Crazy PEDESTRIAN!

[nicolezoie]

I saw him as I was coming down the hill. There's a stop light about 3/4 of the way down the hill, and the light was red for my direction, so I came to a stop and unclipped. At 730am, there isn't much traffic at this otherwise VERY busy intersection, and I watched him closely to see what he was doing and tried to anticipate what he was gonna do next. He was hammering "Garage Sale" signs into the dirt next to the sidewalk, and seemed to be in a huge hurry. I know he saw me there because he looked my direction when he heard my squealy front brake. There was a white car next to me stopped at the light too. I watched the guy a little more, waiting for the light to turn green. Right as the light turned green, he began to dart back across the street WITHOUT LOOKING. What happened next happened so fast that I didn't have enough time to react. Right in front of the car next to me, he suddenly realized the light was green, spun around, and darted back across the bike lane and stopped RIGHT in front of me with his back turned to me, blocking the bike lane, and I bumped into his calf. I usually sit a couple feet back from an intersection for safety reasons, and I had already begun to proceed into the intersection. I tried to manouver to avoid bumping into the guy with my front tire, but I couldn't, and I nearly fell off my bike trying to stop & unclip, brake still squaking. I yelled at the guy, "Watch it Man, JEEZ!!!" and proceeded on my way.

And he looked at me like *I* was the crazy one.

Question is, what could I have done to avoid this? Or, better yet, should I have wasted 15 minutes arguing with the numbskull about using the crosswalk properly, looking both ways before crossing a busy street, or even stopping to make sure his leg was OK? What's the point?

Sometimes I get so frustrated over stuff like this! It goes into my mental "...and WHY do I continue to bike all the time with dipsnits everywhere?!" file.

[Trek420]

"Question is, what could I have done to avoid this?"

probably nothing. My motto is if any car/ped can do something moronic they will. ;-) Just glad that you're ok.

"should I have wasted 15 minutes arguing with the numbskull about using the crosswalk properly, looking both ways before crossing a busy street?"

Probably not. Was it Oscar Wilde who said "I refuse to have a battle of wits with the unarmed"?

"....or even stopping to make sure his leg was OK?"

glad you did that!!

"What's the point?"

S*** happens with jay walkers all the time. At minimum they see bike and think "toy" and do not comprehend we are car speed so they plow into us.

Or these are not athletes, no spatial sense/coordination or....it's what happens when cousins marry. ;-) Sorry bout the catty remark.

=^..^=

Like Thursday ride home I turn a corner fast and a gal is jaywalking (not 10 feet from the crosswalk of course) I motion for her to stop and she keeps right on a goin', she's got a "lights on nobody home" look I took a chance and sped up but wondered cause she looks clueless. I felt bad about it but yelled as I passed "I am going 20 mph, like a car, don't jaywalk" but don't know if she heard or understood me.

Gonna muse and be philosophical here. This community is full of wise, wacky, wonderful, witty, SMART women. One of the things about being above average inteligence whether slightly like me or waaaaay above and I'd venture to say all here are "smarter than the average bear" is that most people we will encounter in life are, well, at minimum equal to or less smart than you. It's simple math.

We all do dumb things right? I drove my bike into the car port! Why did I even date my ex in the first place? Red wine with fish? Sheesh.

So we just have to watch out for the other folks. Glad you are ok.

[bikerchick68]

I'd have pepper sprayed him! Well... a girl can dream can't she???

[Trek420]

yikes, we're all getting pepper spray happy on this board.

Just my luck if I used it....wind would be going towards me and spray myself.

[yellow]

I'd have pepper sprayed him! Well... a girl can dream can't she???

BC, that's tame compared to what popped in to my head!

[bikerchick68]

trek LOL... yeah wind and pepper spray are bad...

yellow... DO TELL!

I'm on the Crisis Team with the local PD... I've seen enough not to take my safety for granted... I don't live in fear of what may happen but certainly don't want to be a "good victim" either! I carry pepper spray in my vehicle, with me on the bike and especially if I go for a power walk... that being said I DO know the laws on it's use and know I couldn't really spray the dumb pedestrian... tempting as it may be...

[Bustertb]

I went to Sports Authority and bought pepper spray that I can wrap around my wrist where it is 'ready to go' at a moments notice after I was bike riding on a rural road by myself and this guy passed me in his car googling at me. Then as I started up this steep hill a little ways up the road he was at the top waiting for me. As I was almost to the crest of the hill he asked me if I was riding alone! I thought to myself, why don't you just say, "I'm gonna beat you up (or whatever else he had in mind! ) and take your bike". So I told him no, my husband was up ahead and kept on peddling. I know God gave me the strength to crest that hill and shoot past him.

[yellow]

yellow... DO TELL!

Oh, it was something like "that little segment o' the gene pool should be terminated immediately!" Up to you to decide how it should be stopped!

[nuthatch]

Gonna muse and be philosophical here. This community is full of wise, wacky, wonderful, witty, SMART women. One of the things about being above average inteligence whether slightly like me or waaaaay above and I'd venture to say all here are "smarter than the average bear" is that most people we will encounter in life are, well, at minimum equal to or less smart than you. It's simple math.

Now I'm gonna feel all "smartypants" all week long. Thanks, Trek! I needed that after I busted my seatpost bolt tightening it this morning.

[AutumnBreez]

What a hoot! This posting had me laughing.
I say-
People.....what idiots we can be....Animals on the sideline must be laughing at our silly human bloopers.

Loved the qoute .....
"I refuse to battle witts with the unarmed"
CLASSIC!
Actually that whole reply was on mark, and loved the clever witty wording. I tend to be sarcastic anyway, so it was fun to read. AT TE, we are- "Smarter then the average bear" SO TRUE!
By the way.....
I am also glad you are ok and not injured

[CorsairMac]

Now I'm gonna feel all "smartypants" all week long. Thanks, Trek! I needed that after I busted my seatpost bolt tightening it this morning.

Funny: smartypants wasn't what came to mind when I read you had broken your seatpost tightening the bolt....I was thinking more along the lines of Herculisa!!

[nuthatch]

Funny: smartypants wasn't what came to mind when I read you had broken your seatpost tightening the bolt....I was thinking more along the lines of Herculisa!!

It was astonishingly easy to do. I had to order a new one from REI and the mechanic said the bolt might be a bit large for the frame, causing me to tighten beyond its ability to flex. No, I haven't started my upper body workouts yet! I'm so paranoid about my steel frame getting rusted that I took everything off and hung it upside-down after it got wet on my bike carrier one day. Oh, well, it was a learning experience.

[DirtDiva]

Some stupid git stepped right in front of me today. I really, really thought that "look before you cross the road" was one of those things that was drilled into you all but in utero! There was just nowhere to go but shoulder-barging straight into him. Luckily, some combination of muscle-memory and reflexes had me well enough clear of the bike by the time I hit the ground and I got off lightly with three bruises and no damage to my dear Tass. The pedestrian was fine, but I kinda wish my foot had connected with some tender parts or other as I unclipped...