Hit my first pedestrian :(

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Kookas

Über Member
Location
Exeter
Unfortunately, in London it seems that pedestrians treat cyclists with the same contempt that drivers do. There are those that look and stop to let you pass; those suicide cases that don't look and cross; those that look you in the eye and cross right in front of you.

The wonderful 1st set of peds are in the minority and I often smile with thanks as I pass. However, if you think the 3rd set of peds are allies, I can't imagine what your enemies are like.

Can you imagine the mayhem when electric cars become more popular? My partner had a test drive of an electric Smart the other week and you can't hear it coming... Those peds that can't be arsed to look might want to rethink their road crossing strategy.

It's not contempt though. I think a lot of people are opportunistic - you see them doing the same to cars, even making the cars have to come to a complete stop sometimes.
 

Davidsw8

Senior Member
Location
London
It's not contempt though. I think a lot of people are opportunistic - you see them doing the same to cars, even making the cars have to come to a complete stop sometimes.

Ok, maybe not contempt... but some of the looks I get sometimes just for cycling down the road (and I think I'm massively considerate)
 

Dan B

Disengaged member
It's not contempt though. I think a lot of people are opportunistic - you see them doing the same to cars, even making the cars have to come to a complete stop sometimes.
Right, and car drivers never force pedestrians to give way to them
 

SomethingLikeThat

Über Member
Location
South London
Yes in that I understand you, no in terms the developers of the forum software thinking that would be a good way to do it.
I have seen other forums with a multiquote button on each post. I suppose it depends on what forum software they are using, what version and what features they have decided to enable.
 

jonny jeez

Legendary Member
Always frustrating, always their fault but always your responsibility.

Sorry to hear about this Jez, and well played for taking the view and approach that you did.

I drove my daughters to the station on Saturday and interrupted the chat as a girl crossed between us and was nearly hit by a motorcycle, I called out to her to stop and look but she couldn't hear me.

My daughters were both a bit shocked, I asked them to promise me that if they ever cross between cars that they will always pretend there is another lane, beyond the last lane...one that motorcycles and cycles will travel in and that they will look right as well as left when popping out between the cars..
 

Miquel In De Rain

No Longer Posting
Ok, maybe not contempt... but some of the looks I get sometimes just for cycling down the road (and I think I'm massively considerate)

For some reason I seem to think this has something to do with media hype,us not being liked and all that.The same old conversations against cyclists.I get it in the messroom,it's the same old tired cliches.
 

Davidsw8

Senior Member
Location
London
Always frustrating, always their fault but always your responsibility.

Sorry to hear about this Jez, and well played for taking the view and approach that you did.

I drove my daughters to the station on Saturday and interrupted the chat as a girl crossed between us and was nearly hit by a motorcycle, I called out to her to stop and look but she couldn't hear me.

My daughters were both a bit shocked, I asked them to promise me that if they ever cross between cars that they will always pretend there is another lane, beyond the last lane...one that motorcycles and cycles will travel in and that they will look right as well as left when popping out between the cars..

Talking about warning people... I was waiting for the green man at a shared cycle/pedestrian crossing a few weeks ago, the sequence is a bit convoluted as it's on 2 junctions and the last bit of traffic that goes through before its safe to cross is the traffic coming from across the road to turn right into the main road. 3 women were stood in the central island where the last bit of traffic would be coming from behind them to turn right, they didn't bother to look behind or to the left, they just crossed as the cars were coming behind them, so I shouted 'Watch out!', they just calmly carried on walking and made the moving traffic stop for them.

As they passed me and got on to the pavement, one of them turned round and said (sarcastically) 'thanks for the warning!'...
 
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