Whoops

Gazzaputt

Knocked someone down this morning and to be honest I feel it was my fault.

Filter up the cycle lane in Moorgate after a sprint from the lights stationary traffic and I can see peds crossing in between the cars so I slow but just as I do a woman walks right into me. She went down like a sack of spuds. Thank heavens she didn't whack her head but she hit the ground with a thump.

Made sure she was ok but she seemed to be in a hurry to get off.

Oh well bike was ok and so was I.

Headhuunter

Yeah you have to be so careful of peds wandering out in front of you in London. I find myself slamming my brakes on for a ped at least once daily. Just this morning a guy wandered out into gridlocked traffic without the slightest glance, only when I shouted did he notice me and try to get out of the way.

I ran into an American woman 6 months ago, she literally emerged from behind a car stationary in traffic without the slightest look and I went into her. She went down, she was carrying a cup of Starbucks coffee which went everywhere. She got up, I checked if she was OK but she was half yelling at me, so I didn't hang around, she was the one wandering aimlessly in traffic....

cjcp

Gazzaputt wrote:

can see peds crossing in between the cars so I slow but just as I do a woman walks right into me.

Don't they teach you not to do this when you're in school.

Walking out between cars is a stupid thing to do, so, whilst it's very fortunate she didn't hit her head, I don't have much sympathy for the ped, I'm afraid.

Headhuunter

I have to say that meandering peds are one of the most dangerous things on the road IMHO. Buses - nah, cabs and mopeds - possibly, but there's nothing worse than a ped suddenly emerging from behind traffic without even looking, assuming that because the cars are stationary they can wander slowly along the cycle lane without problem

lost_in_thought

cjcp wrote:

Gazzaputt wrote:

can see peds crossing in between the cars so I slow but just as I do a woman walks right into me.

Don't they teach you not to do this when you're in school.

Walking out between cars is a stupid thing to do, so, whilst it's very fortunate she didn't hit her head, I don't have much sympathy for the ped, I'm afraid.

Agreed. If you're a ped on a busy road, it's up to you to remember that smaller vehicles can still go through traffic and bloomin' well look! I tend to shout at them. 'Oi' or similar.

always_tyred

cjcp wrote:

Gazzaputt wrote:

can see peds crossing in between the cars so I slow but just as I do a woman walks right into me.

Don't they teach you not to do this when you're in school.

Walking out between cars is a stupid thing to do, so, whilst it's very fortunate she didn't hit her head, I don't have much sympathy for the ped, I'm afraid.

I used to find the similarity between Darth Vader, the Green Cross Code man and that chap selling tinned peas rather confusing.

Headhuunter

lost_in_thought wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Gazzaputt wrote:

can see peds crossing in between the cars so I slow but just as I do a woman walks right into me.

Don't they teach you not to do this when you're in school.

Walking out between cars is a stupid thing to do, so, whilst it's very fortunate she didn't hit her head, I don't have much sympathy for the ped, I'm afraid.

Agreed. If you're a ped on a busy road, it's up to you to remember that smaller vehicles can still go through traffic and bloomin' well look! I tend to shout at them. 'Oi' or similar.

I tend to shout "'scuse me coming through" or something, but sometimes yuo just don't get time and all you can do is slam the brakes on. By and large though I think with the rise in popularity of cycling in London, peds are becoming more and more aware of us but there are still out of towners to contend with

Gazzaputt

Didn't have time to shout she walked straight in front.

Oh well I suppose next time she'll check the traffic better.

suzyb

Headhuunter wrote:

I tend to shout "'scuse me coming through" or something, but sometimes yuo just don't get time and all you can do is slam the brakes on. By and large though I think with the rise in popularity of cycling in London, peds are becoming more and more aware of us but there are still out of towners to contend with

Like us country yokels who've only seen bike lanes on the TV :P

King Donut

I'm gonna stick up for the peds a bit here. Yes, it's completely their responsibility to look and be more aware of cycles/motorbikes filtering. But I honestly think they're getting better as they get more used to having us around, so hopefully it's just a matter of time.

Having said all that I still have very little sympathy with them when they do it. From the sounds of it Gazzaputt you were hardly at any fault.

Wallace1492

King Donut wrote:

I'm gonna stick up for the peds a bit here..... Having said all that I still have very little sympathy with them.

Not much sticking up there then!! :P :P

the_hundredth_idiot

@ Gazzaput

I think you're being a little hard on yourself. It does sound as if the fault was primarily with the ped. She should have been keeping an eye out for bikes/motorbikes/etc if she was stepping between cars.

Tooley Street is the worst on my commute for the same reasons - the traffic tends to be solid during rush hours so bikes and motorbikes filter. Problem is that the peds just dive across the road wherever they think there is a gap. I've seen quite a few accidents where a cyclist has knocked down a ped who stepped out into the road without looking.

I'm extra careful on Tooley Street because of that. I've had a few close calls with peds stepping out in front of me but no accidents so far (probably more by luck than skill or judgment on my part).

Headhuunter

The Hundredth Idiot wrote:

@ Gazzaput

I think you're being a little hard on yourself. It does sound as if the fault was primarily with the ped. She should have been keeping an eye out for bikes/motorbikes/etc if she was stepping between cars.

Tooley Street is the worst on my commute for the same reasons - the traffic tends to be solid during rush hours so bikes and motorbikes filter. Problem is that the peds just dive across the road wherever they think there is a gap. I've seen quite a few accidents where a cyclist has knocked down a ped who stepped out into the road without looking.

I'm extra careful on Tooley Street because of that. I've had a few close calls with peds stepping out in front of me but no accidents so far (probably more by luck than skill or judgment on my part).

I always find the turn from London Br into Tooley St on the way home to be problematic. For some reason, and I've never really worked out why, most peds waiting to cross the top of Tooley St from the bridge to the station side always seem to be looking down the hill at traffic on the other side rather than at traffic on their side of the road. I've had a few near misses there with several idiots wandering out looking the wrong way...

jonginge

Bad luck Gazza, probably not your fault at all. Moorgate is awful for peds crossing without looking; jumping in and out of the bike lanes etc.

After a few near misses, I'm now in primary all the way up there, moving into the right-hand lane and maintaining it up city road where I turn into worship st. Still a ped gauntlet, though

snooks

Headhuunter wrote:

For some reason, and I've never really worked out why, most peds waiting to cross the top of Tooley St from the bridge to the station side always seem to be looking down the hill at traffic on the other side rather than at traffic on their side of the road. I've had a few near misses there with several idiots wandering out looking the wrong way...

They are looking at the station thinking "Home, Home, must go home"

tebbit

I once threaded my Fireblade between two pedestrians in Manchester, who were walking where they shouldn't have been, it did give me a certain degree of pleasure, if the the little green man has stopped flashing and is now red, and has been for a while don't cross.

It was a favourite motorbike commute moment of mine though.

Gazzaputt

Again!!!!!!!!!! :shock:

Bloody woman on King William Street crosses in front I think I've avoided her but catch her laptop bag strap and go down. Sorry to say I lost it at her the stupid bint.


Bloody new bike has scratches now

cjcp

Gazzaputt wrote:

Again!!!!!!!!!! :shock:

Bloody woman on King William Street crosses in fornt I think I've avoided her but catch her laptop bag strap and go down. Sorry to say I lost it at her the stupid bint.


Bloody new bike has scratches now

That's rotten luck. And I was just talking about the hazards posed by peds (on Moorgate) with JG at the lights on Cannon Street!

How exactly did you lose it? Or can you not say?

I can't help it, but I have visions of you going down like LA on Luz Ardiden in 2003 when he caught the musette on his bars. Sorry.

Gazzaputt

Fired some very choice words after she just looked at me on the ground and says 'oh for gods sake'.

Bloody new bike so it really peeded me off. Luckily was only going about 5mph but you know what it's like when hitting the deck still hurts.

PinkPedal

Ouch - that is bad luck.

This week seems to have been bad for lemming peds. I nearly hit one the other day (not eevn when in heavy traffic) - the guy just stepped out into the road in front of me after doing the classic of looking right at me but obviously not seeing me. I shouted and he moved then shouted after me sarcastically "nice bell" but if someone steps right out in front of you there is no time for the bell - you are frantically braking. Grrrrr.

cee

I agree that pedestrians have a responsibility for their own safety and should pay more attention.

I also think that when the traffic is busy and we are filtering, we also have a responsibility to only do so when it is safe. It is especially important to be hyper vigilante in filtering scenarios because at that time we are moving outwith the normal flow of traffic.

It is easy to understand how a pedestrian might assume that because the traffic is stopped.....nothing will be moving!

Even after all of this though, accidents will still happen. but i do hope that as more of us take to 2 wheels, people will take bikes into the 'is it safe' decision when they cross the street.

Gazzaputt

cee wrote:

I also think that when the traffic is busy and we are filtering, we also have a responsibility to only do so when it is safe. It is especially important to be hyper vigilante in filtering scenarios because at that time we are moving out with the normal flow of traffic.

Both time I've been in a cycle lane therefore as far as I'm aware I can filter up the inside as the cycle lane isn't part of the carriageway. Is this correct?

Also if there are crossing points on the road and the ped doesn't use them the responsibility is with them to ensure it is safe to cross?