Chicagoan

So last night I was riding to meet up with some friends, in 12 degree weather. I Was riding my fixed gear, and got down into the drops to charge a hill on a large suburban street on the outskirts of town. 2 young high school girls (later found out they were 13 and 14) were j walking coming from an ice cream parlor. At this point I was doing 22mph anticipating the long climb when they ran out in front of me at the last second. I was very visible, my bike is equipped with lights, and no cars were behind me, there was no reason for them to run in front of me(or to wait so late to do it). They started to do it, hesitated, then decided to go at the last second. The first one made it fine. The second one was chunky and had a large strawberry shake in her hands, she lost her footing and smash, I slammed into her. Me+my bike are probably around 160lbs. I was in my drops, and went over the bars. One of my front teeth was knocked out and my lip busted. Plus my bike and I were covered in pink Ice Cream

She was fine besides some cuts and bruises. Seriously parents need to teach their damn kids how to cross the street. So I got a nice root canal today, the tooth was knocked out at the root, so I was able to reuse it. Ah Well, **** happens.

MrCjolsen

Were you running a brake?

Chicagoan

Yeah, but its on the flats, you cant run brakes on the drops when you use track bars, a brake wouldn't have helped, i had no time to react, as she stumbled in front of me

cudak888 

Are you getting compensation for PI?

-Kurt

Chicagoan

NOPE! Cops would't even write an accident report, no one was held at fault. Didn't expect it really. The girl would've made it if she hadn't lost her footing. I thought she was going to make it, I didn't brace for impact or anything, probably wouldn't have lost a tooth if I was braced.

fosmith

were you racing on the track???

Chicagoan

"Large Suburban Street" not velodrome boss!

But I love track bars they rock on hillclimbs

randya

sounds like you might have been at least as dumb as the girls

I think this guy might be your friend...

Boyd Reynolds

If you thought she would make it, and she thought she would make it, it's just bad luck that she didn't. Should she have waited for you, or crossed at the corner? probably. Should you have prepared to stop when her friend stepped into the street ahead of you? probably. We all do stuff all the time that would go badly if someone slipped and fell at the wrong moment. Mostly they don't.

I'm sorry this happened to you, and I'm glad it wasn't worse.

dedhed

So, You didn't slow down, or even reach for the brakes, even after seeing a potential conflict with teenage pedestrians?
Parents need to teach their children to anticipate road hazards, especially unpredicatable teenage ones.

MrCjolsen

The other day, I was driving and there was a jogger going the same way on the other side of the street. As I approached a crosswalk, I slowed down just in case the jogger might decide to cross the street without stopping.

As it turned out, the jogger did cross the street without stopping. If I hadn't slowed down, I probably would have hit her.

mikeybikes

And, at a cross walk, that's exactly what you should do. At cross walks, vehicles yield to pedestrians.

Chicagoan, were these teenagers at a cross walk? Or were they crossing in the middle of the street?

If at a cross walk, you were wrong to not stop and wait for them.

dynodonn 

Most Peds that I have encountered have a lot of sense when crossing a road, but adolescence peds are generally still a work in progress, and one has to give them much more attention than adult peds. Chalk it up to experience, and I wish you the best that your wounds heal quickly.

Digital_Cowboy

I have to shake my head at it seems most of the pedestrians on my route. As it seems most of them even though there is a crosswalk a very short distance away will cross wherever they are. Instead of going to and using the crosswalk. Add to that the fact that most seem to not want to look before walking and just step out into the street.

And let's not forget that it seems that most of them wear dark clothes. They don't wear any reflective material, they don't carry flashlights, it's almost as if they are going out of their way to be hard to see. If we're required to have lights and/or reflectors how come pedestrians aren't? Don't they want to be seen, don't they want to be safe?

I know that a lot of cagers talk "smack" about us and how "dangerous" we cyclists but aren't pedestrians even more dangerous then us cyclists? They have even less protection then we do. Is it really that big of a deal for them to walk a couple of feet to a couple of yards to the crosswalk instead of crossing right where they are???

randya

keep in mind that there is a crosswalk at every intersection, whether it is indicated by paint stripes or not.

I-Like-To-Bike

Are you serious?

Whatz next? A rant about the need to license pedestrians and "must take" training classes, given by "Certified" walking experts, in order for pedestrians to be Real Safe?

Digital_Cowboy

No, just asking that pedestrians and joggers employ a little common sense. For their safety, if they're dressed in dark colored clothing no safety vest or flashlight how can they expect motorists or cyclists to see them and avoid hitting them?

cudak888 

Not true. There are a few local 4-way intersections that have one crosswalk (out of the typical four) removed.

-Kurt

crhilton

OP,

Sounds like you got royally screwed, especially by the police (seems like that's worthy of some sort of report, and probably some sort of insurance claim). If there's a take away it's to reduce your speed when you see a fishy situation up ahead. You shouldn't have to, but sometimes it pays off big to do it anyway.

Not saying it was your fault.

crhilton

Because cyclists and motorists should be operating slowly enough to handle the current lighting conditions for nearly stationary objects such as pedestrians and light poles .

Seriously, if you can't see a pedestrian with your lighting you either need brighter lights or to slow down. Pedestrians should *never* be required to do anything more than not jay walk. Everything else should be handled by the vehicles creating the dangerous situations.

iforgotmename

In all seriousness....was the girl upset that she spilled her shake? Did she get another one? Come on people...kids are stupid. I feel for the OP, but at least he realizes this. Sorry for your pain bro...keep on riding and be careful.

hairnet

oreally?



but I understand that they just jumped out. Last semester I had to ride by a high school just after 3:00, the kids just don't give a damn

Digital_Cowboy

I both agree and disagree with what you have said. Yes, both cyclists and motorists should not travel so fast as to not be able to see and stop any reasonable obstacles in their path(s). But given that pedestrians and joggers have a nasty habit of springing out from between parked cars where neither cyclists or motorists can easily see them. They do need to behave in a safe and responsible manner. And how many times have we said in here that all road users have an obligation to safely share the road?

So why should pedestrians and joggers be any different?

Ajenkins

Why didn't you slow down when you saw the peds doing the will she/won't she routine? Why weren't your hands in a position to take proper braking/evasive action?

Were I that girl's father, and she were hurt, I'd be suing you until you were bleeding from every orifice. You were riding irresponsibly.

Pig_Chaser

Right, and they make errors in judgement and you should be prepared to react to those, you know, without colliding with them.