T-boned a runner

[betty swollocks]

Out in the middle of nowhere, on my recumbent, downhill and with the wind at my tail, I saw the runner ahead and shouted a warning. He was on my side of the road and just as I overtook him he decided to cross. I screamed a final warning, so he saw me at the last moment, but panicked and jumped into me instead of away. I was going 30mph+ when I hit him broadsides with my chainrings (luckily I have a chainring guard), sending him skittling down the road.
I had already unclipped and was using my feet as stabilisers, desperately trying to stay upright, with sparks flying from my cleats. My new Hope minis brought me to a halt quickly, so I laid the Hurricane down and went to investigate the heap now sprawled on the verge. Thankfully he was alright, but a bit dazed and it's my guess he'll be nursing several bruises. I mentioned to him about didn't he listen to his Mum when she told him about looking before crossing the road? He, defensively, said something about ringing my bell and I retorted by instructing him that I'd done a lot better than that and was it my fault that he had cloth ears?!
But why is it that, with no-one else around and all morning available, we had to 'coincide' at all?

 

[zimzum42]

I've done this doing laps of Regent's Park. I twatted an I-podded jogger full on at about 26mph......

Fortunately I landed on top of him and wasn't too damaged, though my Spinachis got a bit bent.

If only they would look where they are going......
that and realise that cyclists go a bit faster than 10mph

 

[gbb]

My sympathes betty..
Beware..you may get the 'runners are entitled to use the road as well, you know' replies as well.

I mentioned a few weeks ago about the uncertainty a jogger caused while running in a cycle lane locally...and how i felt the potential danger he presented was so unneccesary, when there was an empty path 3 feet away from him.

I was genuinely surprised how people jumped to the defence of a jogger with his back to me, using not a path, but a cycle lane attatched to a road.

Well, this is all the proof (and i didnt need any anyway) that the road or a cyclelane attached to a road...is no place for a jogger/ runner.

 

[stevenb]

It's a cyclists silent approach I find that catches out people in the quiet countryside. They listen out for engines....still no excuse for the runner to have collided with you. Least you both survived and came out relativley unscathed. How many pedestrians can say that after a road collision.

 

[Blue]

If the description you give is accurate you seem to have met your duty of care towards the jogger whilst the jogger has not met his. If you suffered any injury or damage you could consider suing - his house contents insurance would pick up the tab under the personal liability section.

 

[andygates]

Poor bugger. They're pointy at the front, are bents.

Pedestrians are funny creatures. If you alert them, some will freeze, some will leap away from you, some toward you, some will wave their arms around furiously... and there is absolutely no way of telling which one they will be until it happens.

Just hoon past leaving plenty of space next time.

 

[Joe24]

Nearly had it happen before, but missed them. Even had someone come off the pavement and onto the road without looking and coming right into my line.
They think because they cant hear a car coming its safe to cross.
Are your cleats and recumbent alright?

 

[betty swollocks]

Just hoon past leaving plenty of space next time.

That was my intention, but as he was running, he closed the space pretty quickly!

 

[betty swollocks]

Are your cleats and recumbent alright?

They are fine thank you.

 

[Saddle bum]

Peds wouldn't argue with a car, so why do they try and play chicken with bike riders? Some "Duh-brained" schoolgirl walked out on me even after seeing me quite clearly. I just screamed "Gedouthef******gway" at the top of my voice. It made her pee her pants. Just up the road were two Plod on MTBs, both learing at the sixth form girls leaving school. I asked why they weren't controlling these suicidal kids and they said it wasn't their job any more.

 

[fossyant]

I've had schools kids do the same - but a whole bunch of them - made for the opposite side of the road rather than try and go in between - at 30 mph down hill - not much of an option !

 

[domtyler]

If I come across a dodgy situation, like an unpredictable road user, whether on bike or in car, I generally like to apply brakes and give that person as wide a berth as possible. This, as has been pointed out on here many times, is why accidents are so rare, one person is almost always taking the idiots stupid actions into account. This does not seem to have happened in this case.

 

[Dormouse]

I was coming down a gentle hill not too fast on a narrow country road and saw a group of middle aged ramblers coming towards me. I rang my bell but instead of stepping to the side of the road as I expected they all stood across it and forced me to stop! I guess they had a grudge against cyclists and I bet they wouldn't have done this if approached by a car.

 

[Crackle]

You wanna do what my Brother-in-law used to do on his motorbike. Any kid who crossed in front of him used to be met by a gauntletted mit around the earhole at 30mph. He said "sounding the horn was dangerous" as he never knew what the stupid twerp would do when it heard it.

Mind you this is the same guy who when stopped by the police and asked if his indicators worked, stuck out his left arm followed by his right and said 'Yep!' - 3pts and a lecture for that one.

 

[betty swollocks]

one person is almost always taking the idiots stupid actions into account. This does not seem to have happened in this case.

With respect, may I suggest that you re-read my comments. I believe I did. I shouted a warning and gave him a wide berth. What else would you have had me do being that I am not clairvoyant?