Chopper1

Doing about 20MPH on the way home along the ocean on a 2-lane road. 2 skateboarders are crossing the street about 50 yards ahead of me. I see the one kid look my way and then look away and slow down as he crossed. I start slowing down and yelling and he does not move. I try to swerve around him and he stops and I hit him and go down hard and roll down the street a bit. I get up screaming at the kid and he says he did not see me because of a car going the same way as me. There was no car! I call the police and they arrive shortly thereafter. Cop tells me that peds always have the right away.

I was on the Roubaix and now the frame is cracked! Luckily, I walk away with some banged up elbows and fingers. The kid is unhurt.

A police report was filed and I intend to call the kids mother to see what they think. Pretty sure that will be a waste of time and she will not want to cough up any cash to replace my bike.

What do you think? I have heard Specialized is great with warranty and crash replacement. Any similar experiences and how did you handle it?

2Tired2Shift

What kind of damage to the bike?

How is it a bike is a vehicle but a skateboard isn't? It has more wheels!

Frunkin

sorry about the bike, but the police were right

SmoothRide

Sorry, but I think this is nearly 95% your fault. Yes, he was stupid in the fact that he just chilled in the street. But you clearly saw him there. You should have gone way behind him if he was slowing down.

Its like seeing a biker in front of you slow down, and you do the same. Then, you continue becuase you assume he's done braking..... And he's not.....

Also, filing a police report is a bit extreme. So what, you crashed. Would complain to you city council if you hit a light post? Plus, that kid could have got equally pissed at you for crashing into him since skateboarders DO have the right of way.

2Tired2Shift

Piss the parents off and they may just contact a lawyer and sue you for "hitting" their kid.

SmoothRide

+1

idcruiserman

Suck it up and buy a frame. Pray the kid's parents don't sue.

trek1

Yeah, hope they don't start thinking of lightening your pockets with a lawyer

I have had some stupid pedestrians cause issues from bad judgement on their part but you have to prepare. Once I had a man decide to start crossing a road around the lake and I yelled out to him that he better make a decision to continue forward from the center line or simply stay put. He was pissed but I was prepared to go either way with him but just make up your stupid mind and don't cause an accident. On the same road I had about an 8 year old girl just turn ad dart across the 2 lane paved road and if she didn't jump back at the last moment I would have creamed her. I yelled to her mom "does she always just run out in the road not looking?"

People are idiots especially when you are on your bike.

Chopper1

I think you guys are missing the point here. The kid was being a prick. He saw me, looked away and kept walking slowly. Not to mention, he was not crossing at a crosswalk which was only 50 feet further up the road. This is a road where people do 50MPH. You should not cross unless there s a crosswalk. If I tried to swerve around him way ahead of time, I would have been in traffic. When I did swerve, he stopped walking and I hit him. He was walking and carrying the board, not riding it. EMTs came to the scene and made sure everyone was fine.

Chopper1

Frame is cracked right at the intersection of the top tube and seat post.

garysol1 

A prick with the law on his side......

Xrisnothing

I thought skateboarding in the street was illegal... the cops always act like skating is illegal period

jpatkinson

Ummm, I don't think pedestrians can just walk into traffic when not using a crosswalk and have the 'right of way.' That is absurd. It certainly isn't the law anywhere that I have ever lived!! Crosswalks -- very different story.

From California DMV website

Pedestrians

Pedestrian safety is a serious issue. One in six traffic fatalities is a pedestrian. Drive cautiously when pedestrians are near because they may cross your path.

A pedestrian is a person on foot or who uses a conveyance such as roller skates, skateboards, etc., other than a bicycle. A pedestrian can also be a person with a disability on a tricycle or quadricycle or in a wheelchair.

Respect the right-of-way of pedestrians. Always stop for any pedestrian crossing at corners or other crosswalks and at corners with or without traffic lights, whether or not the crosswalks are marked by painted lines.

jtown

Sooooo why couldn't you avoid it if you saw it all happening? 20 isn't that fast. No skills?

endeverleverone

why you failed to slow down escapes me.

oopfoo

+1 from me.

Barca

Was it in a crosswalk? And +1 to just slowing down a bit.

MrCrassic 

If you were almsot or got hit by a car or something, then the story would be much, MUCH different.

Pedestrians always have the right of way, so even if they actively refused to move just to see you crash and get totally scraped, they still would be in the clear legally. Don't try to fight it more than you should, or you might have to be buying more than just your frame...

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Chopper1

plenty of skills <snip by lowcel>. I did slow down, but my bike does not have antilock brakes. Maybe yours does? This is a busy street and there is not a tom of shoulder. My other option would have been swerving into traffic.

jomalley

Does it always take you half a football field to brake and stop a bike?

If he's the skinny, emo-type skater, I'm sure he wouldn't take up your whole lane; should be easy to move around him.

dpr

50 yards isnt that far, but at 20mph I would of thought an emergency stop that involved you keeping in a straight line and remaining upright at the end of it were very possible.

But as you say, you couldn't stop in time. Perhaps the distance and speeds are a little different. I appreciate you probably are giving ball park figures and we might never know the speed you were actually going at.

I don't know the laws there, but if this guy was stationary in the road; and had moved to that spot without giving you any stopping distance - he was in error and thus at fault? Surely?

Did you immediatly begin slowing upon A) seeing him? B) Upon him stopping in the middle? Or C) upon realising he had no intention of getting out of the road? Here in the UK, you would not be obliged legally to slow at A) though most would consider it prudent to anyway. Certainly if he stopped, I would immediatly begin slowing.

Alexei

Laws in the U.S. are ****, they protect pricks like that pedestrian. Pedestrians should not have a right of way over traffic, except on crosswalks at all way stop signs and when the "walk" sign is on at stop lights. Every other time the pedestrian should cross the street at his or her own risk...I've never hit somebody but came close tons of times because they decide to randomly run into the street. My closest was when some prick decided to run out onto the street 20 feet ahead with a large group of people and just stop...Luckily there was no traffic so I could swerve into the oncoming lane but if there was traffic I'd rather hit a prick and maybe next time they'll learn then die to oncoming traffic.

Oh and I'm surprised that cop didn't even consider that kid was doing something stupid...very rarely do you find a kid and a skateboard combo in which the kid isn't a prick.

crtreedude 

Hate to say it, but if you couldn't stop in time - you were going too fast. What if a mother was there and a child darted in your way?

One of the things I noticed from just being back in the USA is how people are so determined not to use the brake that they put themselves and others at risk. Take this as a lesson, when there are people in the roadway, SLOW DOWN!

Nachoman

If it was me and I felt like swerving around the situation, instead of safely stopping for the pedestrian, I would have checked traffic, and determined, as you did, that there were no cars, and then grab the part of the lane farthest from the pedestrian, and push into a full sprint to safely pass him.

SoreFeet

Steel is real...heheheh