Saw a pedestrian get hit by bike today

[PBancroft]

Rang my bell whilst passing two pedestrians from behind this morning (it's a proper old school I <3 my bike bring-bring unit).

I rang it when I was about 10m behind them, they were ambling all over the pavement/cycle lane, I rang it as gently and sweetly as you can, just once. I passed them dead slow albeit on their left as they had wandered over to the right

"What the f*ck are you ringing that poxy bell for?" said Mr Ped.

Can't win.

Story I've told before but it still makes me smile.

A couple of years ago I was cycling home from a trip to Swanage along a shared use path. We were approaching an older gent from behind (also on a bike) and he was weaving across the path - we also didn't want to surprise him so gently rang our bells. No change in behaviour. We both tried again, more forcefully this time... again, no change.

Finally, we went for the old standby of "Excuse us" and pootled past on the grass.

"Oh hello!" said the old chap as we went past "You boys really should get a bell..."

 

[Arch]

The bit emboldened is meaningless by the way.

No it isn't. A bell is an instrument, and can be played like any other, with feeling.

If you ring a bell, some poeple will take offence, because they assume you're using it like most drivers use their horns - to say 'get out of my way'. If you don't use your bell and say 'excuse me', some people will take offence and say "You should have a bell". You can't win.

 

[jonesy]

I was riding along a shared use path through a park recently and an old man was in front of me walking his dog with one of those long extendible leads. The dog ran to the other side of the path to him, completely blocking it with the lead. So I slowed right down, he moved his dog out the way, I smiled and said thanks and we both went on our way. Terrible isn't it those shared use paths, just how can we possibly co-exist?

 

[dellzeqq]

[QUOTE 1515070"]
Don't start what? I've seen the link. riding through an area that is heavily populated with peds you should watch your speed and take special care.
[/quote]
absolutely.

Tooting High Street is a prime example. Pedestrians every which way. The sensible thing to do is to slow right down.

I do see the merit of bells - they convey a clear message - but I always think they sound a bit impersonal.

 

[BlackPanther]

My friendly bell goes 'ting'

My thunder horn goes 'BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP'



When approaching from behind, pedestrians get the 1st bell. When they step out blindly on to the road, they get the 2nd, and possibly a perforated ear drum.

 

[Little yellow Brompton]

I could feel the frustration from the lady cyclist. God knows I've felt it there myself. People just do not look on that road. I stopped ringing the bell there due to the idiot comments as I passed.

The idea of removing the street furniture and levelling the road/pavement is to blur the edges of "That's my bit / That's your bit" and slow down traffic by forcing the vehicle operators to consider that pedestrains may stray into their path. If you are constantly having problems there maybe you need to reconsider your approach to the situation?

 

[dellzeqq]

The idea of removing the street furniture and levelling the road/pavement is to blur the edges of "That's my bit / That's your bit" and slow down traffic by forcing the vehicle operators to consider that pedestrains may stray into their path. If you are constantly having problems there maybe you need to reconsider your approach to the situation?

indeed

 

[Headgardener]

Reading DF's OP the inattentive ped just went from standing facing away from the road to stepping off the kerb and into the lady cyclist in less than the length of a bicycle while still texting so no way could it be the cyclists fault.

 

[jds_1981]

The idea of removing the street furniture and levelling the road/pavement is to blur the edges of "That's my bit / That's your bit" and slow down traffic by forcing the vehicle operators to consider that pedestrains may stray into their path. If you are constantly having problems there maybe you need to reconsider your approach to the situation?

Dunno about that. I've had pedestrians walk into me quite a few times while I've been walking (at walking pace.)

Think it is then a bit too 'black & white' to say if this happened & I was on a bike it'd immediately be my fault.


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLq3hIqqeM4&feature=related

 

[Little yellow Brompton]

Dunno about that. I've had pedestrians walk into me quite a few times while I've been walking (at walking pace.)

Think it is then a bit too 'black & white' to say if this happened & I was on a bike it'd immediately be my fault.

Lucky then that I didn't say that.

 

[Little yellow Brompton]

Reading DF's OP the inattentive ped just went from standing facing away from the road to stepping off the kerb and into the lady cyclist in less than the length of a bicycle while still texting so no way could it be the cyclists fault.

There is no "kerb" in the picture.

 

[downfader]

There is no "kerb" in the picture.

There is a kerb, its level with the road.

Pedestrians, just as with road users EXPECT boundaries, it lets them know what to look out for. Things become more fluid if people have designated lines of trajectory to follow - look at motorways.

This is a road where you cant just stop and wait for pedestrians to move out of the way. A bus will come through the lights from the other side and you end up having to gently weave in and out - and this is what the lady cyclist had been doing before (and at a slow pace, she was in no way tearing through)

I think its time people accepted that places like this dont work. When I have seen the schemes where kerbs and street funiture, and road markings are removed it leads to confusion - and in many respects there becomes little point in cycling or driving through these areas - you might as well walk. This is no good for longer distance travel (eg 2 miles and over), fine for local pedestrians, no good for others wishing to press on.

Speaking of boundaries - I'll go so far to add that there are markings on the road stating "look both ways" directed at pedestrians. This can be seen, just as with the kerb (which is about 10mm high in places) if you move the screen around in GSV.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Use another form of communication.

The bit emboldened is meaningless by the way.

I find ringing a bell a little bit odd/old school :shrug:.

No it isn't. A bell is an instrument, and can be played like any other, with feeling.

If you ring a bell, some poeple will take offence, because they assume you're using it like most drivers use their horns - to say 'get out of my way'. If you don't use your bell and say 'excuse me', some people will take offence and say "You should have a bell". You can't win.

I don't like being shouted at by people, even if said people are on bikes, and I don't like shouting at people. It isn't imo the peds who need to mind their backs but rather the cyclists should be minding them. Hierarchy of vulnerability and all that.

Pedestrians expect bikes to have bells, especially around here based on feedback to our cycling forum.

 

[Little yellow Brompton]

There is a kerb, its level with the road.

Pedestrians, just as with road users EXPECT boundaries, it lets them know what to look out for. Things become more fluid if people have designated lines of trajectory to follow - look at motorways.

You seem to miss the whole point of traffic calming

I think its time people accepted that places like this dont work.

Odd that they seem to work in other parts of Europe!

When I have seen the schemes where kerbs and street funiture, and road markings are removed it leads to confusion - and in many respects there becomes little point in cycling or driving through these areas - you might as well walk. This is no good for longer distance travel (eg 2 miles and over), fine for local pedestrians, no good for others wishing to press on.

Ahh maybe you do seem to grasp traffic calming, at least on one level, you now just need to make the next paradigm shift.

 

[downfader]

You seem to miss the whole point of traffic calming



Odd that they seem to work in other parts of Europe!



Ahh maybe you do seem to grasp traffic calming, at least on one level, you now just need to make the next paradigm shift.

There is no traffic to calm. Its restricted to buses and cyclists. Do you not accept that there will be no point using faster modes of transportation if it has to slow to pedestrian levels? I certainly dont think people should be allowed to tear around like lunatics,but there has to be balance.

I dont think it does work in other countries. We've been fed a dystopia, better planning would have been full pedestrianisation and rerouting all other traffic away. I'll admit I'm a little reluctant to go around the long way as it is both tight and full of large vehicles (buses, L and HGVs)