Suicidal Schoolgirl

jonathan ellis · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Hackbike 6

Hilarious.The peds I hit last year had run from the island in the middle of the road.[:I].

How not to lock a bike. http://i14.tinypic.com/52355zr.jpg
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me too, i just ducked and nutted him, nothing else I could have done except taken the tube to work

Tynancp · June 2007

plenty of routine near misses where they're utterly in the wrong

the ones that amuse me most is when the first person at the crossig looks, sees me, knows he has time and sets off, the mob behind him all follow without looking themselves, they don't have time

currently it's the crossing outside Camden Town, incredible, I keep on thinking I've misread the lights from the way they cross with such certainty and lack of attention

you can eliminate most collisions with peds, you can't miss them all, the only one I've really really hit, three woman sprinted from the stationary oncoming traffic and in front of me, yeah I was going a bit down the hill on Essex Road, saw them but they were spread out with their arms linked, nowhere to go, dark clothes, dark night, ( i had lights, yellow top etc) hit one of them absolutely plumb as they all turned when I howled at them, stopped the bike and me (16 stone) dead in my tracks, laid her out cold

nasty business, I had the bus lane plus an empty lane to my right prior to them appearing,under the right circumstances there's very little you can do

personally I go as fast as I think safe and keep an eye on peds, you can almost always spot the ones that are going to wander out, I don't do the city mind, I bet that's well larey

el_presidente · June 2007

Outside Cannon St is pretty bad, I have to shout at peds most nights, there are temp traffic lights which have screwed up the crossing and it can get quite chaotic. A pizza moped in front of me last night nearly hit a classic "city boy" in full chalkstripe suit & shiny tie. Said city boy launched a tirade of abuse at the moped, while I watched in amusement.

john richardson · June 2007

I was walking back from the shops the other day behind teenage girl. She walked past the pedestrian crossing, stopped and then crossed the road without looking. She was no more than 3-4 feet from the crossing. The road through our village is one of those often used by a race track by articulated lorries. Perhaps their mothers have been having unnatural relations with lemmings? I think Bill Oddie should be told.

Hackbike 6 · June 2007

Ironically on last nights return commute not 50 yards from last years collision I had an almost Identical situation although said pedestrians didn't run in front of me.In the emergency situationI couldn't get to the two horn buttons although I did manage to stop.

I saw the danger earlier this time.[xx(]

Hackbike 8 Commuting Debut 09/09/2006Dawes Audax 2006 New 20/09/2006 

 Cycle Commuting since 1981 

Cycling Proficiency Test 24 May 1977 (30 years ago)

 Ride to work part 1 of 8 http://tinyurl.com/ypjapc
Ride to work part 2 of 8 http://tinyurl.com/2jfagu
Ride to work part 3 of 8 http://tinyurl.com/2jcldv 

How not to lock a bike. http://i14.tinypic.com/52355zr.jpg

Roastie · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Cab

I keep saying this, but thats reason number 2 for primary position being your default, and for me the top reason why most cycle lanes are crap.
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I had a similar close call today while in the primary (I was preparing to turn right)! The ped sees me and then just stops exactly in my trajectory, paralysed with fear I assume. Manage to nip down the inside of him with my rear wheel out to the left and off the ground! Felt quite fun actually.

richardjallen · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Ant Evans

These aren't accidents. They're throwing themselves into the road gladly! Throwing themselves into the road to escape all this hideousness. Throw yourself into the road darling, you haven't got a chance.

Beer is part of the solution. Are you?
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We want the finest bicycles available to humanity, we want them here, and we want them now!

stonemonkeycp · June 2007

posted by kobie:
I live in Amsterdam & every single day during my commute through the city of about 15 minutes, I'll have to avoid at least 5 or 6 people (pedestrians AND cyclists) who just wander out in front of me without looking.

I've never encountered a nation like them - It's more normal NOT to look where you're going than it is to look. I don't know how more of them aren't killed.

And don't get me started on those drunk/stoned tourists

Sorry kobie, I was one of those tourists and being in that state and unsure of what country I was in I looked the wrong direction as I stepped onto the first cycle lane. The cyclist that managed to avoid hitting me ended up rolling down the cycle lane and when I asked if he was ok as I helped him up he replied "cocaine, extacy?".

nortones2 · June 2007

Re Amsterdam. Uncertainty is key to safe rural and urban roads: when no-one knows whats happening, no-one assumes that you can go full steam ahead. M-ways are a separate issue: certainty is beneficial, as it is on race-tracks. The civilised, human-first arrangement is for motor traffic to take care, rather than the jaywalk principle aimed at subjugating non-motor traffic:)

Kobie · June 2007

nortones2: I think you have a point. You do have to cycle around Amsterdam expecting these idiots to jump in front of you. I've also become expert at telling from behind if somebody's on the phone or not - though it's generally pretty obvious the way they're drifting all over the road.

stonemonkey: Good to see you're helping out our local entrepreneurs [:)]

Simon L2 · June 2007

to go back to the OP. Can you imagine the worry of being the parent of girls in the teenage years? Eh? Because I'm on my third, and it's pretty damn wearing.

domtyler · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Simon L2
to go back to the OP. Can you imagine the worry of being the parent of girls in the teenage years? Eh? Because I'm on my third, and it's pretty damn wearing.
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Have you still got any hair left that isn't either grey or fallen out? My girl is only seven months old and I am already terrified for her, you must have done a pretty good job though, any tips for an amateur?

I am seriously considering moving away from London mainly due to the heavy traffic coupled with the attitudes displayed throughout this thread, i.e. roads are for vehicles, if a pedestrian gets hit or killed, well sorry but you shouldn't have been where you were.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Porridge not Petrol
________
Lebaron

Simon L2 · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by domtyler
Have you still got any hair left that isn't either grey or fallen out? My girl is only seven months old and I am already terrified for her, you must have done a pretty good job though, any tips for an amateur?
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absolutely none on the hair retention front!

Oddballcp · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by domtyler

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Simon L2

to go back to the OP. Can you imagine the worry of being the parent of girls in the teenage years? Eh? Because I'm on my third, and it's pretty damn wearing.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Have you still got any hair left that isn't either grey or fallen out? My girl is only seven months old and I am already terrified for her, you must have done a pretty good job though, any tips for an amateur?

I am seriously considering moving away from London mainly due to the heavy traffic coupled with the attitudes displayed throughout this thread, i.e. roads are for vehicles, if a pedestrian gets hit or killed, well sorry but you shouldn't have been where you were.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Porridge not Petrol
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You should see how this is debated on sfspd.

And they are a lot less London-centric than this place.

http://victoryatseaonline.com/war/kellys.html

PrettyBoyTim · June 2007

The problem I think has to do with the fact that cyclists don't make up a large proportion of the traffic. As a pedestrian, you can go for much of your life relying on being able to hear oncoming traffic, so it's a habit that people get in to. That coupled with an expectation that bikes will be going pretty slowly leaves a lot of people doing things they would not normally do.

I read somewhere of a guy that plays mp3s through his phone speakers while riding - gives him something to listen to and means that pedestrians normally turn to see him while they try and work out where the music is coming from...

alexi_drago · July 2007

"I read somewhere of a guy that plays mp3s through his phone speakers while riding - gives him something to listen to and means that pedestrians normally turn to see him while they try and work out where the music is coming from..."

That's a thought, though probably would've ended up with the same result yesterday. Heading out of edinburgh along the canal toepath I came up behind a group of 4 or 5 peds, one pushing a kid in a buggy. I slowed down and rang my bell, most of them turned and looked and they moved to the left side of the path to let me past. Just as I was about to pass the guy pushing the buggy he turned round with the buggy, placing it right in front of me across the path. No time to brake so I went off the path, luckily not the canal side but i ended up knee deep in nettles in shorts and ankle socks. The most annoying thing though was that after I'd pulled myself out and got on my way he shouted after me that I should've used my f***ing bell.

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