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

[thecritick.livejournal.com]

Oh dear. And here's me only just getting my bike repaired for this afternoon from my last crash. Perhaps we would all be safer walking. Or maybe the pedestrians should just be shot.

[ajva.livejournal.com]

I can see it now: forget Critical Mass, come on the PED HUNT. Five hundred cyclists get together "coincidentally" once a month to hunt down and shoot as many pedestrians as they can find. It would certainly teach them to watch for us coming, wouldn't it?

[babysimon]

Cool! I think drivers should do the same with cyclists.

[lolliepopp.livejournal.com]

I will just tell you the same thing I told maneatingtigger when she started hamstringing members of the public for getting in her way...it's called The Leon Code -

"No women, no kids"

but she then made me change it to

"No women with kids"

Take care and have fun!

L
x

[ajva.livejournal.com]

Sometimes it feels like they already do.

[kelemvor.livejournal.com]

Maybe he goes through life expecting that people will always be able to stop for him...
When I was a student, I nearly hit a man carrying his toddler son on his shoulders. It was at a traffic light controlled junction, and he just stepped off the pavement against the red man, without looking. When I rang the bell at him, he jumped back with a shocked look, as if to say, "Nothing can happen to me - I'm middle class!" Git.

I did hit a pedestrian once. On the cycle path. I tried to avoid him, but he leapt in front of me.

PED HUNT

[thecritick.livejournal.com]

This is a brilliant idea. We could get the News of the World to run a campaign against them, and John Reid to keep a register of Specs Offenders (for people who can't look properly when crossing roads) and make sure none of these dangerous people live adjacent to cycle lanes. Pedants would have to watch out in case mobs of outraged chavs attacked them, though.

[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.

[emmy-mallow.livejournal.com]

I hope you broke a bit of him too.

I came off twice when cycling to and from the park and ride in Oxford.

The first time was when a pedestrian randomly stepped off the pavement in the pouring rain. She had a headscarf and an umbrella and didn't look at all. I missed her, came off and skidded all over the road. She didn't even stop to see if I was okay.

The second time it was pouring with rain and a white mini van jumped the lights at the station cutting right in front of me. I braked like mad but ended up on his bonnet and then the floor. He got out and complained about the huge dent I'd made in his van and shouted at me rather a lot. I just picked myself up and cycled away. He was caught in the traffic and I wasn't.

[lovingboth]

Pedestrians are the main reason I wear a helmet. If there's a clash of heads, I want them to be the one going 'ow' a lot.

Cycle lanes on pavements tend to be bad news, because few pedestrians take much notice of the dividing line, if there is one.

I keep being tempted by an air horn, one of those fucking loud 'press a button and compressed air goes through a horn' things. I'd also use it in the ears of near misses, partly to see how high they jump.