Wrong on so many levels

[Blackandblue]

I was following another cyclist downhill last night as we approached a ped x-ing. As we neared, 4 peds stepped out into the road. We had a green light, they had a red man. The cyclist in front of me called out to warn them of our presence (something like "Look out" rather than "get out of the road you bunch of suicidal brain dead self important self righteous ignorant prejudiced kn0b jockeys"....you'll see where I'm going with this in a moment).

As I cycled through they stood stock still in the road and shouted at him/us/me "Well, you would've jumped them if they were red!" (as it happened, it was only me that heard them - cyclist in front had earphones in and couldn't even hear me when I chatted to him at the red light we both stopped at shortly afterwards - oh, lumme, there's another thread hijack opportunity)

1. The shouter, I'm pretty certain, doesn't know me or the cyclist that was in front of me. He hadn't been observing our cycling habits prior to our encounter and probably didn't care to watch us afterwards.
2. He was crossing in the face of a red man (you know what I mean). Admittedly, this isn't exactly a "really bad thing" but you'd think it might at least encourage him to look first.
3. He didn't even bother to look up the road in the direction of the traffic in front of which he was about to step.
4. Someone had the presence of mind and, arguably, generosity of spirit to warn him of possible impending physical injury.
5. Nobody had been rude or aggressive to him in relation to this encounter.

But, to deflect away from his stupidity, he chose to hurl prejudice at the people trying desparately hard not to collide with him.

Sheesh, some people.

 

[gaz]

Happens to me a lot outside Victoria. I just slow down and not force my way through as you never know when a sheep will just walk out.

 

[benb]

The other day a large group of school children were crossing the road having disembarked from the bus. Not at a crossing or anything. A couple of cars and myself had to stop to let them cross.

Now I don't really mind slowing down or stopping to let pedestrians across, even where there's no crossing. But I think a thankyou from at least some of them was warranted.

I sarcastically said "you're welcome" but it was like trying to have a discussion with zombies.

 

[Blackandblue]

Happens to me a lot outside Victoria. I just slow down and not force my way through as you never know when a sheep will just walk out.

Roads around train stations are a nightmare. Victoria, Waterloo, Cannon Street. Nightmare. Particularly at beginning and end of working day (der, you don't say) and out of those two times probably worst at beginning of day. I choose to avoid cycling past train stations as much as possible for that reason.

 

[Blackandblue]

Oh, yeah, and the people that cross from between the buses opposite Brixton tube station...most do look first but, really, what is going through the minds of those that waltz out without looking. You really don't have to answer that.

 

[jimboalee]

Can cyclists do SMIDSYs on pedestrians?

 

[Dan B]

To the OP I can only say "yes, people are odd".
On the direction the thread seems to be taking, though, I would actually like to see a comparison of the accident numbers and severities outside, say, Liverpool St station (pedestrians all over the road, walking out from buses, etc) versus Holborn Tube station (pedestrians corralled onto pavement by cyclist-crusher railings, cars sail through at speed)

My suspicion (purely based on anecdotal observation of the yellow "did you see?" boards) is that Holborn sees more accidents.

 

[jimboalee]

Oh, yeah, and the people that cross from between the buses opposite Brixton tube station...most do look first but, really, what is going through the minds of those that waltz out without looking. You really don't have to answer that.

Its because they've got brains the size of hazelnuts.....

De ja vu.

 

[Blackandblue]

To the OP I can only say "yes, people are odd".
On the direction the thread seems to be taking, though, I would actually like to see a comparison of the accident numbers and severities outside, say, Liverpool St station (pedestrians all over the road, walking out from buses, etc) versus Holborn Tube station (pedestrians corralled onto pavement by cyclist-crusher railings, cars sail through at speed)

My suspicion (purely based on anecdotal observation of the yellow "did you see?" boards) is that Holborn sees more accidents.

People are indeed odd. Me included judging by the reaction from the cyclist in front of me last night when I tried to share this story with him at the lights.

As regards your suspicion, I would tend to agree. Do we have de facto Woonerf schemes around mainline train stations such as Liverpool St by virtue of the volume of pedestrians? Obviously, difficult to implement a Woonerf scheme around all train stations and tube stations but I take your point about the railings.

 

[jimboalee]

One thing goes through the minds of men on their way home from work..... reproducing.

Two things go through the minds of women on their way home from work..... The shoes they saw that match the new dress.

 

[fossyant]

Jim, have you got stereotypes on the brain today!

 

[Blackandblue]

One thing goes through the minds of men on their way home from work..... reproducing.

Unless their name is Danny Duberstein, in which case it's two things - that's math and f***ing.

 

[magnatom]

Jim, have you got stereotypes on the brain today!

He's just being a stereotypical Jim......

 

[Howard]

My suspicion (purely based on anecdotal observation of the yellow "did you see?" boards) is that Holborn sees more accidents.

Agreed. Nasty, nasty intersection that. Glad I'm working in East London again - cycling through that every day was a real stress.

The west side of Victoria is particularly nasty. The cyclist crusher railings did little to stop some hapless pedestrian chap who zigged when he should have zagged and got run over by the same car twice right in front of us. After the initial hit, the car one behind couldn't stop in time, and slammed into the back of the one in front, pushing it forward and running the hapless fellow over again.

 

[ChrisKH]

Fenchurch Street ped. crossing is the same. In fact the whole of Fenchurch Street. I just expect it now.