To the lady who stepped onto the cycle lane just up from Dublin Museum of Literature

stabeek

A Yeatsian Fall

Why should I blame her for my tumble and now bleeding knee?

She didn't know the cycle traffic lights change just once every 2 or 3 minutes.

That I accelerated to reach them in time?

That she's crossing a cycle lane .. that there are traffic rules?

Her mind was full of something different as she marched onto the middle of the road

Though she knew the zebra crossing was too far for her convenience

and continued into the cycle lane as the cycle lights gleamed in their infrequent green?

Her mind on her traffic-free concerns. mine on the lights, green and 40 metres away

Shouldn't I have known that the pedestrians here at Stephens Green

Behave like herds of suicidal wildebeest sweeping across the Leeson Street junction?

"Don't!" I shouted at the last second, I veered off the lane to avoid her

Bam! Splat! onto the pavement went I, She had stopped at least

Unruffled, she asked me how I was, but I thought maybe she had fallen too. She hadn't.

There was no sorry and then she was Gonne (hehe), blissfully unaware she was completely in the wrong.

Will there be a second cyclist for you to burn?

Paddigol

What time was this? Just passed it about 15 mins ago. That junction is a disaster for pedestrians ambling into the cycle lane. Not helped by the wants that mean any avenue of escape is minimal/ fraught with doom.

CramCycle

Firstly, lovely and poetic writing.

Secondly, not that she isn't in the wrong but you don't sound completely not at fault either.

• Accelerating towards an already green light.
• Focus on the lights 40m away, not on the pedestrians who at any time can slip or fall into the cycle lane
• Yes you should have known pedestrians behave like this particularly around town

micar

Many many years ago, I did a course with a girl who had a cast on both wrists.....I asked her what happened

She was cycling on Dame St and an American tourist stepped out onto the road.

She pulled the brakes to avoid hitting her and went over the handlebars breaking both wrists.

Padre_Pio

I nearly had an incident with a woman crossing the road at the Spire on OConnell St. at a red pedestrian light.

She had headphones in and her nose stuck in her phone, and must have noticed the guy in front of her start to cross the road.

The guy saw me and took a few quick steps to move out of my way, but this lady stepped into the road without lifting her head, right into my path.

I hit the brakes and came within an inch of hitting her.

You can never be too careful. Some people are lemmings and completely oblivious to their surroundings.

Underpinner

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121085860#Comment_121085860

This one. Cuffee Street. He had headphones on, stepped in front of me in the cycle lane. I went over the handle bars as he waltzed off through the snarled up traffic, crossing the road, oblivious. Never saw me. €8000 worth of dental work he cost me.

walshb

Ban road cycling. Problem solved

endacl

https://youtube.com/watch?v=3sFKRFLsraU&si=n29-SP9j_XaDzVPb

🤣.

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121086547#Comment_121086547

What about when pedestrians step infront of cars?

Ban pedestrians.

Rows Grower

Slow down lads.

tomasrojo

A woman once ran out from behind a bus in front of me. She fell over when we made contact, though I braked as hard as I could, and wasn't going that fast. Can't see any remedy except to keep well out from whatever is currently effectively the edge of the road, if following traffic allows you. I also usually ring a bell going past stationary buses and vans now.

Dr_Colossus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121086543#Comment_121086543

Christ, that's rough and sorry to hear of your injuries.

A few weeks ago on a very inclement Fri evening I was heading home and for once got the green light just at Tara St bridge so continued on. No sooner had I got through the junction when a middle aged and stocky Polish guy stepped out in front of me with about a meter's notice. He never looked either direction just walked straight across the road. Braked and tried to swerve behind him but hit him hard with my shoulder and down I went on the greasy wet surface. He did a 360 pirouette and fell beside him. No word of an apology or enquired as to how I was, just curva this and curva that and how I had no respect but at least he didn't saunter off oblivious to the potential danger caused. Luckily no injuries or even scrapes but as I got up and was checking over the bike he high tailed it pretty quick.

That was my first time hitting a pedestrian after cycling through the streets of Dublin on a daily basis for about 25 years.

To add that was despite a strong dual front light and two rear lights which I have on all the time, winter and summer as well as the fabled high vis.

elperello

The problem is that pedestrians have no training, licence, insurance etc.

They are completely free range and unrestricted.

They just step out the door and walk.

All ages and levels of competency and fitness.

Charles Babbage

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121094220#Comment_121094220

Quite, just like cyclists. Completely untrained and unaccountable at best and malign in some cases.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121094258#Comment_121094258

Well not quite.

To be a cyclist you need to at least have a sense of balance and reasonable level of fitness.

You have to make a conscious decision to buy or hire a bicycle and become a cyclist.

Being a pedestrian is much more basic.

It's only a short step out the door into the public domain.

magicbastarder

funniest 'impact' i had with a pedestrian was along this stretch here, over 20 years ago:

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.3296537,-6.2770505,3a,75y,114.23h,74.7t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sjDPf5k7zh6O8m2vR4fulqg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

a chap was waiting to cross the road with his kid on the left hand side (i.e. canal side), but they were standing a respectable distance in from the kerb, and i picked up speed because the lights were green and didn't want to miss them. so i was doing north of 30km/h anyway. just as i drew level with the two of them, the kid (maybe 5 or 6 years old), stepped out and swung his leg to kick me in the shin. he spun like a top when i connected with him/him with me. i slammed on and went back to see if he was OK, and he was in a ball of tears; his dad was mortified and kept telling him 'SAY SORRY TO THE NICE MAN! SAY SORRY TO THE NICE MAN!'. he was clearly horribly embarrassed and i left once i realised the kid was OK.

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121094220#Comment_121094220

my mother would beg to differ! she trained me how to walk, and she herself has now been walking successfully for 75 years (albeit not constantly for 75 years). bar a fall on some ice about ten years ago.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121094829#Comment_121094829

Fair play to her and long may she continue to step out.

It's not that there are no responsible pedestrians around.

Most are careful and have a keen sense of self preservation.

They look right and left and right again.

But if you are cycling at speed and trying to watch everything else you can't tell the good ones from the bad.

Who could anticipate something like the little terror in your other post ?

It's just an ever present problem of shared spaces.

nachouser

To all the cyclists who burn through pedestrian crossings, yeah, don't do that. It's not a good look.

nicksnikita

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121095174#Comment_121095174

Ah it’s grand...most of the time

blackcard

Many moons ago, I was cycling to college in Dublin on a wet morning. I had been up until 5am completing drawings for my final year project and had them scrolled up in a cylindrical tube. A teenage girl walked out in front of me, I slammed on the brakes and tumbled head over heels onto the road. Girl was safe but all I could see was the tube containing my drawings had opened and the drawings were soaking in a large puddle. In my panic to rescue the drawings, I managed to spread the blood from my injured wrists and arms onto the drawings leaving them a complete mess.

I had to throw myself at the mercy of the lecturer as I showed him the sodden bloodstained drawings. I was still bearing the scars of the accident. He burst out laughing, said not to worry and said he would judge the drawings on their merit. I passed, a true gentleman

turbodiesel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121088272#Comment_121088272

Totally agree if it is within view of a pedestrian crossing. At that stage whether with a vehicle or not, you should be classed as a "Road User" and treated accordingly.

ratracer

Same as for any driver/ rider: expect the unexpected and be able to stop in the space you can see clear ahead of you!

Hope you’re not too badly injured, and the pedestrian is ok too.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121098282#Comment_121098282

Not at all, while every incident must be based on its merits individually, my opinion is that in the majority of cases the following would be the rule of thumb barring other evidence:

Ped in front of Car, car at fault A motorist should be driving at a speed, in an urban area, expecting it is possible someone slips, trips or falls into their path, that they can stop promptly.

Ped in front of Cyclist, same thing, should be cycling at a speed it is possible to stop if someone slips, trips or falls into their path.

Cyclist in front of a car, same thing.

fits

Well in my experience of pedestrianing, cycling and driving around the city centre I think everyone needs to chill the feck out and slow down.

was nearly taken out by two motorbikes with pillion passengers at heuston station last week. One of them overtook me on the left as I was turning left from a cycle lane into a cycle lane. Fun times.

stabeek

OP, that's me, would like to thank you all for contributions, all very good, I appreciate it.

My knee is on the mend. I can now cycle ... but to minimise knee bending, must not sit.

Reading the thread I realise now, it was nothing. Must. not. rush.

Cheers everybody.

average_runner

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121098421#Comment_121098421

Don't think any of that is practical. I mean i go for a run and someone steps out in front me, I won't be able to stop suddenly.

They tried to prove the above theory before on a tv show, bikes and cars travelling at 15mph couldn't stop in time.

And now the electric scooters, brakes on them are brutal

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121098470#Comment_121098470

I was trying to check out a shared bike in Phibsboro yesterday. Standing in the cycle lane with my head in my phone. Nearly got creamed by a Deliveroo cyclist. I should have been more aware...

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121142755#Comment_121142755

Yes and no, there are also that if you are in a city you shouldn't be cycling up against the kerb, keep out a metre and give yourself the time to adjust. Same with a car, in a crowded city centre, you shouldn't be doing 50kmph, keep closer to the centre where safe to do so and drive at 20 or less when you are in a really crowded area. I did also have the caveat that each incident should be judged on its own merits, not that this is the only acceptable answer to "who is at fault".

Like others have pointed out though, it is not always possible, I had someone run into me as I was stood still on my bike at a red light.