Apologetic pedestrians

[Blackandblue]

This is something of a rarity on my commute (to put it mildly). This morning a lady pulling a suitcase chose to cross the road just as the lights turned green for the traffic in front of which she was crossing. I was approaching the lights as they turned green so had a reasonable amount of momentum and cruised between the two lanes of traffic that had been stationary before the lights turned green.

I had to brake and swerve to avoid hitting this woman.

She looked down and said "Sorry, my fault".

I felt like saying, "no worries, I was probably moving too quickly in the circumstances but was able to brake and avoid a collision so no harm done" but the moment passed before I could get the words out (an experience with which I imagine you can all sympathise).

But it was nice for her to apologise.

 

[ianrauk]

it always seem's to throw you when either a moton or ped apologises for their stupid actions.... "YOU FU.....oh that's alright no worries"

 

[Arch]

it always seem's to throw you when either a moton or ped apologises for their stupid actions.... "YOU FU.....oh that's alright no worries"

It's a bit like when someone bumps into you, and you apologise...

Yeah, I get wrong footed by apologies. Shows how often we get them, doesn't it?

 

[MacB]

a sincere and effusive apology is a very powerful tool if you're trying to defuse a situation, gives folks time to think, let that flash of rage ebb a bit

 

[Tynan]

I had an old lady step out from between two cars this week, not at lights, on the approach to a major RB, I had brakes covered and low speed but still barely stopped and did hit the shopping bag nearest

she didn't apologise,she snarled at me and said 'you must of seen me'

which I was hoping to be my line, I'm afraid I reacted badly after that, some swearing and insulting

 

[Arch]

I had an old lady step out from between two cars this week, not at lights, on the approach to a major RB, I had brakes covered and low speed but still barely stopped and did hit the shopping bag nearest

she didn't apologise,she snarled at me and said 'you must of seen me'

which I was hoping to be my line, I'm afraid I reacted badly after that, some swearing and insulting

A suitable reply being "yes, didn't you see me? Oh, I know, you didn't look, you old bat", or something like that.

 

[skrx]

I almost ran over some dogs yesterday on the Thames Path (after dark). The person walking them was wearing black, and I could only just see him, so I was concentrating on where he was going and trying to see if there was anyone with him. Then I saw the dogs, which were also black (and not on leads).
He was pretty apologetic, and I said not to worry. But I wonder what he'd have said if I'd actually hit one.

 

[HLaB]

An apology would be nice. I got a bit of an overdramatic 'Oh My God' I was on a long straight road about 10m behind a queue of traffic doing 22mph plus and one ped decides to cross in that gap from the offside and when she realised what speed I was going decided to run across , I just had to adjust my position and we missed my a good couple of metres no problem. The following ped tutted "Oh my God" as if it was my fault, it wasn't even close and the road was totally clear behind me.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I had an old lady step out from between two cars this week, not at lights, on the approach to a major RB, I had brakes covered and low speed but still barely stopped and did hit the shopping bag nearest

she didn't apologise,she snarled at me and said 'you must of seen me'

which I was hoping to be my line, I'm afraid I reacted badly after that, some swearing and insulting

Or you could have just criticised her for using "of" instead of "have". That would have shown her.

 

[PBancroft]

I had an old lady step out from between two cars this week, not at lights, on the approach to a major RB, I had brakes covered and low speed but still barely stopped and did hit the shopping bag nearest

she didn't apologise,she snarled at me and said 'you must of seen me'

which I was hoping to be my line, I'm afraid I reacted badly after that, some swearing and insulting

She didn't need to look, she was listening for cars.

Ergo, your fault.

 

[snakehips]

I use 'shared use paths' quite a lot , by the Thames , in Richmond Park and in Bushy Park , and frequently encounter pedestrians blocking the whole path. On a surprising number of occasions , as I ride past in the long grass by the side of the path , I hear an apology. Sometimes of course I don't. I have even had abuse , presumably for even thinking that I might be entitled to use the path !

 

[hackbike 666]

Just made me think,no horns today on the bike for todays commute as im using the 2007 Audax on a test run.

Those horns do surprise the peds as they expect that noise from a motorbike or car.

 

[Arch]

I use 'shared use paths' quite a lot , by the Thames , in Richmond Park and in Bushy Park , and frequently encounter pedestrians blocking the whole path. On a surprising number of occasions , as I ride past in the long grass by the side of the path , I hear an apology. Sometimes of course I don't. I have even had abuse , presumably for even thinking that I might be entitled to use the path !

It's funny, isn't it, how one person can take up so much space. Our riverside path is in effect a single track road width but even so, one pair of pedestrians can manage to block the whole thing - they walk a little way apart, and meander enough that you can't decide which side to go.

The annoying thing is, there is a footpath as well, separated from the main track by a grass verge. I don't blame people for walking on the main path, I do it myself, and they have every right, but do they have to take up the whole width?

 

[hackbike 666]

Had a go at a ped on the commute in.They really do cross the road like startled wabbits.Its not clever but they really get on my tits sometimes.

 

[Blackandblue]

A couple of further related observations.

I was cycling home on Friday evening and pulled up at a red light as some peds were crossing. One of them (a fairly raggedy looking old bloke) looked at me scowling and muttering something under his breath which seemed to me unlikely to be pleasanteries. I assumed he was cussing me for being on a bike. He couldn't have been objecting to the way I was cycling so it must simply have been the fact that I was a cyclist.

This next one is likely to be a bit more controversial but here goes.

On Sunday I went cycling with my 4 year old son. We cycle together on the pavement to the park. In the park we cycle on the paths - both on the cycle path and on paths that are not specifically designated as cycle paths (but there are no signs forbidding cycling on these paths). We pootle along at a very slow rate. We encounter many pedestrians. Pretty much every pedestrian we pass acknowledges us in a pleasant manner. Many smile. Many apologise for being in our way (particularly when my son somewhat over enthusiastically rings his bell to sound his presence). At junctions when we cross the road, traffic frequently stops for us to let us cross.

I'm thinking of taking my son with me everywhere I cycle as I find I encounter more friendly people that way.