Catch the conniving jaywalker

[MrHappyCyclist]

So what brake set-up are you using to avoid a ped jumping backwards into the road 2' in front of you?
I'm pretty damn sure I couldn't at 15mph, but I average about 18 on mine. (I know I've hit 44mph on it.)

I've often had pedestrians step into the road when I was doing 20mph plus, but it was never a problem because I wasn't passing them too close at that speed. If there are pedestrians near the edge of the pavement as you approach, you check back, signal if necessary, and more out further away from the kerb. (Actually it was a problem on one occasion, and it was that near miss that taught me to pass them wider.)

 

[Miquel In De Rain]

aah, I wasn't aware they could counteract the effects of momentum, limited friction friction between tyre and road in the 0.09s hypothesised in the question
Lets triple the parameters - 6 ft away you've got just over a quarter of a second to come to a halt or avoid.
Eyes and road sense won't really help at 2 ft or 6 ft

BTW I've never hit a hit a ped on any of my road bikes, or my MTB, or my cruiser, or in the car. I have hit one with the motorbike. In that case I was about 5mph. She'd been doing the back and forth dance, moved to the side and then at the last second moved back. Eye contact maintained most of the time. Middle of a dual carriageway. I stopped about 2" beyond where she was.
Eyes and road sense only do so much - you can't 100% anticipate every bit of stupidity on everyone elses part.
Sometimes the blame is 100& someone elses.

Ooops,I have,that's probably why my attitude has changed.

 

[Brains]

If you want to trace her, then there is a much easier way.

Commuters are creatures of habit, tomorrow, the next day and the day after she will cross that road in the same place at the same time.
Follow her to her office, it may take several days to trace exactly where he goes to work out the floor and company she works for, so don't get seen.