Tony Raven wrote to uk.transport.london on Mon, 11 Oct 2004:

Annabel Smyth wrote:
Not even OAPs - I was very nearly sent flying by one the other day,
and
I am merely middle aged. All the same, I don't want to be knocked down,
thank you.

Methinks you do exaggerate a tad.

No. I *am* middle-aged, and I *was* very nearly sent flying by a
cyclist jumping a red light on Brixton Road. And it was within the last
two months, so very recently.

The number of pedestrians killed by cylists in the carriageway is 0.1%
of the number killed by motor vehicles.

Do feel free to point out where I said anything about being killed? I
said "knocked down" - even were one not to be injured, I would really
rather not be knocked down, whether by a cyclist, pedestrian or even a
passing lamp-post!
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 26 September 2004

Annabel Smyth writes:

Tony Raven wrote to uk.transport.london on Mon, 11 Oct 2004:

Annabel Smyth wrote:
Not even OAPs - I was very nearly sent flying by one the other day,
and
I am merely middle aged. All the same, I don't want to be knocked down,
thank you.

Methinks you do exaggerate a tad.

No. I *am* middle-aged, and I *was* very nearly sent flying ...

I suppose the argument turns on the "nearly" - one person's "nearly"
is another's "missed by miles"...

Paul Rudin wrote to uk.transport.london on Mon, 11 Oct 2004:

I suppose the argument turns on the "nearly" - one person's "nearly"
is another's "missed by miles"...

I dare say - when you step into the road and have to leap back on to the
pavement to avoid being run down, you consider it "nearly". At least, I
do..... Had I been another inch further into the road, we would have
collided.

Mind you, come to think of it, I'm so fat the cyclist would probably
have come off worst.
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 26 September 2004

In article ,
says...
I dare say - when you step into the road and have to leap back on to the
pavement to avoid being run down, you consider it "nearly". At least, I
do..... Had I been another inch further into the road, we would have
collided.

I've been surprisingly good at avoiding collisions when pedestrians
randomly wander into the road without looking. It's possible that the
moron in question wouldn't actually have hit you (Although if he was
cycling through a red his skills are somewhat irrelevant).

Mind you, come to think of it, I'm so fat the cyclist would probably
have come off worst.

Despite my earlier claim I have however hit a pedestrian once while
cycling. Neither of us sustained serious injuries (Although I did have a
stiff arm for a few days) and he was very quick to apologise (His
fault!).

I think you'd actually have to be pretty unlucky to be seriously hurt by
a cyclist. Being in some way attached to the bike means that they tend
to come off worst!

Jon

Jon Senior wrote in message .. .
In article ,
says...
I dare say - when you step into the road and have to leap back on to the
pavement to avoid being run down, you consider it "nearly". At least, I
do..... Had I been another inch further into the road, we would have
collided.

I've been surprisingly good at avoiding collisions when pedestrians
randomly wander into the road without looking. It's possible that the
moron in question wouldn't actually have hit you (Although if he was
cycling through a red his skills are somewhat irrelevant).

Good for you. Unfortunately, in most cases I've witness or been a
party to, the cyclists in question invariably jumped reds at Pelicans,
often swerving into view from behind moto vehicles that had actually
stopped at the lights.

Mind you, come to think of it, I'm so fat the cyclist would probably
have come off worst.

Despite my earlier claim I have however hit a pedestrian once while
cycling. Neither of us sustained serious injuries (Although I did have a
stiff arm for a few days) and he was very quick to apologise (His
fault!).

I think you'd actually have to be pretty unlucky to be seriously hurt by
a cyclist. Being in some way attached to the bike means that they tend
to come off worst!

Oh, well that makes it perfectly alright then.

Nick Cooper 625 opined the following...
Good for you. Unfortunately, in most cases I've witness or been a
party to, the cyclists in question invariably jumped reds at Pelicans,
often swerving into view from behind moto vehicles that had actually
stopped at the lights.

In which case the pedestrians weren't randomly wandering into the road
and the cyclists should have stopped. But we've been through this
already.

Oh, well that makes it perfectly alright then.

Not really but (Here we go again) compare and contrast to the same
impact involving a car travelling at a proportionally higher speed (Or
even at the same speed)! There is a reason why despite the apparent
hoards of cyclists (or so we are continually informed) that jump red
lights and ride straight at pedestrians, there is a ridiculously small
number of cycling induced pedestrian casualties each year.

Jon

Annabel Smyth wrote:

I dare say - when you step into the road and have to leap back on to the
pavement to avoid being run down, you consider it "nearly". At least, I
do..... Had I been another inch further into the road, we would have
collided.



Did you look before you stepped into the road or did you make the common
pedestrian mistake of believing because you cannot hear a motor there is
no traffic. Would you have stepped out in the same way if a car had
been approaching at the same speed?

Tony

Tony Raven wrote:
Annabel Smyth wrote:

I dare say - when you step into the road and have to leap back on
to the pavement to avoid being run down, you consider it "nearly".
At least, I do..... Had I been another inch further into the road,
we would have collided.

Did you look before you stepped into the road or did you make the
common pedestrian mistake of believing because you cannot hear a
motor there is no traffic.

Why are you so reluctant to acknowledge the cause of this dangerous
incident? The cyclist (or POB if you prefer) rode through a red light.
Are you trying to condone that?

--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)

Richard J. wrote:

Why are you so reluctant to acknowledge the cause of this dangerous
incident? The cyclist (or POB if you prefer) rode through a red light.
Are you trying to condone that?


If you bothered to read my other posts in this thread you would already
know that I do not condone red light jumping by cyclists (or
motorcyclists, motorists, taxis or buses for that matter)

Tony

Tony Raven wrote to uk.transport.london on Mon, 11 Oct 2004:

Annabel Smyth wrote:
I dare say - when you step into the road and have to leap back on to
the
pavement to avoid being run down, you consider it "nearly". At least, I
do..... Had I been another inch further into the road, we would have
collided.



Did you look before you stepped into the road or did you make the
common pedestrian mistake of believing because you cannot hear a
motor there is no traffic. Would you have stepped out in the same way
if a car had been approaching at the same speed?

Normally, when a pelican crossing is on a pedestrian cycle, the traffic
stops to allow pedestrians to cross the road. The cars had stopped, the
"little green man" was green, and the audible indicator was beeping.
Cyclist came up inside a bus, where he couldn't be seen, and zoomed
straight past, utterly ignoring the three facts mentioned above.
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 26 September 2004