Near miss with a pedestrian.

[YaelD]

Today's has taught me NOT to try and second guess the inner workings of a pedestrian's mind! Not that I think a pedestrian's mind is any different to my own, we are all pedestrian (some more than others) at some point, most days. It's just that when I'm on my bike, pedestrians either become sinister, or I perceive them as such!?!

So it is that today I'm riding out ahead of traffic, on a fairly large road that's a bit quieter than usual when a man starts to run across the road (and not to catch a bus... or anything the other side).

I can't read what I'm seeing immediately, so don't start braking, in fact I convince myself he'll stop running in a while, so completely that I look away momentarily. By the time I look back, he's immediately at my right without a hint of a stop happening any time soon. I slam on my brakes and come to a halt... I'm not sure there's a metre between us.

I don't know what it was about my approach that made Mr Pedestrian think it was a good time to cross; what kept him crossing as I approached... at speed; what kept me coming as I watched him cross... at speed. But most disturbing, is that I had a brain freeze. I couldn't interpret what I was seeing sufficiently to act.

I rode the rest of the way in without incident and I was only shaken momentarily, but now some two hours later, I'm worried about how 'normal' my brain freeze was/not. I'm pretty sure my response would've been quicker were I driving a car and wonder if other collisions I've had (2 fairly minor but somewhat painful) might make me hesitant to pull my brakes too hard.

Thoughts?

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[timwilky]

Boot on the other foot, when I worked in china I was told never to stop or start running whilst crossing the road as the drivers expect you to keep walking and will plan to pass behind/in front of you. changing your plan is asking to get run over.

Was the pedestrian a Chinese gentleman ?

[YaelD]

Good to know, but no he wasn't. To be fair, not sure either of us came out as being particularly clever in this incident, i'm just really curious about my brain-freeze. Like I said, I'm pretty sure, I'd have pulled an emergency way sooner in the car, or better yet, one would not have been necessary, as I'd have started to slow down much earlier.

[Fallout]

Lesson learnt the easy way. We're all crap at learning lessons vicariously through other people's stories and advice. If we were any good at that, we'd never get on bikes when you consider all the deaths. You've learnt the best way i.e. had a close call, but got away with it. You'll be bright and alert for pedestrians in future and won't brain freeze again.

Don't worry about it. Just consider it a good lesson! :)

[speedyandypandy]

i'm just really curious about my brain-freeze.
If you where in a car he would most likely stop, people sometimes 'don't' see bikes. Your brain freeze is natural, I had some first year I drove my car. I think it's becuase the sitiuation turns out to be complete opposite of what is logic for you, and the shock of getting your head around that sitiuation takes all your attention. Just my theory and 50 pence

[Ch00]

Sounds like a good case for a blast of the horn to warn the ped of your presence.

[Dave-the-rave]

To check whether a pedestrian has seen you...

Get right on top of him/her, slip clutch, give it a fistfull of revs...
and observe the shatmypants look on their face.

[Spank86]

I've brain frozen at red lights before.

Been driving towards it seeing the red but not really processing it until my brain suddenly jolts and I'm thinking Oh, sh... that means stop! and slamming the brakes on.

[granty92]

To check whether a pedestrian has seen you...

Get right on top of him/her, slip clutch, give it a fistfull of revs...
and observe the shatmypants look on their face.
this is definately the best response :)

[Runako]

Its more likely your brain was pre-occupied. Ever daydreamed whilst staring at the computer screen? Same thing. This can happen no matter where you are, probably happens several times a day without you noticing.

Way I see it, you can be generally in one of two states of mind when riding. 1. Completely focussed on the ride (in which case you may feel almost prophetic at being able to avoid potential hazards and dodgy situations) or 2. pre-occupied - riding but not really fully concentrating.

I think all you need to do is get/stay focussed on your ride. Think about how the bike sounds or how it feels, or concentrate on some other aspect of your riding and I reckon this is unlikely to be an issue in the future.

[YaelD]

I tried to ride this evening as I would ordinarily and bearing in mind this morning's incident, I was quite surprised how easy it was to still zone out. I would have said that whilst I rode, I fully 'inhabited the moment'/was completely focused on my ride... Oops!

Anyhoo... Lessons learned, and must ride better...

Thanks for the comments, peeps... Will try to incorporate some of these suggestions in my rides.

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[Steve_God]

Stupid people can confuse your brain sometimes, as logically, if he's running across the road, sees/hears you, you'd expect him to sprint a little faster to get past in-front, or slow down and wait to come past.
Idiocy isn't logical unfortunately...

But as others have said, it's an easy lesson learnt for next time with no harm done.
For next time? Give a toot of the horn... Move road position a little or speed-up/slow-down to avoid him/her... Just generally keep an eye out for the great unwashed with few remaining brain cells.

[Sir Trev]

Way I see it, you can be generally in one of two states of mind when riding. 1. Completely focussed on the ride (in which case you may feel almost prophetic at being able to avoid potential hazards and dodgy situations) or 2. pre-occupied - riding but not really fully concentrating.


This is pretty much the same for pedestrians too. The majority of people now have little or no concept of the Green Cross Code. They grew up after the era of public information films, Dave Rouse as the Green Cross Man, Tufty, cycling proficiency tests and so on. Plus many these days have their head down looking at their phone. So many people step off the pavement without looking at all at junctions and then swear/gesture as you manage to only just avoid them it's not funny. And don't get me started on councils that put confusing "mixed use" surfaces down at junctions where numpty pedestrian assumes it's always his right of way when it's still clearly a road!

Good luck with avoiding future brain freeze. And treat the foot users as imbeciles at all times.

[Woogie]

As stated, everyone does it. I did it with a set of traffic lights that I went through... I noticed they had gone red but it didn't quite register and I rode through them then pulled up about 15 meters afterwards confused as to why I didn't stop. First time I have done that in 8 years of driving.

[tigersaw]

I seem to remember the kerb drill knocked into us in black and white days
"At the kerb halt; look right; look left; look right again; then if all clear, quick march!"

[Dave-the-rave]

I remember the little boy with a cat called Charlie.

Charlie - ''Wooaooaarrghwooarghhghhh''
Boy - ''Charlie says getting into cars with strange men is a bad idea cuz
they're all wrong uns''.

[speedyandypandy]

I remember the little boy with a cat called Charlie.

Charlie - ''Wooaooaarrghwooarghhghhh''
Boy - ''Charlie says getting into cars with strange men is a bad idea cuz
they're all wrong uns''.
So strange ladies is ok?

[Dave-the-rave]

So strange ladies is ok?

I don't think Charlies cat mentioned strange ladies. :(