rite of passage

[ajva]

First collision with an idiotic oblivious pedestrian this morning; fortunately was not going at speed and no damage done to me or the bike. I hope he has a few bruises, though.

It happened at the City Road Cycle Crossing, which is near the Angel Islington. It's like a pedestrian crossing except for bikes; there are three roads covered by it: City Road, Goswell Road and St. John Street, and there are always at least half a dozen bikes squeezing through trying to find space quickly, as the lights change fast.

The section between Goswell and St. John consists of a cobbled street and a pavement painted with a two-way cycle lane, both tapering through a space between two buildings to emerge onto St. John's Street. When you cross, some of you have to take the cycle lane on the pavement, and some the cobbles, depending on where everyone else is; you just use your best judgement.

And this was where it happened. I was picking my spot and had irretrievably committed to the cycle lane on the pavement, when I realised to my horror that the bloke crossing laterally in front of the convoy of bicycles didn't see me, and was wearing an IPod, totally oblivious to what was going on around him.

Maybe he goes through life expecting that people will always be able to stop for him, alas impossible for me today due to not having anywhere to go. Of course, when I crashed into him and complained loudly, his attitude was to look annoyed and to shake his head as if to say "fucking idiotic cyclists", which only riled me more. However, I had a commute to be getting on with, so he still has all his teeth, the lucky bastard.

I hope I broke a bit of him.

Comments

[skibbley.livejournal.com]

I seem to hit pedestrians rarely. In Cambridge one time a toddler ran out in front of me, I braked hard and hit the floor much harder than I hit the kid who seemed fine. To the parent, "If I was riding a motorbike your child would be dead." I'm generally polite to pedestrians and other cyclists and much less so to cars.