Almost hit someone tonight

[Wobblers]

You've just left work, it's raining but never mind because your mind's wandering onto the more pleasant thought of what route you're going to take home - Bristol Road should be quieter at this time so how about swinging past Northfield then towards Quinton? The dark blob on the pavement suddenly reveals itself to be a woman whose just stepped 5 feet in front of you and momentum's taking you inexorably towards a collision and you're not going to be able to turn in time--arrgh!!! Your arms, acting on sealed orders from your hindbrain, jerk the bike to the right while you call a warning: "Watch!". A gasp of surprise in your ear as, somehow, you circle round right in front of her... phew!

I don't know how I managed to miss her.

It seems to be a major fail of my spidey senses: normally I spot pedestrians in good time to anticipate them stepping in front of me - a skill definitely needed around Birmingham University! I was cycling a metre out from the gutter but I think I'll move further out in future. And be doubly on the lookout for pedestrians. Other than that, what else can I do?

Funnily enough, I was just thinking this morning that I've had three instances this year when I've thought I'm going to end up kissing the tarmac. That's four times, now.

I'm sooo glad I missed her...

 

[BentMikey]

Ooooh well done mate! Sometimes pedestrians just do crazy things, like you say it's rare to get so close as to be almost unable to avoid them.

 

[Aperitif]

Ha ha! Good one Andrew. This year, on my way to a Friday Nighter, I faced the inevitable when a guy came from 'nowhere', wired for sound with big headphones etc, on a warm Summer evening. At no distance I thought "here we go again..." as his face approached mine and legs seemingly straddled my front wheel.
Next thing was this guy getting off the pavement, having performed a miraculous triple salko style manoeuvre - all in a split second. his reactions were quicksmart and I could only laugh at my luck...all the way to Wellington Arch.
In daylight it is easy to notice people's phones to their ears, or peering at electronics. At night, it is only the glow of the screen that gives a clue...sometimes.
You need some more 'Chinese lights' obviously!

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

My dark blob tonight was a fox dashing from the undergrowth.

Foxes can sometimes have the road sense of a pedestrian, they are that bad!

 

[GrasB]

Foxes are fine, they run in straight lines... the fun ones are rabbits that decided to double back sometimes several times! ARRGGGSSS!

Reminds me of a ride a few weeks back... on a long, winding descent I spot 2 cyclists side by side ahead so turn off my 'main' light, which turned out to be a big mistake as I quickly came up on them it became apparent that these muppets had the white light to the BACK of their bike & what I thought was a long single straight was a short straight with a S-bend jink leading onto a longer one offset to the right & I was about to ride into the back of the said riders with a 30+mph speed difference! I wasn't too complimentary of their mental abilities though they probably didn't understand as I belted passed them.

 

[Davidc]

There are loads of stealth pedestrians (and a few stealth cyclists) around at present.

They wear matt black clothes with 0.0% reflectance.
They hide in shadows so there's no silhouette and jump out in front of vehicles. (Any vehicle will do, from a bike to a 48 tonne lorry)
They chatter on their phones 24/7 to avoid any awareness of their surroundings

Darwinian selection pressures will eventually remove them from the population but it may take a few years, so in the meantime you just need to be on your guard.

 

[downfader]

Hmm just thinking.. i'm a bit of a stealth pedestrian as I wear all black when out walking to the shops, etc.

I can sympathise after yesterday.

 

[Tynan]

raw and frankly impressive reflexes have save me twice in the last few months, once from something that should have been nasty

I thought iwas long past anything like that

 

[snorri]

a woman whose just stepped 5 feet in front of you

I just hope you stopped and gave her the whole.. Mr Angry thing, on the road, don't pay road tax, no lights and probably no insurance either.

 

[Wobblers]

Ha ha! Good one Andrew. This year, on my way to a Friday Nighter, I faced the inevitable when a guy came from 'nowhere', wired for sound with big headphones etc, on a warm Summer evening. At no distance I thought "here we go again..." as his face approached mine and legs seemingly straddled my front wheel.
Next thing was this guy getting off the pavement, having performed a miraculous triple salko style manoeuvre - all in a split second. his reactions were quicksmart and I could only laugh at my luck...all the way to Wellington Arch.
In daylight it is easy to notice people's phones to their ears, or peering at electronics. At night, it is only the glow of the screen that gives a clue...sometimes.
You need some more 'Chinese lights' obviously!

That's a good one! I had a 'Chinese light' actually - obviously it wasn't bright enough! Soon sort that out...

 

[Wobblers]

I just hope you stopped and gave her the whole.. Mr Angry thing, on the road, don't pay road tax, no lights and probably no insurance either.

Just a simple mistake, really, one I've done myself more than once. It's far more irksome being overtaken by some munchkin 10 feet before a roundabout. I won't repeat what I said when this happened this morning....

I must admit that I tend to be something of a ninja pedestrian myself. I now remind myself that I can't be seen: that's something I never used to think about before getting back on the bike.