Originally Posted by
livedarklions
OP--are you really saying 15 mph speed is excessive in a bike lane? Huh? If I were her, and you told me your opinion of what I should do just in case someone does anything as crazy as what the scooter rider did, I'm pretty sure I'd let you know what I think of your opinion.
My position on this, based on the information provided in this "news" article, and then further conversation online with the lady that was hurt is this....
By her own admission she says she had closed to within 20 feet of two people riding these scooters in the MUP lane. She "asked" them to move as she was coming down a hill at an estimated 15MPH. Supposedly the guy "gave her a look" and refused to move. She said something else to him and in this supposed distance and at that rate of speed he was supposed to be able to stop and stand the way she presents, blocking the lane. She swerved, struck the scooter, and went down.
My questioning of the narritive is this. First off, if you are riding along on a MUP, along side traffic, with congestion (ie other users) it is common to either match speed/slow down, or assess your ability to safely pass. So, here she is buzzing along, doesn't slow down, asks guy to move and I can only assume something more provacative to cause him to get angry at a complete stranger. Within the space and time she presents the guy would not even have had time to get off and stand aside the lane like she presents. If it was more space and time like I suspect, then she had more than enough time to slow to a safe speed and or stop.
IMO, based simply on the article and what she said to me, I see it as girl zooming along down a hill on her bike expecting everyone to jump out of her way along a crowded and dangerous MUP which caused her to crash.