turning a blind eye

[badger]

I think a lot of people just don't want to get involved.

But, on the flip side, I did read something today that renewed my hope in helping one another:

I saw letters of commendation for 2 civilians who went above and beyond anyone's expectations in helping a motorist who had a cardiac arrest and crashed into a pole. The crash exposed live wires, but these 2 individuals did compressions and the other guy even had his own defibrillator (he's apparently a life guard/ski patrol). If nothing was done until help arrived, the motorist would most likely have died.

[soprano]

Out in the rural areas, I stop. When I've been on tour by myself and stopped to rest or eat, other cyclists *always* stopped. It's a great way to meet people

I have yet to come across an injured and alone cyclist, thank goodness.

Riding for transportation here in town, I don't always stop when I see someone with mechanical trouble. There are 6 bike shops along my 5 mile commute. We have a good bus system and cab service. Cyclists who can't or don't feel like doing the repair on the spot have multiple options to get where they are going; most of the university students aren't going very far in any case. If the stopped cyclist looks upset, I stop and see if I can help. However, if he or she looks calm and is walking with purpose, I figure that the situation is under control and generally I go on. When I've had flats, I seem to get the same treatment. If I've already got the wheel off and my hands dirty, a few people might stop to see if I've got everything I need. When I got a flat and decided to walk it out to the shop (not wanting to sit down on a muddy curb) tons of people stopped to make sure I was all right.

[channlluv]

I've had two bad crashes. The first, my husband and daughter were with me, so I had immediate assistance - I had blacked out briefly, but DH got me back on my bike pretty quickly and helped me get the wounds cleaned up and handled when we got home. I tried not to bleed all over the car. Serious road rash.

The second crash happened in the parking lot as I was dismounting and trying not to crash into my car while trying to figure out those da*n pedal cage strappy things. Oy-vey. I landed hard and heard two women behind me laughing at me. It was pretty embarrassing. I unhooked my trapped foot and got the bike off me enough to get up, then looked around at them. "Uh, are you okay?" one of them asked when she realized I'd heard her and her girlfriend laughing at me. "Yeah, nothing bruised by my ego."

I lied, of course. When I got home and checked my hip, it looked like I'd sat in purple paint.


As for me stopping, I came up on a young mother with a toddler in a back-of-the-bike seat and a three-year-old who'd crashed her little training wheel bike into a sticker bush/cactus off the paved path. The little girl was screaming, the baby was crying, and the mom was frantically trying to calm them both down. Luckily, I had a first aid kit in my bag and I had a clean water bottle, too, so I had her cleaned up quick, and we used the adhesive tape from the medkit to pull out the stickers, then I put Neosporin on her scrapes. The mom was so grateful. I was just happy to help, and I told her that if my own daughter was ever in trouble like that, I'd hope someone would stop to help her, too.

I can't believe people get so caught up in their own ride they pass without even inquiring if someone needs help.

Roxy

[Catrin]

I always ask when I see someone standing at the side of the road with their bike - especially if they are alone. Even if they are with someone I have asked - and both times it turned out one of them needed to use my air pump as their CO2 cartridge wasn't working for them and the other cyclist had neither cartridge nor pump.

Every time I've been passed by a cyclist when I have been standing at the side of the road with my bike they have asked me if I needed help, which I thought was nice. I do tend to ride in rural areas so I don't know if this makes a difference.

[KnottedYet]

Badger, I am so sorry your experience was like that!

I always stop, or at least ask if someone needs anything. (If they are on the cell I don't bother them. Either they've just stopped to make the call or they are calling back up, whichever, I don't interrupt their phone call.)

I've given out spare tubes, lent my pump, my tire levers, allen wrench, etc. Usually while I'm helping someone several other cyclists will call out "Got everything?" as they go by.

Women have complained to me that men are patronizing and belittling womankind if they offer help while a woman is working on a mechanical; but honestly I think offering help or tools is just the standard around here among all adult cyclists, male or female.

[OakLeaf]

Man, that's awful. I always stop, or at least exchange thumbs up, and I've had people stop for me before. Bici or moto. Unless someone's on the phone and obviously uninjured, then I'll figure they have things under control.

Even on an organized ride, I stopped, offered a tandem couple my chain tool (they declined, they had apparently had who knows how many mechanicals already and were just fed up and ready to take the sag) - and then I rode on to the next support vehicle and made sure that they knew the couple was back there.

Most embarrassing time I was the recipient of the offer of help was when I got a flat on the bike path. I couldn't get my CO2 inflater to work (turns out it wasn't me, it was a wonky head that I eventually threw out), so I was using my mini pump, which takes forever under the best of circumstances; and the first time I hadn't got the tire bead seated properly, so I had to deflate it and do it all over again. I had just started pumping the first time when a guy on a TT bike threw an offer of help over his shoulder. Twenty minutes later, after he'd been to the end of the bike path and back, he came back the other direction and again asked if I needed anything. "Same flat?" he asked incredulously (and I'm sure he thought I really did need help and was just too proud to accept).

[Bike Chick]

That's terrible that no one stopped to help. I always ask if they need help when someone is stopped and have had others do the same--even in a triathlon. Several years ago, I came upon a young woman in a charity ride that had dropped her chain during a tough climb. I stopped at the top of the hill and walked back down to see if she was okay and found her in tears. It was her first ride with her new bike and her husband was way out front with the guys (this I could relate to) and she hadn't a clue what to do. I helped her get her chain on and finished the ride with her. We became friends and rode together at several local rides after that.

Maybe it's because of the rural area I live in but that's just not ever been an issue around here.

[marni]

about the only time this ever came up for debate, and even then it was just joshing back and forth was when I was on the Southern Tier and climbing Emerson pass with another rider. Some crazy driver came down the barely two lane wide extremely winding road above the stream 300 feet below, swung wide on a turn after they had passed us, narrowly missing, barely made the turn we had just completed. We spent the next 1000 feet of climb debating what the moral obligation would be if the car had gone off the edge. Would we have felt morally obligated to ride back down the 1,000 feet, scramble down to the wreck site , and render aidknowing that we would then have to reclimb the 1,000 feet plus the rest of the pass? The general consensus was that we would dial 911 report the accident and hope that someone coming up the hill would stop, and or that we would think twice about rendering aid to said idiot in the spirit of "ok you idiot, out of the gene pool." But it was all in fun and really we were just trying to take our minds off the climb and and the gasping along at 3 mph .

In all other cases I have and always will inquire if everything is ok and will always try to render whatever help I can offer. It's just good Karma, and passing along what others have done for me.

[OakLeaf]

Let's put this in perspective.

A couple of weeks ago one of my riding buddies stopped in the middle of a hill, just about where it turns from 8% to 12%, to help a box turtle cross the road.

I was ahead of him, and I saw the turtle, but decided that the road was pretty quiet and it would probably be okay. But it nagged at me all the way up the hill, and when I learned that my friend had stopped, I was both glad for the turtle and ashamed of myself.

Yet, no one would stop to help a person after a crash? That's shameful. I hope that your experience was isolated.

[maryellen]

I've often had folks inquire even when I'm just stopped at the side of the road for a break and much appreciate the concern. When I come upon a fallen or injured cyclist, I do ask if okay (and struggled to help the one time the cyclist replied "not really"). If it's a mechanical, I usually just ask if they have everything they need. So far the only concrete assistance I've offered has been the use of my cell phone!

[Grog]

That's sad and a bit depressing.

Like others, I have given spare tubes, loaned pumps, and helped in various ways. Thankfully never had to help anyone after a crash, but the only time I had a serious crash on my bike there was an elderly couple going by in a car that stopped to help me and I was thankful (although I turned out ok). Mind you, that was at 7am in a quiet area. I'm sure if it had been a busy time of day nobody would have stopped. Weird crowd effect maybe?

[pumpkinpony]

That is sad. I frequently have people ask if I'm okay when I just stop to take a break.

Out on the bike path last weekend - lots of bikes, joggers, strollers... I passed an elderly guy on a beach cruiser. On my way back he had a flat tire, walking the bike, and sweating pretty good. I stopped and asked if he needed help. Turns out I couldn't do much for him as his tire was totally done for. Offered my phone so he could get a ride as he was about 6 miles from the beach where he started from... He really appreciated my stopping and said I was the only one who had asked if he needed help.

As many people as there were riding down that path I think it's disgusting that none of the 'roadies' would bother to stop and help an old guy (or anyone, for that matter).

[Librarygirl]

It makes me happy and I am also unsurprised to see that so many people on this forum think that it is very important to stop and assist people out and about, whether injured or in need of mechanical or other assistance; whether cycling, walking or other activity. I get the impression that the TE-ers here are a very thoughtful, considerate and welfare-minded bunch, which is great.

I don't know if that is more so because it is primarily women?

I would like to think that cyclists as a 'culture' would be helpful and considerate too, but in my experience too it is quite varying as to the extent of this. I certainly do notice a difference in attitude to other cyclists depending on whether the person is a kitted-out full on roadie, or a commuter/recreational cyclist. Also, age and gender does seem to play a part. Definitely the younger guys seem the least likely to give thought to the welfare of other cyclists/pedestrians around them.

I guess it is a bit hard sometimes when you are not sure of the reaction you might get, or potential offence that might be taken by an offer of assistance, but I think that we have to get past that and ask anyway. And if somebody is injured, it's a lot less likely that they are going to get offended by someone offering assistance, especially if they're alone.

Anyway, an offer of help can be a nice way to meet other people along the way and to feel connected in this sometimes lonely world. I stopped to offer assistance to a guy (around my age) when I was cycling around the lake recently. I helped him with a loan of my pump and puncture kit and we chatted while he was repairing. He was quite cute and offered to buy me a coffee to say thankyou! I said thankyou but not necessary, but you know, it could have been a nice way to make a new friend or even a potential romantic connection!

[crazycanuck]

If i'm out on the dirt & see someone stopped, I normally say "You ok yo?". I might not have the item they require but at least I offered. Same at XC events-i'm not in to win (rather just trying to beat my previous times & conquer stuff) so am happy to assist in some way.

A while back Ian was going to bunnings for something & as he turned from our street he noticed a cyclist walking for some reason. The gent had a flat along the bike path a few hundred meters away so Ian invited him back to our house & offered our floor pump as the gent fixed his tire. Nice guy & bike!

We have a floor pump in our ute & if i see a roadie stopped fixing thier bike, i'll stop & offer it.

[bmccasland]

I've always offered help to riders I've seen stopped along the levee path, unless they're talking on their cell phones, then I figure they don't need my help. And I've had John Q Public offer me help on a MS training ride when I had mechanical trouble. The gentleman was driving a van, stopped and offered a ride to town or the next rest-stop, and I was leary about getting in the van, but one of our M/C escorts came up and said he's follow us, where-ever went, "to Kansas if necessary." So I felt better, and took up the ride to the next rest-stop where there was mechanical assistance for my troubled bike. I'm not so sure I'd get in the stranger's van, but knowing the M/C rider was back there made me feel safe. The Good Sam was being just that. There are kind strangers, just too bad the creeps have ruined our trust of most strangers.