Hit my first pedestrian :(

[Jezston]

Filtering around the outside of stopped traffic, going pretty slow, a woman looking the other way steps out in front of me from between stopped vehicles, one of them being a van so I didn't see her moving between them.

Not really sure exactly what happened next, as these things always seem to have taken longer than they actually did, but I do recall shouting "whoah!" and for some reason not being able to stop as quickly as I expected. I went into the side of her at what must have been quite a low speed and stumbled slightly, she carried on to the other side of the road.

We were both fine, however it appears I headbutted her in the ear with a helmeted head which apparently hurt quite a bit.

Feel like an arse.

 

[BSRU]

Stupid pedestrians walking without due care and attention

 

[fenlandpsychocyclist]

I had a kid step out into an "empty" road without looking, somehow my handlebar caught his iphone and yanked it and his earphones clean off!!
No damage to the phone, but a very sheepish apologetic lad.

 

[peppyuk]

Why do you feel bad? Clearly she needs to watch where she is going!

 

[cyberknight]

Stupid pedestrians walking without due care and attention

Even they cant stop Lance when he was doped ...
35 seconds in

 

[Tynan]

Over all the years in Lahnden I've knocked down, ummm four, hit a few more and had near misses a lot, in every instance their fault with very little I could have done differently other than get off and push, you can only minimise the risk, only one needed an ambulance - she was unconscious for 20 minutes (and very very drunk)

OP - why feel like an arse? there's a point when someone comes from a blind spot that you can't stop in time or avoid

 

[Davidsw8]

Filtering around the outside of stopped traffic, going pretty slow, a woman looking the other way steps out in front of me from between stopped vehicles, one of them being a van so I didn't see her moving between them.

Not really sure exactly what happened next, as these things always seem to have taken longer than they actually did, but I do recall shouting "whoah!" and for some reason not being able to stop as quickly as I expected. I went into the side of her at what must have been quite a low speed and stumbled slightly, she carried on to the other side of the road.

We were both fine, however it appears I headbutted her in the ear with a helmeted head which apparently hurt quite a bit.

Feel like an arse.

It was her fault for not looking and crossing between parked cars. Did she apologise?

I had a guy nearly knock me off this morning cos he was too busy concentrating on the text he was composing. He was walking along on the pavement and just decided it was time to step sideways out to cross the road. I shouted 'Oy' just in time to stop him, he gave me the vilest look.

 

[Tynan]

in fairness to Peds in general, all of mine were apologetic and admitted it was their fault, and invariably walked off, sometimes with me lying in the road

 

[theclaud]

It was her fault for not looking and crossing between parked cars. Did she apologise?

I had a guy nearly knock me off this morning cos he was too busy concentrating on the text he was composing. He was walking along on the pavement and just decided it was time to step sideways out to cross the road. I shouted 'Oy' just in time to stop him, he gave me the vilest look.

Pedestrians may cross wherever they like. It is unwise on their part not to look but it isn't an excuse for running them over. It is greatly to Jezston's credit that he looks first to his own riding and takes responsibility for the incident. Since no-one was badly hurt I don't think he should beat himself up about it, but it's refreshing that he isn't attempting to blame the pedestrian. Title's a bit worrying though, Jezston - reads as if you have broken a duck!

 

[HLaB]

The only time I've hit a ped (touchwood) was when I was new to cycling and stupidly filtered care free down a cycle lane to the left of a large queue of traffic. As I was passing stationery vans a pedestrian suddenly jog out from in between them. We both apologised to each other and he reassured me I had nothing to apologise for but like Jezston I still felt bad its just my nature and I think I prefer it that way

 

[Davidsw8]

Pedestrians may cross wherever they like. It is unwise on their part not to look but it isn't an excuse for running them over. It is greatly to Jezston's credit that he looks first to his own riding and takes responsibility for the incident. Since no-one was badly hurt I don't think he should beat himself up about it, but it's refreshing that he isn't attempting to blame the pedestrian. Title's a bit worrying though, Jezston - reads as if you have broken a duck!

True, they can cross where they like (unfortunately), but they can't really complain if they get hit by a vehicle if they can't be bothered to look. If they have no care for their well-being, who else will?

This evening, I watched a mother drag her child across a massively busy road just south of Lambeth Bridge because she was too lazy to walk the 15 metres to the nearby zebra crossing. She has every right to cross there but you'd think some kind of parental protective instinct might kick in and say 'let's cross at this place specially designed for me to cross more safely'. And it'd be someone elses' fault if she or her kid had got hit? That's not right is it?

 

[theclaud]

True, they can cross where they like (unfortunately), but they can't really complain if they get hit by a vehicle if they can't be bothered to look. If they have no care for their well-being, who else will?

This evening, I watched a mother drag her child across a massively busy road just south of Lambeth Bridge because she was too lazy to walk the 15 metres to the nearby zebra crossing. She has every right to cross there but you'd think some kind of parental protective instinct might kick in and say 'let's cross at this place specially designed for me to cross more safely'. And it'd be someone elses' fault if she or her kid had got hit? That's not right is it?

We do this subject a lot. We know that pedestrians are apt to cross without looking, so we should cycle accordingly. We all fail occasionally to see something coming, and that is understandable, but it's no reason to go on as if people deserve to be hit.

 

[Davidsw8]

We do this subject a lot. We know that pedestrians are apt to cross without looking, so we should cycle accordingly. We all fail occasionally to see something coming, and that is understandable, but it's no reason to go on as if people deserve to be hit.

Sorry if it seemed that I think people 'deserve' to be hit, I'm a ped myself sometimes . But, if someone gets hit crossing the road without bothering to look, I'm afraid I have very little sympathy... and if they cause someone else to be hurt, then I'm downright angry about it.

 

[jdtate101]

One of my personal hates...people absorbed in texting or emailing on their phones and causing all sorts of mayhem to other pedestrians and road users. Some double up the farkwitery and also have earphones in at full blast.

 

[mrandmrspoves]

Nobody has asked the important question yet.........is your bicycle ok?