Peds walking out in front of you

[Robh]

Bugger. Riding home tonight (at a moderate speed) a woman stepped off the pavement right in front of me without looking. I braked and went over the handlebars. I ended up on the floor and, despite the fact that I had collided with her - she broke my fall! - she just walked away. A couple of lads came to ask if I was all right, and a couple of cars stopped to check if I needed help. Fortunately, I seem to have just bruised an elbow and wrenched my knee - but here's the thing, it was the knee I had replaced just a couple of months ago. Lots of ice this evening and more of the same over the next few days are in order, I reckon. Could have been a lot worse.

Still shaken, but feeling lucky, and amazed that she could just walk away like that without even turning around to see if I was all right.

[Chris S]

Does this constitute "Leaving the scene of an accident", or is that just a motoring offence?

Hope you're OK, and mend quickly.

In the meantime: Bike OK?

[Robh]

The bike is my Thorn Raven and it just picked up a scuff on the handlebar extension. Also, the back wheel was rubbing the brake, but I re-set the qr and it moved back - it had shifted in the drop out, probably because my weight was going through the pedal when the rear end raised up and the brake was on.

[Thor]

During years of walking from station to work in London and back, along which route there are numerous cyclists, I have never seen a cyclist hit by a car, but on several occasions, collisions with unthinking pedestrians.  It would appear that cyclists are more at risk from peds than from cars, albeit the consequences of collision may be less catastrophic for the cyclist.

[Kim]

During years of walking from station to work in London and back, along which route there are numerous cyclists, I have never seen a cyclist hit by a car, but on several occasions, collisions with unthinking pedestrians.  It would appear that cyclists are more at risk from peds than from cars, albeit the consequences of collision may be less catastrophic for the cyclist.

I'm reasonably sure that cyclists are at more risk of an off from non-motor-vehicle causes - poor surfaces (including ice, diesel, gravel, chutney etc), wildlife (including lemming pedestrians and insect attacks), mechanical failure, their own incompetence and so on, but the consequences are usually less severe.

My own collection of scars would certainly support this theory.

[Snakehips]

During years of walking from station to work in London and back, along which route there are numerous cyclists, I have never seen a cyclist hit by a car, but on several occasions, collisions with unthinking pedestrians.

Yep, the areas near stations are bad for this, especially in the morning when people are rushing for their trains.

[GothonaBrompton]

And tourist areas - Westminster Bridge on a sunny afternoon like it is today will be horrendous later.  Even worse if we get a sustained, proper summer.  I tend to divert via Lambeth Bridge at those times.

[Kim]

Yes - Parliament Square is lemming central.

[perpetual dan]

I hope the knee's doing OK. Just walking away does seem bizarre.

To add to the anecdata, I've been hit by a bike as a pedestrian. (Bike was going against a red light / the wrong way (a while ago, I forget exactly) on a crossing in Shepherds Bush that is designed so that you don't know quite where the danger is coming from at the best of times. We were both OK.)

[Mr Larrington]

Since the last time I cycled down the Lea Bridge Road end of Hoe Street some genius has put in a road-narrowing scheme and wide cycle path, the latter at pavement level.  Wouldn't be as much of a problem if it didn't pass behind a bus stop.  Lemmings disembark from the bus without a care in the world and wander blithely into the bike path without due care, attention or diverting their gaze away from their fucking phones.  Bonus points to tonight's twat du jour who, in addition to getting off the bus and walking along the bike path with his back to the oncoming Larrington, also deployed a Yorkshire Terrier on an extendible lead

Also, bloke on the way home: if me and the Towpath Bike run into you at 15mph then dropping your chips will be the least of your problems.

[GothonaBrompton]

Yes - Parliament Square is lemming central.

Not helped by the fact that one of the desire lines is to go from the centre of the square to Whitehall, north side, so that you can walk along past 10 Downing Street and Horseguards, which doesn't actually have a proper crossing.  So all the peds (all tourists) walk straight through the ASL at the front, in between the bikes, or in front of the ASL (usually quite busy), and three lanes of traffic behind it, just as the traffic light changes.  Then all perch on the little bit of kerb where the traffic light is that separates the left filter lane into Whitehall.

The crossings are at the other 3 corners of the square, but on this one - the bottom right corner, as it were, the crossing is at the bottom of Bridge Street, closer to the tube station.

[woollypigs]

GWS.

In all my years commuting in the big smog, I missed all the lemmings that stepped out, but my squealing v-brakes gave many peds the fright of the morning, dropped phones, spilled coffee etc

Good reason for riding away from the kerp and not turn one's commute into a bum up head down sprint.

[Pickled Onion]

Good reason for riding away from the kerp and not turn one's commute into a bum up head down sprint.

It's a toss-up between being shouted at by peds saying they don't expect you to be riding in the gutter, and being shouted at by motorists saying there's a law that you must stay in the gutter at all times...

But yes, cycling a reasonable distance from the kerb when there are peds about is, on balance, safer.

[Kim]

But yes, cycling a reasonable distance from the kerb when there are peds about is, on balance, safer.

The flaw in this strategy, as I've ranted about before: Contraflow cycle lanes.  They're pretty much engineered to cause lemmingings.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Since the last time I cycled down the Lea Bridge Road end of Hoe Street some genius has put in a road-narrowing scheme and wide cycle path, the latter at pavement level.  Wouldn't be as much of a problem if it didn't pass behind a bus stop.  Lemmings disembark from the bus without a care in the world and wander blithely into the bike path without due care, attention or diverting their gaze away from their fucking phones.  Bonus points to tonight's twat du jour who, in addition to getting off the bus and walking along the bike path with his back to the oncoming Larrington, also deployed a Yorkshire Terrier on an extendible lead

Also, bloke on the way home: if me and the Towpath Bike run into you at 15mph then dropping your chips will be the least of your problems.

Known as a floating bus stop. Commonly used in Netherlandish cities, therefore promoted by the Holland fetishists here. There are only two near me, one of them — I'm reliably informed by someone who commutes past it — works pretty well. The other, I'm not sure about.

[woollypigs]

The flaw in this strategy, as I've ranted about before: Contraflow cycle lanes.  They're pretty much engineered to cause lemmingings.

Oh yes my pet hate too. Or lanes within the pedestrianised area, green paint don't make it safe.

[andyoxon]

What's the current thinking on AirZound use on the streets of London?

[Jurek]

What's the current thinking on AirZound use on the streets of London?

There are more sociable and endearing ways of communicating with those one shares the road with.
If I'm going to use an airzound, I  may as well use a stick.
Or gun.

ETA - Those wearing earphones are unlikely to hear your airzound, when the 'phones are cranked up to 11.

[Speshact]

Advice I was given is: anticipate pedestrians in London will walk out without looking, moderate your speed, ride wide (i.e. give yourself space from things and people), and ALWAYS have your fingers resting on your brake levers.

It's worked for me so far.

[T42]

When I was learning to drive in Germany we were warned that "if a dead drunk pedestrian dressed head to foot in black staggers out backwards from between two parked vans on an unlit street and you hit him, you're responsible". 'Tis graven on me 'eart.

[Biggsy]

I try to ride wide or slow enough to allow for anyone stepping out at any time, but I've been caught out a couple of times.  An outstretched arm has deflected the pedestrian without too much harm to them or myself.  The last thing you want is a person contacting your bike.

[Kim]

What's the current thinking on AirZound use on the streets of London?

About as useless as an AirZound anywhere else.  You're better off assuming that all other road users are deaf, blind, distracted and angry until proven otherwise, and ride accordingly.

[woollypigs]

Kim has it, again

[Mr Larrington]

Floating bus stop, eh?  FOREIGN?

(Sinks the Bismarck)

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

During years of walking from station to work in London and back, along which route there are numerous cyclists, I have never seen a cyclist hit by a car, but on several occasions, collisions with unthinking pedestrians.  It would appear that cyclists are more at risk from peds than from cars, albeit the consequences of collision may be less catastrophic for the cyclist.

I'm reasonably sure that cyclists are at more risk of an off from non-motor-vehicle causes - poor surfaces (including ice, diesel, gravel, chutney etc), wildlife (including lemming pedestrians and insect attacks), mechanical failure, their own incompetence and so on, but the consequences are usually less severe.

My own collection of scars would certainly support this theory.

+1

On my once a month commutes into central London pedestrians can be a danger, particularly those that decide to cross within 10 metres of a traffic light controlled pedestrian crossing but not use the crossing as your attention is on the crossing and not the lummox that steps out between two cars ahead of where you were expecting to stop.