Walked out my office, which is in a traffic-free square, to go to the bank and as I stepped onto the pavement there was a screech and a thud as one of these lycra-clad and helmeted cyclists flew over his handlebars and landed in a heap at my feet.
I did the decent thing: picked his bike up for him, said "I don't suppose you meant to do that" and carried on my way.
Smiling to myself.
|
|
Whenever I do something to make a complete prat of myself, such as dropping a tray of drinks in a crowded pub or pulling a stunt like your bike rider, I have always found that pulling a straight face at the grinning audiance and announcing "My name is Bond - James Bond" gets them laughing with you rather than at you.
|
|
|
A few years ago, travelling home by bus (yes, Bus!) from the office Christmas lunch I was getting off said vehicle near my house when a pavement cyclist ran into me. Luckily, I hadn't seen him coming so I was perfectly relaxed (also 6ft 1 and 17 stone)and relatively unhurt. He, however, went flying into a thorn hedge. The bus driver checked I was okay and drove off. I obligingly picked up the bike and threw it to the cyclist in the hedge saying something along the lines of "You left this behind".
But it doesn't stop them. I'm waiting for the first one to get hit by a car coming out of a driveway to see who they try to blame.
What happened to the £20 on-the-spot fine idea?
Terry
|
"But it doesn't stop them. I'm waiting for the first one to get hit by a car coming out of a driveway to see who they try to blame".
Funnily enough that happened to me as I was pulling off my drive in the Landie. A kid must have been 14-15 riding along the pavement hit my front tyre, completely buckled his wheel and damaged his prospects of ever having a family. His dad came round demanding compensation, I flatly refused and told him to bog off and I'd see him in court. Policeman came round 'um'd and arr'd" a bit, didn't hear anything else.
VD5D.
|
|
Do you think the health service would be able to claim the £60? they try to get off your insurance if the accident is on the pavement, and not the road?
|
Would you all agree that (ignoring what the law says for now)there are two sides to the 'cycling on the pavement' argument? What I mean is ...
1. There is no excuse whatsoever for anyone to 'bomb' along the pavement on a bike.
2. There IS good reason for cycling along the pavement in a steady and courteous fashion where the danger to the cyclist in riding on the road is significant and no dedicated cyclepath has been provided.
I put this argument forward as a non-cyclist.
|
Dizzy
No I wouldn't.
As a frequent pedestrian they're all menaces who should be riding in the road (and the Highway Code agrees with me). Luckily I'm not a frail old lady who would probably break a hip if hit by one of these selfish berks and end up dying of shock pneumonia.
As a motorist, I have no trouble in slowing down for correctly lit bikes being ridden in the road until it's safe for me to overtake giving them a safe wide berth.
If everyone did what they ought to, the world would be a better place for all.
God, I'm starting to sound like my father:o)
Terry
|
|
|
|
Isn't there a move afoot, proposed by the cycling lobby and liked by the do gooder brigade, that in accidents twixt cars and bikes, regardless of blame, the motorist will be deemed to be 'at fault' and expected to pay via his insurance!
Is it beyond the wit of us motorists to form ourselves into a pwerful lobby group? The RAC and AA fail to speak for us and most of us don't belong to their organisations anyhow.
|
|
|
|
This actually happened to my Dad last year. Driving home from work, he came down his road and turned left into his drive. Just as the back of the car (Rover 400) entered the driveway, he heard a thump and looked in the mirror in time to see a flurry of bicycle parts and rider arcing across the top of his boot.
He got out to investigate and found a chap of about 85 years old (in his estimation, and he's 68!) lying in the gutter with his RACING bicycle on top of him. Dad picked him up and dusted him down, and the old codger then proceded to blame Dad for causing the accident and demanded that they exchange insurance details.
Dad then asked "Well, do you have any, then?" That stumped the old codger for a reply, and Dad thought no more of it until a letter from the old codger's solicitor arrived in the post. In it, the old bloke was claiming about £1500 for dentistry on a broken tooth, a ruined bike, and of all things compensation for being unable to play tennis for six weeks. Six weeks!? The old git had probably never been anywhere NEAR a tennis racquet in the last fifty years!
I fumed when Dad told me what was going on, and if had been me this was happening to, I'd have given the old f*** two words, one of which would be OFF.
Dad did admit partial liability, which I disagreed with, and let the insurance company sort it out.
It all goes to show that you can be minding your own business and STILL be sued by an stupid t*** who shouldn't be breathing, let alone be let loose on the road in or on ANYthing.
|
|
Well you know, he had been driving on the pavement...
|
|
|
|
|
:no_upscale():format(webp)/https://cdn.uk.prod.group-mobility-trader.com/images/cas/7c475a13aa8148c73638dcfff5f30e3b/ac9ba67ae457ef0e8f360ac4e24287e3.jpg)
:no_upscale():format(webp)/https://cdn.uk.prod.group-mobility-trader.com/images/cas/dd01c4db6c42e40adc980b70af1bad85/dc45ba9d6d739b04a9f4ae0d46d989e9.png)
:no_upscale():format(webp)/https://cdn.uk.prod.group-mobility-trader.com/images/cas/87af1512b7c9ef89dd300b7cb80c9276/3f38c224ae4b1e8579872836b015833b.jpg)
:no_upscale():format(webp)/https://cdn.uk.prod.group-mobility-trader.com/images/cas/0eecd46b8d77483b73d4c5a19ddd43ca/2d9b4b2a08887784b20d7b07dde72673.jpg)
