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Related: About this forumSpokane woman is standing up to cyclist who yelled 'Hot pizza!' then smashed into her on trail
Hat tip, Dan Savage: http://www.thestranger.com/slog/2017/10/10/25460280/the-morning-news-trump-challenges-tillerson-to-iq-test-first-ladies-audition-for-real-housewives-death-declares-victory-in-war-on-coal
I think I see what the problem is here.
Originally published October 9, 2017 at 10:10 am Updated October 9, 2017 at 10:16 am
Virginia Pearsall suffered a fractured elbow when a bicyclist crashed into her from behind on the Spokane River Centennial Trail on Sept. 22. (Rich Landers/The Spokesman-Review)
I hate to slow down, the cyclist said when asked why he didnt. Most of the time people move. These people wouldnt move, he added, noting that moms with strollers were part of the problem, too.
By Rich Landers
richl@spokesman.com
(509) 459-5508
https://twitter.com/SRoutside
Spokesman-Review
....
On Sept. 22, {67-year-old Spokane resident Virginia Pearsall} was walking near {Milepost 24 of the Spokane River Centennial Trail} at Nettleton Street with her sister when she heard someone behind her yell, Hot pizza! ... I didnt know what that meant, but I thought it might be a bicyclist, she said. Her dog, Rags, was on leash just in front of her and her sister was by her side. They were taking up less than half of the paved trail, she said. ... I was going to step onto the grass to get even farther off the trail when something hit me like a Mack Truck on the back of my leg and slammed me to the ground, she said.
The cyclist landed on top of her and then he went into a tirade, she said. ... Pearsall was taken to a hospital emergency room, where she was examined for severe bruising and knee damage and diagnosed with a fractured elbow. ... Cyclist Justin Haller, 44, of Spokane, said he went to an urgent care clinic, where he learned that he broke his nose and re-broke a bone in a hand that was still healing from a glancing collision with a vehicle.
Pedestrians have the right of way, and at the very least he should have slowed down, Pearsall said. He had a full view down the trail there were little kids in the park there and he even could have veered off onto Nettleton and had the street all to himself. Instead he rode over me. ... It was a perfect storm of bad situations, Haller said on Friday. My hand was still weak so I couldnt brake hard. If you say On your left people get confused, but if you yell Hot pizza people usually turn around with a smile, assess the situation and then move accordingly.
....
In a Facebook post from an urgent care facility, he said, So first ride without the brace and some pedestrian wouldnt move!! Centennial trial (sic) is not yours alone pedestrians!! .... I hate to slow down, Haller said when asked why he didnt. Most of the time people move. These people wouldnt move, he added, noting that the moms with strollers were part of the problem, too. ... Its a regrettable thing that happened. It didnt need to happen for a lot of reasons and not just mine. I dont like the fact that I hit her, but I did. ... Haller said he calls it a good day when he makes it home without an accident. Ive broken 25 bones, he said. When I lived in L.A., a doctor asked me if I was a stunt man.
Here's the article at the Spokesman-Review:
Woman standing up to cyclist who smashed into her on Centennial Trail
Woman standing up to cyclist who smashed into her on Centennial Trail
Link to tweet
* * * * *
Bicyclist crashes into woman walking on Centennial Trail
Link to tweet
Bicyclist crashes into woman walking on Centennial Trail
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The dude needs to be caught and prosecuted. Spokane authorities shouldn't turn their backs on this sort of behavior on our city trails.
Salviati
(6,008 posts)I think you need to sit down and assess what the common denominator in all those situations is...
petronius
(26,602 posts)he at least ends up paying all the damages and a punitive chunk as well.
"Hot pizza"?! How about "on your left" like every other courteous biker on the planet?
tikka
(762 posts)is that pedestrians can be wearing earbuds and can't hear a yell or a bell (I haven't tried a horn). You just have to ride defensively!
TexasProgresive
(12,157 posts)It is people like him that cause us all trouble. There ought to be some way to remove his privilege to ride in the park. We, cyclists, do hate having to slow down but you do what is safe for others. Hot pizza! I mean- what the hell does that mean?
pandr32
(11,586 posts)Apparently, he never heard of hearing impaired people, people who don't speak English, children, and others who have no idea that "hot pizza" being yelled out means if they don't dart quickly off the pedestrian path they will be run down. Too bad if they don't get the message and poor him when it causes an accident.
shraby
(21,946 posts)behind them on a bike.
demigoddess
(6,641 posts)what a bell means. Some of us rode bikes as youngsters and we did not do that sort of stupid.People have just as much right on trails as bikes and the people and kids are moving slower and in this case were in front of the idiot. No law says you should have eyes in the back of your head while walking. Also, I think this was a case of a guy who thought he owned the road and women should just get out of his way.
unblock
(52,243 posts)Pedestrians with right of way should be prepared to clear the path of themselves and any toddlers and pets in an instant as I come barreling through so fast I couldn't stop even if I was wanted to!
I love that part of the "perfect storm" of things he blames it on was his braking hand was weak due to a previous accident.
This is someone who will never learn.
LisaM
(27,813 posts)I know someone who was knocked down by a bike at the University of Washington - she is frail, and she was in her 60s at the time, and it took her months to recover. Yet, when I am on or near the campus myself, I see absolutely no signage or attempts to curb aggressive bike riding and I've almost been hit, too.
I've spent my time as a bike commuter and I also ride bikes recreationally, so I am not in the least against bikes. This kind of behavior is just wrong.
KT2000
(20,581 posts)trails are used by all kinds of people in all kinds of condition, plus children and dogs. He is in the business of delivering as fast as he can which is incompatible with the purpose of the trail.
He should be charged with assault.
mahatmakanejeeves
(57,464 posts)Turbineguy
(37,337 posts)is to make the rest of us, imperfect as we may be, look good.
Ellen Forradalom
(16,160 posts)These entitled jerks are certainly emboldened in the current political climate.
barbtries
(28,798 posts)it won't stop assholes like this guy from having wrecks but at least pedestrians wouldn't be put at risk. jeez what an ass.
Neema
(1,151 posts)by assholes on bikes too. God the selfish entitlement of this dude.
SonofDonald
(2,050 posts)25 broken bones so far, running over a pedestrian who " got in the way", sounds like he'll try to play in traffic again someday and lose.
Oh well, no loss.
Neema
(1,151 posts)runs his stupid, selfish ass over. Even if it's completely the biker's fault, killing someone will change your life forever.
I almost nailed this girl who was riding a bike on a sidewalk then barreled down a driveway at top speed, mid-block. It was dark, she had no lights, no helmet and dark clothing. She had the audacity to start yelling at me for, what, I don't know, driving legally down the street with my headlights on? I said "look, even if I'm entirely at fault here (which I'm not), you're never going to win in a bike versus car collision, especially with no helmet. What the hell are you thinking?"
SonofDonald
(2,050 posts)disillusioned73
(2,872 posts)This guy needs to learn how to ride.. simple as that
angrychair
(8,699 posts)Hate multipurpose trails that include bicycles. I rarely encounter a bicyclist that isnt an entitled asshole. Ive literally had to stand in devils club to avoid a group coming downhill on a multipurpose trail that refused to slow down.
Id be interested to see how often people and horse injuries are caused by bicyclists on trails in Washington.
What if horse riders decided they wanted to start riding down trails at a full trot? Its ridiculous.