Relative intelligence of animals crossing my path

veronese68
veronese68 Posts: 27,249
edited July 2011 in Commuting chat
Riding to work I had 4 different animals trying to cross in front of me. first were a mother and baby deer, running towards the path. I slowed but the mother deer saw me and stopped whilst baby ploughed straight into the back of her. Well done old deer, 10/10.
A Squirrel ran out in front of me, I braked, it saw me and darted off from whence it came. Not bad, at least you looked, 6/10.
A girl sending a text message stepped out into the road without looknig up. I braked hard whilst shouting "Look where you're going!" She screamed and stuck to the spot. I came to a halt as she was right in the way. She muttered ond stepped back onto the pavement. Complete fail 0/10.
Does this prove that wildlife has more sense than pedestrians with electronics?

Comments

  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    Proof beyond doubt. Thick as pigsh1t.
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • She muttered? what a daft bint.

    Fairplay to you for not hurling abuse at her, proof beyond doubt that the majority of people live in their own little heads and only peek out at the real world when confronted with the danger of losing life or at the very least bodily functions. You should of kept going and put her out of her misery. :twisted:

    Kill 'em all, let God sort 'em out.
  • Confusedboy
    Confusedboy Posts: 287
    When I worked on the railway in the 70s, it was sadly not uncommon for trains in the South Wales Valleys to run over sheep. A train needs a bit of space to stop.

    Other animals, cows, horses, dogs etc, would, if they were aware the train was coming, dart off to the side of the track, and I once saw a fox dart in front of the train to escape the Beaufort Hunt in Wiltshire, a high-risk but successful ploy. Sheep are spectacularly stupid though, and they would, in response to the horn, try to outrun the oncoming train. On the Valleys we'd be doing around 50 as a rule, and a sheep running on a railway line can manage perhaps 20.

    They would then realise that the train was catching up, and move off to the side of the track at the last second. But then, and this is where they would reveal the true depth of thier stupidity, they would stop and look around to make sure they were clear, to be inevitably brained to death by the cab steps. I got a b*llocing from my boss for being one of a group of sickos who would chalk them up on the cab door as confirmed or unconfirmed kills, Biggles stylee.
  • SimonAH
    SimonAH Posts: 3,730
    Brained to death! I love it, what an excellent expression!

    "How did he die"
    "Brained to death with a lead pipe in the library" :D

    I remember a sheep killed on the Rhigos mountain road by a car that someone then somehow stood up in the road.

    Stayed there for about three days with people driving around it thinking it was just a standard, brain dead valleys sheep.
    FCN 5 belt driven fixie for city bits
    CAADX 105 beastie for bumpy bits
    Litespeed L3 for Strava bits

    Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
  • I was cycling through Musselburgh one evening, and a young lass on a mobile phone decided to walk right into my path. I weighed on the anchors and the noise made her look up. I heard her say to the person on the phone, "Hang-on a sec, I'm just about to be knocked over by a cyclist.".

    Not one slight flinch, or attempt to move out of the way. Make sheep look clever, frankly.
  • SimonAH
    SimonAH Posts: 3,730
    We've got squoils (that's a tough squirrel with a New York accent) in Cwmbran that I've had fring off my spokes on two occasions in the last year or so. They run out, clock you coming, run back, change their mind and run back out in front of you again. Bizarre behaviour.

    I do agree with peds and phones though, the number of times I've seen someone just amble out into the road without so much as raising their eyes from the screen. Coupled with an iPod and you have a really dangerous beast indeed. You cannot hit a full sized ped at speed and expect to remain on your bike.
    FCN 5 belt driven fixie for city bits
    CAADX 105 beastie for bumpy bits
    Litespeed L3 for Strava bits

    Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
  • Gussio
    Gussio Posts: 2,452
    In general, people are idiots.
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    When I worked on the railway in the 70s, it was sadly not uncommon for trains in the South Wales Valleys to run over sheep. A train needs a bit of space to stop.

    Other animals, cows, horses, dogs etc, would, if they were aware the train was coming, dart off to the side of the track, and I once saw a fox dart in front of the train to escape the Beaufort Hunt in Wiltshire, a high-risk but successful ploy. Sheep are spectacularly stupid though, and they would, in response to the horn, try to outrun the oncoming train. On the Valleys we'd be doing around 50 as a rule, and a sheep running on a railway line can manage perhaps 20.

    They would then realise that the train was catching up, and move off to the side of the track at the last second. But then, and this is where they would reveal the true depth of thier stupidity, they would stop and look around to make sure they were clear, to be inevitably brained to death by the cab steps. I got a b*llocing from my boss for being one of a group of sickos who would chalk them up on the cab door as confirmed or unconfirmed kills, Biggles stylee.

    Very good point about sheep. The narrow road to Southerndown beach has sheep standing on the verges. They have whole hillside to run up, but no, they continue to run on the road.
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • Rich158
    Rich158 Posts: 2,348
    Veronese68 wrote:
    Riding to work I had 4 different animals trying to cross in front of me. first were a mother and baby deer, running towards the path. I slowed but the mother deer saw me and stopped whilst baby ploughed straight into the back of her. Well done old deer, 10/10.
    A Squirrel ran out in front of me, I braked, it saw me and darted off from whence it came. Not bad, at least you looked, 6/10.
    A girl sending a text message stepped out into the road without looknig up. I braked hard whilst shouting "Look where you're going!" She screamed and stuck to the spot. I came to a halt as she was right in the way. She muttered ond stepped back onto the pavement. Complete fail 0/10.
    Does this prove that wildlife has more sense than pedestrians with electronics?

    The ones I love are those that on realising they're in the middle of the road, look up, see abike bearinf down on them, panic and then can't decide which way to run and do a little dance from side to side, at least if the feckers stood still I'd have a chance of missing them.
    pain is temporary, the glory of beating your mates to the top of the hill lasts forever.....................

    Revised FCN - 2
  • I've had a rat run between front and back wheels whilst I was riding under twickenham bridge. It shot out from the undergrowth and straight accross the path under my pedals and I just caught its tail under my rear wheel. The rat didn't seem too concerned, I, to my shame, audibly squealed :oops:
  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    Rich158 wrote:
    Veronese68 wrote:
    Riding to work I had 4 different animals trying to cross in front of me. first were a mother and baby deer, running towards the path. I slowed but the mother deer saw me and stopped whilst baby ploughed straight into the back of her. Well done old deer, 10/10.
    A Squirrel ran out in front of me, I braked, it saw me and darted off from whence it came. Not bad, at least you looked, 6/10.
    A girl sending a text message stepped out into the road without looknig up. I braked hard whilst shouting "Look where you're going!" She screamed and stuck to the spot. I came to a halt as she was right in the way. She muttered ond stepped back onto the pavement. Complete fail 0/10.
    Does this prove that wildlife has more sense than pedestrians with electronics?

    The ones I love are those that on realising they're in the middle of the road, look up, see abike bearinf down on them, panic and then can't decide which way to run and do a little dance from side to side, at least if the feckers stood still I'd have a chance of missing them.
    Had one of those on the run to parliament square the other day, There was a ped crossing about 20 metres down the road... :roll:
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
    Rides
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,249
    Some people I grant you are just plain stupid. I think as soon as anything electronic is introduced the ability to think goes out the window, even for a person that may otherwise be reasonably competent. They get so totally immersed in Spacebook, Twatter, Angry Burds or whatever else they can't think of anything other than that.
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    Rich158 wrote:
    Veronese68 wrote:
    Riding to work I had 4 different animals trying to cross in front of me. first were a mother and baby deer, running towards the path. I slowed but the mother deer saw me and stopped whilst baby ploughed straight into the back of her. Well done old deer, 10/10.
    A Squirrel ran out in front of me, I braked, it saw me and darted off from whence it came. Not bad, at least you looked, 6/10.
    A girl sending a text message stepped out into the road without looknig up. I braked hard whilst shouting "Look where you're going!" She screamed and stuck to the spot. I came to a halt as she was right in the way. She muttered ond stepped back onto the pavement. Complete fail 0/10.
    Does this prove that wildlife has more sense than pedestrians with electronics?

    The ones I love are those that on realising they're in the middle of the road, look up, see abike bearinf down on them, panic and then can't decide which way to run and do a little dance from side to side, at least if the feckers stood still I'd have a chance of missing them.

    Rich - are you talking about people or wildlife?
    :D
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • MichaelW
    MichaelW Posts: 2,164
    SimonAH wrote:
    We've got squoils (that's a tough squirrel with a New York accent) in Cwmbran that I've had fring off my spokes on two occasions in the last year or so. They run out, clock you coming, run back, change their mind and run back out in front of you again. Bizarre behaviour.

    We too, they make a really twangy sound.

    Normal pedestrain behaviour when they want to evade is to take a step backwards, no matter where the danger comes from. NEVER squeeze between a pedestrian and the cub. They will step back into your path even if you were on a safe trajectory.
  • sketchley
    sketchley Posts: 4,238
    cjcp wrote:
    When I worked on the railway in the 70s, it was sadly not uncommon for trains in the South Wales Valleys to run over sheep. A train needs a bit of space to stop.

    Other animals, cows, horses, dogs etc, would, if they were aware the train was coming, dart off to the side of the track, and I once saw a fox dart in front of the train to escape the Beaufort Hunt in Wiltshire, a high-risk but successful ploy. Sheep are spectacularly stupid though, and they would, in response to the horn, try to outrun the oncoming train. On the Valleys we'd be doing around 50 as a rule, and a sheep running on a railway line can manage perhaps 20.

    They would then realise that the train was catching up, and move off to the side of the track at the last second. But then, and this is where they would reveal the true depth of thier stupidity, they would stop and look around to make sure they were clear, to be inevitably brained to death by the cab steps. I got a b*llocing from my boss for being one of a group of sickos who would chalk them up on the cab door as confirmed or unconfirmed kills, Biggles stylee.

    Very good point about sheep. The narrow road to Southerndown beach has sheep standing on the verges. They have whole hillside to run up, but no, they continue to run on the road.

    If you every get the chance to do the Applecross loop and the Bealach Na Ba there are sheep all over the road round there. Single track road mind and sheer cliff faces and steep drops in places so when you swerve to avoid them watch out. Apparently they don't like midges either and a prone to loosing it and running in the road!
    --
    Chris

    Genesis Equilibrium - FCN 3/4/5
  • pangolin
    pangolin Posts: 6,279
    MichaelW wrote:
    NEVER squeeze between a pedestrian and the cub. They will step back into your path even if you were on a safe trajectory.

    They get very overprotective if they have their cubs with them. Best avoided.
    - Genesis Croix de Fer
    - Dolan Tuono
  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    MichaelW wrote:
    SimonAH wrote:
    We've got squoils (that's a tough squirrel with a New York accent) in Cwmbran that I've had fring off my spokes on two occasions in the last year or so. They run out, clock you coming, run back, change their mind and run back out in front of you again. Bizarre behaviour.

    We too, they make a really twangy sound.

    Normal pedestrain behaviour when they want to evade is to take a step backwards, no matter where the danger comes from. NEVER squeeze between a pedestrian and the cub. They will step back into your path even if you were on a safe trajectory.
    Unless they start to run to get across the road... normally back into the path of your newly changed direction. Pesky blighters these pedestrians
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
    Rides
  • Kieran_Burns
    Kieran_Burns Posts: 9,757
    pangolin wrote:
    MichaelW wrote:
    NEVER squeeze between a pedestrian and the cub. They will step back into your path even if you were on a safe trajectory.

    They get very overprotective if they have their cubs with them. Best avoided.

    I think he meant keb :wink:
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
    2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
    2011 Trek Madone 4.5
    2012 Felt F65X
    Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter
  • pangolin
    pangolin Posts: 6,279
    pangolin wrote:
    MichaelW wrote:
    NEVER squeeze between a pedestrian and the cub. They will step back into your path even if you were on a safe trajectory.

    They get very overprotective if they have their cubs with them. Best avoided.

    I think he meant keb :wink:

    I think he meant kerb. But stop ruining the joke!
    - Genesis Croix de Fer
    - Dolan Tuono
  • kamiokande
    kamiokande Posts: 55
    I cycle along a towpath quite regularly and often see people walking their dogs without leads. It's amazing how many times they (the dogs) just wander into your path, do they have no perception of proximity or trajectories?

    Also saw a lad on a bike the other day texting as he was riding towards me. There were lots of people around so I couldn't move out of his way so I just stopped. He only looked up when his front wheel hit mine...
  • fidbod
    fidbod Posts: 317
    When I worked on the railway in the 70s, it was sadly not uncommon for trains in the South Wales Valleys to run over sheep. A train needs a bit of space to stop.

    Other animals, cows, horses, dogs etc, would, if they were aware the train was coming, dart off to the side of the track, and I once saw a fox dart in front of the train to escape the Beaufort Hunt in Wiltshire, a high-risk but successful ploy. Sheep are spectacularly stupid though, and they would, in response to the horn, try to outrun the oncoming train. On the Valleys we'd be doing around 50 as a rule, and a sheep running on a railway line can manage perhaps 20.

    They would then realise that the train was catching up, and move off to the side of the track at the last second. But then, and this is where they would reveal the true depth of thier stupidity, they would stop and look around to make sure they were clear, to be inevitably brained to death by the cab steps. I got a b*llocing from my boss for being one of a group of sickos who would chalk them up on the cab door as confirmed or unconfirmed kills, Biggles stylee.

    :D:D:D

    PMSL