beat the bus and accident question

dude I would call a lawyer immediately

Doug Purdy said:

Nice ride in this morning. Most of the lights went my way
and I got to work in 40 minutes, 5 minutes faster than the
bus/subway. And not even riding my faster bike. And for a
change, no one passed me! 😉

On the way home and SUV just had to go through the
stoplight when the traffic was backed up so she was still
in the intersection after the light changed. I started out
to go into front of her, clipped in and then she wheeled
around to try for the slow lane ... right where I would be
in a millisecond. I braked to full stop while trying to
turn behind her, leaving me way overbalanced to my right
and of course I fell right down in the intersection
breaking my pump mount with my knee and bruising my hands.

My question is, should I have asked her to pay me $30 for a
new pump? If she didn't could she get a ticket for leaving
the scene? This question is for next time, as usual in an
accident I get dumb and don't think of what I should do
until later.

I don't know about the legal aspects, but according to my
reading of your post, she didn't actually touch you with her
car, right?

In that case, I don't think you have one. A case, that is.
Witnesses? Get her name, and insurance co? I guess if she
stopped and offered aid, that's a good thing. If she
didn't 'admit' responsibility in front of witnesses whom
you acquired contact info from, you're probably out of
luck, IMO.

Sorry it happened to ya, though. :-(

-B

On Wed, 12 May 2004 00:24:56 GMT, "Doug Purdy" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

be in a millisecond. I braked to full stop while trying to
turn behind her, leaving me way overbalanced to my right
and of course I fell right down in the intersection
breaking my pump mount with my knee and bruising my hands.

My question is, should I have asked her to pay me $30 for a
new pump? If she didn't could she get a ticket for leaving
the scene? This question is for next time, as usual in an
accident I get dumb and don't think of what I should do
until later.

Nope, there was no collision, she made a mistake and you
didn't ride defensively enough. I'd call it a cheap
learning experience and replace the pump mount with $5
worth of velcro.

Here's my today story: Approaching a short, narrow bridge
just before a moderately dangerous intersection at 23mph,
car horn honks behind me and passes me ON THE BRIDGE, only
to have to stop short at the intersection in front of me.
Then, with no other traffic at the intersection, my young
male instinct kicks in and I yell (in an angry white male
construction worker voice) "What, now I gotta wait behind
you??!! Move it!! GO!!". He yelled something back while I
was yelling, but I don't know what he said.

BTW, car was a new Nissan Z.

My response was NOT the best possible response. What would
have been? Claire, you reading this?
--
Rick Onanian

(R15757) said:

dude I would call a lawyer immediately

For a broken pump mount and a skinned knee that could have
been prevented by more defensive riding and less trusting of
a soccer mom in an oversized SUV?

Isn't that a bit of an overreaction?
--
Rick Onanian

"Doug Purdy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My question is, should I have asked her to pay me $30 for
a new pump? If she didn't could she get a ticket for
leaving the scene? This question is for next time, as
usual in an accident I get dumb and don't think of what I
should do until later.

Probably it would be good to tell the police what happened
and ask them what can be done.

Rick Onanian said:

Here's my today story: Approaching a short, narrow bridge
just before a moderately dangerous intersection at 23mph,
car horn honks behind me and passes me ON THE BRIDGE, only
to have to stop short at the intersection in front of me.
Then, with no other traffic at the intersection, my young
male instinct kicks in and I yell (in an angry white male
construction worker voice) "What, now I gotta wait behind
you??!! Move it!! GO!!". He yelled something back while I
was yelling, but I don't know what he said.

BTW, car was a new Nissan Z.

My response was NOT the best possible response. What would
have been? Claire, you reading this?

Zip by and hope the driver's side window was open? I mean we
all have to spit now and then, eh?

My story. I was tooling along the bike path at about 13mph,
when suddenly on my left a guy on a street bike buzzes me.
Mildly startling. Enough so, that I hollar 'be nice if you'd
say passing on your left'.

Well he slowed to ride beside me and patronizingly explained
how this is not good, b/c some ppl move left. Then he asks
me if I 'understand'. Well, by this time, already in full
testosterone workout mode, I'm starting to fume. He says
'you're not talking...?'.

I was able to resist, but almost cussed him out.

Should I have? (he was fit and strong, but not at all in my
league, should it turn physical)

-B

"R15757" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

dude I would call a lawyer immediately

Thats whats wrong with people today. They have a little
trouble and immediatly want to make a federal case of it.
Geez, calm down for a minute and think.

Dan.

Badger_South said:

My story. I was tooling along the bike path at about
13mph, when suddenly on my left a guy on a street bike
buzzes me. Mildly startling. Enough so, that I hollar 'be
nice if you'd say passing on your left'.

Well he slowed to ride beside me and patronizingly
explained how this is not good, b/c some ppl move left.
Then he asks me if I 'understand'. Well, by this time,
already in full testosterone workout mode, I'm starting to
fume. He says 'you're not talking...?'.

I was able to resist, but almost cussed him out.

Should I have? (he was fit and strong, but not at all in
my league, should it turn physical)

Well, if you were too mad to even talk, then I'd say you over-
reacted just a tad 🙂

What he SHOULD do (and hardly any "racer boy" types seem to
subscribe to this) is to announce his presence/intention
from well behind you, so that if in fact you do move left he
can still avoid a collision.

A lot depends on the width of the path, and also the grade.
If it's narrow and fast, then passing like that is both rude
and dangerous IMNSOEO (E = experienced). OTOH, if he passed
well clear of you on a slower section, then just mutter to
yourself "I could go that fast...IF I really wanted to" and
let it go.

Bill "favorite coastal route full of inconsiderate
clubbies" S.

"Rick Onanian" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

construction worker voice) "What, now I gotta wait behind
you??!! Move it!! GO!!". He yelled something back while I
was yelling, but I don't know what he said.

My response was NOT the best possible response. What would
have been? Claire, you reading this?
--

Better response than this one from this week's headlines:
Pedestrian gets angry that SUV has pulled up into crosswalk
(may have grazed him). Has words with driver; they get into
an altercation involving a small souvenir baseball bat (near
Wrigley Field). Passenger in SUV gets out, shoots
pedestrian's brother dead.

A fuller version from the Chicago Tribune: "The shooting
victim, Frank Hernandez, 26, was one of several men involved
in a fight ... when an SUV either bumped some pedestrians or
came close. Rodrigo Caballero, 22, of the 1400 block of West
Fry Street, was charged with murder Friday, and prosecutors
said he fired one fatal shot into Hernandez's chest.

"Cook County Circuit Court Judge Kevin Michael Sheehan on
Saturday ordered Caballero held without bail, citing an
appellate court ruling that mandates bail be denied in
cases of murder in which the defendant is alleged to have
used a gun.

"Hernandez's brother allegedly hit William Lopez, the driver
of the SUV, with a souvenir baseball bat,.... Caballero then
got out of the car with a 9 mm handgun and fired once,
striking Hernandez in the chest, she said."

"R15757" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

<< For a broken pump mount and a skinned knee that could
have been prevented by more defensive riding and less
trusting of a soccer mom in an oversized SUV?

Isn't that a bit of an overreaction? >>

Rick I got two words for you: LAW YER

No actually the proper response to the heinous assault
which was perpetrated on the OP is (1) pull a gun (2) call
a lawyer. Oh and (3) snap polaroids of the license plate.
(You should be able to take pictures with one hand and
hold the gun with the other.) If she tries to drive away,
shoot her tires out. If she keeps driving on her rims,
unaware that her tires have been shot out (old ladies
always keep driving after their tires are shot out!) try
for the engine block. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THIS DRIVER BE
REMOVED FROM THE TRAFFIC SYSTEM. Also, collect the shards
of the pump mount and take a digital pic, and get an
estimate from a reputable shop. Your lawyer will know how
to proceed as per the offender's insurance company. This
may involve getting a doctor's note for bruised hands.

Oh, I see. I missed the satire of your original post.

Mike "Can I sue somebody for being humor impaired?" Kruger

"Rick Onanian" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Wed, 12 May 2004 00:24:56 GMT, "Doug Purdy"
<[email hidden]> wrote: Here's my today story: Approaching
a short, narrow bridge just before a moderately dangerous
intersection at 23mph, car horn honks behind me and passes
me ON THE BRIDGE, only to have to stop short at the
intersection in front of me. Then, with no other traffic
at the intersection, my young male instinct kicks in and I
yell (in an angry white male construction worker voice)
"What, now I gotta wait behind you??!! Move it!! GO!!". He
yelled something back while I was yelling, but I don't
know what he said.

My response was NOT the best possible response. What would
have been?

Just yell out the following to every driver who makes you
mad:

"89 Cents per litre!!"

That should turn their faces red.

"Rick Onanian" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On 12 May 2004 00:44:06 GMT, [email hidden] (R15757)

Quoted message said:

dude I would call a lawyer immediately

For a broken pump mount and a skinned knee that could have
been prevented by more defensive riding and less trusting
of a soccer mom in an oversized SUV?

Isn't that a bit of an overreaction?
--

By any chance is R15757 a lawyer?

I really can't see that the O.P., with no witnesses, and no
physical contact with the car, has much chance of
collecting.

So he lost a $30 pump mount. Personally, I'd pay $30 not
to talk to a lawyer. (in a professional sense, not a
social sense).

Quoted message said:

dude I would call a lawyer immediately

Excellent.

Curt

"Doug Purdy" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:s9eoc.39886$n7P1.8674
@twister01.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com:

Quoted message said:

Nice ride in this morning. Most of the lights went my way
and I got to work in 40 minutes, 5 minutes faster than the
bus/subway. And not even riding my faster bike. And for a
change, no one passed me! 😉

On the way home and SUV just had to go through the
stoplight when the traffic was backed up so she was still
in the intersection after the light changed. I started out
to go into front of her, clipped in and then she wheeled
around to try for the slow lane ... right where I would be
in a millisecond. I braked to full stop while trying to
turn behind her, leaving me way overbalanced to my right
and of course I fell right down in the intersection
breaking my pump mount with my knee and bruising my hands.

My question is, should I have asked her to pay me $30 for
a new pump? If she didn't could she get a ticket for
leaving the scene? This question is for next time, as
usual in an accident I get dumb and don't think of what I
should do until later.

Doug For email, a sense of wonder.

As others have said, pass it off and learn from the
experience. The lesson here is anticipate and avoid. Going
to the front is riskier than cutting behind her. Both are
risks though. Try to establish eye contact. If some traffic
is flowing I generally try to merge briefly with it and pass
behind the bonehead. If you're not ok with that then
chilling till the intersection clears is the remaining
option. The worst outcome from that is waiting through
another cycle.

Speaking of cycles, learn and use the OODA (observe, orient,
decide, act,) loop. A fighter pilot came up with it but it
applies on the road too.

In my locality blocking the intersection like that is
worth a $101 fine, but that's only a thing if there's a
cop right there.

199 mike

Sounds like the experience I have at least once a week. I
ride around
4:30-5 in the morning, and the only drivers out are a few
early people and the newspaper delivery drivers.

Unfortunatley, at that hour everyone thinks they can get
away with murder in their cars, and all try to. Every
morning for the past week, I have actually seen the same
newspaper car driving the wrong way down a busy road
with it's lights on to deliver papers. Then last week
one SUV stopped and started backing up, swerving towards
me. They got a few of my angry white male phrases yelled
at them as well.

Grr.

Rick Onanian <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Doug Purdy said:

be in a millisecond. I braked to full stop while trying
to turn behind her, leaving me way overbalanced to my
right and of course I fell right down in the
intersection breaking my pump mount with my knee and
bruising my hands.

My question is, should I have asked her to pay me $30 for
a new pump? If she didn't could she get a ticket for
leaving the scene? This question is for next time, as
usual in an accident I get dumb and don't think of what I
should do until later.

Nope, there was no collision, she made a mistake and you
didn't ride defensively enough. I'd call it a cheap
learning experience and replace the pump mount with $5
worth of velcro.

Here's my today story: Approaching a short, narrow bridge
just before a moderately dangerous intersection at 23mph,
car horn honks behind me and passes me ON THE BRIDGE, only
to have to stop short at the intersection in front of me.
Then, with no other traffic at the intersection, my young
male instinct kicks in and I yell (in an angry white male
construction worker voice) "What, now I gotta wait behind
you??!! Move it!! GO!!". He yelled something back while I
was yelling, but I don't know what he said.

BTW, car was a new Nissan Z.

My response was NOT the best possible response. What would
have been? Claire, you reading this?

(R15757) said:

If she tries to drive away, shoot her tires out. If she
keeps driving on her rims, unaware that her tires have been
shot out (old ladies always keep driving after their tires
are shot out!) try for the engine block.

I'm with you to here. What are you carrying to get to the
engine block through an SUV from behind? Isn't the gas tank
a better target?

Curtis L. Russell Odenton, MD (USA) Just someone on
two wheels...

On Tue, 11 May 2004 21:23:12 -0400, Rick Onanian <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Then, with no other traffic at the intersection, my young
male instinct kicks in and I yell (in an angry white male
construction worker voice) "What, now I gotta wait behind
you??!! Move it!! GO!!". He yelled something back while I
was yelling, but I don't know what he said.

BTW, car was a new Nissan Z.

My response was NOT the best possible response. What would
have been? Claire, you reading this?

Did that once. The car stopped and a really huge guy got
out. When he said, "You really shouldn't have said that." I
just nodded. He got back in and drove away. Later I figured
out that it was a split decision anyway who was right, once
I calmed down from two adrenalin spikes.

Curtis L. Russell Odenton, MD (USA) Just someone on
two wheels...

Rabid Lemur said:

Just yell out the following to every driver who makes you
mad:

"89 Cents per litre!!"

That should turn their faces red.

In the U.S., IF they heard you, their response would be,
"I'm not littering."

Curtis L. Russell Odenton, MD (USA) Just someone on
two wheels...

Rick Onanian <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Here's my today story: Approaching a short, narrow bridge
just before a moderately dangerous intersection at 23mph,
car horn honks behind me and passes me ON THE BRIDGE, only
to have to stop short at the intersection in front of me.
Then, with no other traffic at the intersection, my young
male instinct kicks in and I yell (in an angry white male
construction worker voice) "What, now I gotta wait behind
you??!! Move it!! GO!!". He yelled something back while I
was yelling, but I don't know what he said.

BTW, car was a new Nissan Z.

My response was NOT the best possible response. What would
have been? Claire, you reading this?

I posted something, but it apparently never made it up to
the server. If it does, never mind. Here was my reaction in
a similar situation: tinyurl.comyqwmsOpen ↗

Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky

Home of the meditative cyclist:
home.earthlink.netWelcome.htmOpen ↗ See the
books I've set free at:
bookcrossing.comCpeterskyOpen ↗