My Wife's just been hit by a car!

[CopperBrompton]

One car only one car in the car park .And the silly women reversed into my wife's car .You could not make it up .

Sounds like target fixation. My favourite example of this was in the Paris Dakar rally, where there is a section across the Sahara completely featureless except for tall posts every 20 miles. Sure enough, somebody managed to drive straight into one.

 

[ThePainInSpain]

OOps, this is going to upset a few people.........

Firstly let me say that I am glad that your wife is ok, and that it is inexcusable for the driver to act in the manner he did.
But unfortunately what I have noticed in my short time on this forum is that the car driver is an evil 2 headed, horned psychopath.

I have lost count of the amount of times pedestrians have crossed the rear of my car whilst I was reversing out of a space.

The clue is in the name, CAR Park, there will be cars moving around, reversing etc.

I believe it is the responsibility of BOTH pedestrians and drivers to respect each others situation. And observing what is happening around them is the responsibilty of BOTH, it can't all be left up to the car driver.

How many times do we read on here the antics that pedestrians get up to, and how abusive you (cyclists) are to them.

If the car was reversing, then it's reversing light(s)would have been showing, that gives a clue.

I reiterate that he should not have been abusive and drive off..

I cycle, I drive (and to stir it up even more. I drive a 4x4 and yes I do give a damn about others), I ride a motor scooter and I walk. Each brings it's own set of responsibilities.

It is not my intention to offend, far from it, but there are always 2 sides.



Well that's hardly won me any popularity awards.............

 

[Panter]

Thanks again for all the well wishes

OOps, this is going to upset a few people.........

Firstly let me say that I am glad that your wife is ok, and that it is inexcusable for the driver to act in the manner he did.
But unfortunately what I have noticed in my short time on this forum is that the car driver is an evil 2 headed, horned psychopath.

I have lost count of the amount of times pedestrians have crossed the rear of my car whilst I was reversing out of a space.

The clue is in the name, CAR Park, there will be cars moving around, reversing etc.

I believe it is the responsibility of BOTH pedestrians and drivers to respect each others situation. And observing what is happening around them is the responsibilty of BOTH, it can't all be left up to the car driver.

How many times do we read on here the antics that pedestrians get up to, and how abusive you (cyclists) are to them.

If the car was reversing, then it's reversing light(s)would have been showing, that gives a clue.

I reiterate that he should not have been abusive and drive off..

I cycle, I drive (and to stir it up even more. I drive a 4x4 and yes I do give a damn about others), I ride a motor scooter and I walk. Each brings it's own set of responsibilities.

It is not my intention to offend, far from it, but there are always 2 sides.



Well that's hardly won me any popularity awards.............

Causes no upset here, FWIW I fully agree with you.
However, he wasn't reversing out of a space, he was driving slowly by when my Wife crossed behind him. He then stopped and reversed into her, presumably as he'd spotted a parking space or something.
My Wife is very aware of traffic, and wouldn't walk into the path or a reversing car. She also had my mum on her arm who is elderly, suffering with alzheimers, and is doddery on her feet so my Wife would've been extra careful in crossing.

 

[downfader]

OOps, this is going to upset a few people.........

Firstly let me say that I am glad that your wife is ok, and that it is inexcusable for the driver to act in the manner he did.
But unfortunately what I have noticed in my short time on this forum is that the car driver is an evil 2 headed, horned psychopath.

I have lost count of the amount of times pedestrians have crossed the rear of my car whilst I was reversing out of a space.

The clue is in the name, CAR Park, there will be cars moving around, reversing etc.

I believe it is the responsibility of BOTH pedestrians and drivers to respect each others situation. And observing what is happening around them is the responsibilty of BOTH, it can't all be left up to the car driver.

How many times do we read on here the antics that pedestrians get up to, and how abusive you (cyclists) are to them.

If the car was reversing, then it's reversing light(s)would have been showing, that gives a clue.

I reiterate that he should not have been abusive and drive off..

I cycle, I drive (and to stir it up even more. I drive a 4x4 and yes I do give a damn about others), I ride a motor scooter and I walk. Each brings it's own set of responsibilities.

It is not my intention to offend, far from it, but there are always 2 sides.



Well that's hardly won me any popularity awards.............

Speaking generally all I can say is that UK carparks dont often put down pavements between the cars to shepherd peds to safety from their car. You are obliged to look out for pedestrians, there is nothing anticar or evil driver about it.

The name "carpark" is besides the point. As you say there are responsibilities to all vehicle uses, but the one we all share is to be safe around others.

 

[ThePainInSpain]

Thanks again for all the well wishes



Causes no upset here, FWIW I fully agree with you.
However, he wasn't reversing out of a space, he was driving slowly by when my Wife crossed behind him. He then stopped and reversed into her, presumably as he'd spotted a parking space or something.
My Wife is very aware of traffic, and wouldn't walk into the path or a reversing car. She also had my mum on her arm who is elderly, suffering with alzheimers, and is doddery on her feet so my Wife would've been extra careful in crossing.

I made an assumption that the car was reversing.

In this case it sounds like it was entirely his fault, a small apology wouldn't have gone amiss. We all make mistakes, and a bit of humility goes a long way.

Also I have probably been living here too long, and am getting influenced by the stupidy of the Spanish. they are incapable of doing 2 things at once, ie. talking and looking where they are going.

They HAVE to look at the person they are talking to, very worrying when they're driving.

 

[benb]

What an peanut. Do keep us posted.

 

[krushavik]

Glad your Mrs is ok. Bide your time revenge will come. Can't beat a key to teach him a lesson.

 

[Dan B]

How many times do we read on here the antics that pedestrians get up to, and how abusive you (cyclists) are to them.

I think most people that post here about being abusive to pedestrians get pretty short shrift. They certainly do from me: pedestrians have more right to be on the roads than any other group of road users including cyclists.

 

[User482]

All car parks have pedestrians wandering about. Unless a ped suddenly leaps in front of you, hitting one is always going to be the driver's fault.

 

[John the Monkey]

I have lost count of the amount of times pedestrians have crossed the rear of my car whilst I was reversing out of a space.

The clue is in the name, CAR Park, there will be cars moving around, reversing etc.

I believe it is the responsibility of BOTH pedestrians and drivers to respect each others situation. And observing what is happening around them is the responsibilty of BOTH, it can't all be left up to the car driver.

When reversing, I find it useful to look in the direction of travel of my vehicle. If a pedestrian crossed that, or looked to be about to cross it, I would stop. I'm quite happy for pedestrians to wander about with nary a care in the world - I feel that, as the person in control of the large lump of metal, I have the greater responsibility for behaving in a way that allows them to do so.

If you manage to drive into someone in the relatively low speed environment of a car park, you are a dolt, and should not be allowed to drive a car. If you then abuse the person you drove into, you are a rotter, and should be shunned by society.

How many times do we read on here the antics that pedestrians get up to, and how abusive you (cyclists) are to them.

The bicycle is a smaller lump of metal than a car, but the same approach should apply. As a cyclist you have greater speed than pedestrians, and have an obligation to take care when riding around them.

 

[Archie_tect]

... I find it useful to look in the direction of travel of my vehicle...

Sound advice John... in a nut shell.

 

[Black Sheep]

If the car was reversing, then it's reversing light(s)would have been showing, that gives a clue.

while I agree with you that it is the driver's responsibility to look and be cautious etc and in this case it is his fault I am reminded of a time, when I was 15 and cycling around Guernsey (channel islands) where most drivers are very courteous, speed limit on the island is 35mph, or lower in towns and road width at best is a twisty little B road.

By this time in my life I had been riding on the roads around my parent's rural village and so quite familiar with cars moving on the road, including reversing to let larger vehicles through a narrow section of the village.

I was stood astride my hire bike behind a new ford focus (the focus was a relatively new car at the time) who was waiting as a lorry came through a narrow section of road and stopped

we all stayed in our positions for a little bit until the gentleman in the focus got out and walked round to me

"would you mind moving please young man as I need to reverse to let the lorry through"

"Of course, I'm sorry I hadn't realised"

as I moved out of the way of him reversing, i spotted the reversing light on the car, positioned by Ford, located in the lower bumper by the exhaust at the left hand side!


no wonder I hadn't seen it stood a couple of feet behind the car!

my car's reversing lights (two of them) are located in the main light cluster, which is where I think they ought to be for two reasons

1) they are easily noticeable despite how close to the car you are (ok, a truck driver might not notice them given their high seating position)

2) they give out enough light to see by when reversing

 

[Panter]

Quick update:

Mrs. P actually ended up in a bit of a bad way afterwards, with back pain and was signed off work for a week although the pain persisted over most of Christmas.

The police phoned yesterday, they found the driver and will be "giving him a stern talking too" but they won't prosecute, or even consider it, due to lack of evidence.
Thanks for the advice and support, Mrs P is fine now, albeit extremely irritated that the driver isn't going to be chased further, especially in view of his attitude and the consequences of what could have happened.

 

[John the Monkey]

The police phoned yesterday, they found the driver and will be "giving him a stern talking too" but they won't prosecute, or even consider it, due to lack of evidence.
Thanks for the advice and support, Mrs P is fine now, albeit extremely irritated that the driver isn't going to be chased further, especially in view of his attitude and the consequences of what could have happened.

Well, colour me surprised. Glad your missus is ok, that the driver has got away without any consequences worth mentioning (despite the WAR ON MOTORISTS), not so much.

 

[Ste T.]

Panter, I'm moving to Sittingbourne.

PCSO on hand and an area car there in a couple of minutes? Round my neck of the woods Bobby's are getting to be like rocking horse sh!t