Oh my god that was scary!
 

I rode home from work on friday to find that both ends of the alley were blocked by people cutting the foliage back. No matter - there's a middle entrance - to options go the short route round the block, but that's likely to be clogged with traffic, or go the longer way - I'll take the long route.

So I turn the bike round and head off. I am riding along a 30mph 3 lane wide bit of road. As I'm about 300 yards from a set of traffic lights at a junction they go green so I carry on as I was. As I approach the junction I notice that there are people waiting to cross at the lights. Just as I reach the white line, a kid steps off the pavement and start walking across the road at the opposite side of the lights. I immediately grab a hand full of front brake and hit the horn and clutch simultaneously. I am sh****** it that I am gonna hit this kid. The front of the bike is really low and I suspect I lifted the rear wheel I was breaking soo hard. At no point does the kid even look up - head down all the way across the road. Well I stopped short but was shaking like a leaf.

I looked around to see the kid, who must have been about 10, walking blisfully down the pavement. Right, I spin the bike around and go after him. I pull up and start having words about walking out into the road and almost being killed. He starts giving me a load of lip and having a go at me. THere's no way I'm gonna get through to this little brat so I give up and get back on the bike. I started to ride off, then realised he had a newspaper bag with him.

So I head to the nearest newsagents to explaing the situation. The guy behind the counter is obviously concerned so asks me for a description, at which point the kid walks through the door. Turns out it's the owners son - woo hoo. The father gave him a right old rollocking and made him apologise to me - twice!

Those seconds as I was heading for the kid were seriously scary - hope I don't have to experience that again!

Re: Oh my god that was scary!
 

Great that you didn't hit him, but dont bring the clutch in until the last second....clutch out will slow the bike quicker.

Re: Oh my god that was scary!
 

I was once unfortunate enough to hit a kid when in the car. Fortunate though he was not hurt. I put him, and his bike in the car and took him home. Gave his parents a right lecture as to how he was riding (through a red light, at 11:30pm with no lights). Sod did £400 damage to my wing/bonnet.

Next thing I know a solicitors letter arrives claiming personal injuries from me. Scum bag kid, scum bag parents.

Re: Oh my god that was scary!
 

Kids on bikes are a bleedin menace! They should have to pay insurance like all road users, they are just as capable as every other road user of causing damage or injury! If they hit a pensioner they could kill them. What a farce, you survive two world wars and get killed by a kid on a mountain bike outside your own bungalow!

Re: Oh my god that was scary!
 

Did they screw anything out of you?

Re: Oh my god that was scary!
 

Not if the rear wheel is off the ground like he said...but if that was the case then the bike wouldn't stall anyway...roll on, clutch out until the end!

Re: Oh my god that was scary!
 

I agree that Kids on cycles , and for that at a certain age wandering around on the pavement are a menace. Is it me or do they not seem to have as much common sense when near the road. I'm always a little worried when I see a todler on the pavement with the parent about 10 feet away chatting to their friends whilst the kid is wandering around on his her own.Most of the time they are ok, but I have seen a few parents make the hectic dash to catch the kid before it goes lurching into the road after something! Should be on a leash or at least holding the parents hand!
I also get peed off with the 'teenager' lot who seem to cross the road at their own pace no matter how many cars or how fast the traffic is moving towards them. Another good reason to have a bloody LOUD horn on the bike or car. One guy on here was riding somewhere and a runner (ipod plugged in) stepped off the pavement and into his path, luckily he was far eough away to not run into him, but he blasted him with his Stabil horn. 130db. Apparently the runner had to change more than his runnning shoes when he got home!!

Good that you didn't hit him, and to be honest I'd have just left it at that and not gone back to give the kid any grief! BUT then again maybe the little tick tu*d learnt something!