressed by the whole experience. To make matters
worse, one of my colleagues said to me this morning, in front of several co-workers "I saw you knock
a woman over this morning and just ride off".
Grrrrrrrr!
Colin
approached the crossing, pedestrians began to drift across. I began to slow down and rang my bell
but they kept coming. I slowed down some more and aimed for a gap in what was now a fairly solid
stream of people. I gave a loud whistle, but there was no response so I slowed further. The gap I
had been aiming for had now closed, so I decided to exercise discretion and allow the pedestrians to
cross, even though I was running late. I was now riding at walking pace, a few metres from the stop
line, and as I braked again, my brake let out a squeal. The woman nearest to me on the crossing
looked up startled, leapt about ten feet in the air and tumbled over sideways dropping her bag. I
got off the bike to help her up, but before I could, an irate man rushed towards me shouting "bloody
red light, ********!", and pointing at the traffic light, which had now, of course, turned red. I
began to protest, but the woman had now been helped up and started shrieking "you could have killed
me! he could have killed me! you nearly bloody killed me!" and the chorus joined in with "bloody
cyclists, don't pay taxes, think they own the road, ride on the pavement, never use lights, never
wear helmets." I was trying to fend off the angry vigilante and reason with the shrieking woman. My
bike was still lying in the middle of the road, cars had begun to arrive and were beeping their
horns as the light was now green again. Thinking discretion was the better part of valour I picked
up my bike and rode off, rather shaken and very depressed by the whole experience. To make matters
worse, one of my colleagues said to me this morning, in front of several co-workers "I saw you knock
a woman over this morning and just ride off".
Grrrrrrrr!
Colin