Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Another (non) hit & run accident involving a west Seattle cyclist
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June 1, 2014 at 4:17 pm #611519
sbreParticipantAround 4:30 Saturday (5/31) afternoon while riding to the Mariners game I was traveling eastbound on the bike trail along Spokane, as I approached the turn onto E. Marginal Way (to head north) I looked through the chain-link fencing to see a group of cyclists heading towards me and yelled a heads-up to announce my presence. Which I’m guessing they didn’t hear.
Making the left turn (probably a bit too fast in hind-sight) I see they are riding 4 abreast leaving me very little room to get by. My speed and the lack of room forced me into the (approx.) 6’ x 6’ concrete support column for the overhead bridge traffic.
Hitting the concrete with my right forearm and shoulder I immediately bounced off and fell to the ground onto my left forearm, shoulder and knee and then ended in an up-right sitting position to find the force of one of the collisions had knocked the wind out of me. As I sat there grunting and trying to catch my breath I hear a female voice off to my right asking “Are you alright?” and I look to see one the women from the group (2 men and 2 women) had stopped to check on me. As far as I could tell, the 3 other riders had continued as they were not in my field of vision.
Almost immediately I heard a male voice yell “Come on Rachael, G** damn-it, lets go!”, which prompted her to ride off leaving me there alone.
After catching my breath and doing a self and bike assessment I decided that the uber-sore shoulder is probably all muscular pain and continued on to the game. (Die-hard baseball fan here!)
While at the game I did stiffen up considerable however was able to score 4 ibuprofen from a woman sitting behind me which, in combination with the M’s exciting 3-2 win over Detroit I had enough grit to ride back to west Seattle and even climb California Way and make it home.
Rachael, if you’re or anybody in your party is reading this, other than being pretty damn sore and slightly scraped-up, I’m okay however tomorrow morning will give a better assessment of that. And I will be contacting the SPD tomorrow and letting them know of this just so they have it on record.
Fortunately my injuries are not worse, or even anywhere near those sustained by John Macy, but if they were who knows how long I would have sat there until someone came along to help.
In closing all I have to say is…Come on people, make smart(er) decisions and do the right thing!!!!!
June 1, 2014 at 4:50 pm #809004
Alki WarriorParticipantWe need bike lanes to make our roads safer. Its a win win for everyone. I hope Ed Murray can get more money from tax payers for this great cause.
June 1, 2014 at 5:20 pm #809005
HunterGParticipantGlad you’re okay!
Alki, I agree. I think cyclists using city street should have to tab their bikes. This would create a lot of revenue for those bike lanes, wouldn’t you think?
June 1, 2014 at 5:24 pm #809006
miwsParticipantSorry this happened to you, sbre, but glad that your injuries weren’t any worse.
This is very reminiscent of the recent incident on the I-90 walk/bikeway, where a female cyclist was injured by another, distracted cyclist, whom, IIRC, stopped for a moment as in your situation, but then rode off.
Is there any possibility of witnesses?
Mike
June 1, 2014 at 7:01 pm #809007
elikapekaParticipantBikes should be tabbed, and riders should be required to carry insurance. If we had those rules in effect, in this case, you could probably have noted at least one of the tabs and been able to track down the cyclist. And if you had injuries requiring treatment, you’d be able to bill through the rider’s insurance just like you would if you’d been injured by a motorist.
June 1, 2014 at 7:59 pm #809008
JanSParticipantWhile I think we should all live peaceably together, car drivers and bicyclists, it’s a shame that fellow bicyclists (at least in this incidence) can sometimes be asshats, too. It’s selfish, and can be downright dangerous, as you found out, sbre. And you were even making excuses for them, saying you were going a bit fast . Be that as it may, they know what happened,.. and they all should have stopped. What is so important that one cannot help a fellow human in trouble?? Glad you are ok, if a little sore. Tart cherry juice (Trader Joe’s), every day can help with that, and it tastes good, too :D
June 1, 2014 at 11:13 pm #809009
Alki WarriorParticipantBikes should not be charged tabs because bike riders are promoting a healthier enviornement for us all by not starting up their gas fumed vehicles.Bicyclists should be given the right of way first before any car.
June 1, 2014 at 11:27 pm #809010
JanSParticipantAlki Warrior…I have no problem with bikes…until the bikers leave their designated lanes (when there is one), keep riding into the lane I’m driving on, and keep making me slam on my brakes(happens a lot on Broadway, or 12th near SU or the community college). And when they hold up 10 cars behind them, going 10 mph. It’s frustrating. I like the idea of the specified bike lanes when it can be done on our streets, and also think they should be divided from the car traffic, with maybe parking in between, instead of at the curb.
You said they should always be given priority…I somewhat disagree with that, since not all cyclists are perfect in what they do…no helmets, riding in and out of traffic,taking short cuts, not stopping for red lights when no cars are present(and sometimes when they are). Yes, it all happens. That fact negates the good they’re doing environmentally – they’re still asshats, if you will :) Does my car pollute? Yeah. Do I have a choice? No. I’m 67, I am disabled (can still drive), and I don’t drive often. But it’s no reason to think I’m “second class”, if you will, and should just put up and shut up.
Sbre is a great guy, could have been seriously hurt, and these people didn’t give a damn. That’s very sad. Doesn’t matter if they were being “good environmentalists” or not.
June 2, 2014 at 12:22 am #809011
HunterGParticipantIf bicyclists want bike lanes the bicyclists should pay for them with licensing fees. My opinion.
I agree they are promoting a healthier environment, but many of them act so entitled. And put drivers at risk by not following the same rules of the road!
June 2, 2014 at 12:41 am #809012
datamuseParticipantGreat idea, HunterG! Let’s fund car infrastructure entirely out of car license tabs, while we’re at it.
June 2, 2014 at 2:55 am #809013
HunterGParticipantDatamuse, I appreciate your sarcasm.
I’m not stupid, I know that roads and infrastructure aren’t funded by car tabs (obviously) if they were our roads may not be riddled with potholes and our light rail might actually be more developed.
I love the bike lanes, it makes the roads safer for everyone traversing them. What drives me crazy (no pun intended) is that bicyclists using the roads and bike lanes as their primary source of transportation should be required to license their bikes and they aren’t required to. It doesn’t make sense to me.
June 2, 2014 at 1:36 pm #809014
mark47nParticipantSo…A few points;
Most cyclists own cars, thus pay for said infrastructure. The amount of kvetching that is going on around paying for bicycle infrastructure is astounding! We’ll pay hundreds of millions for cars per year but cry about a having to fund bicycle infrastructure. Let’s not forget all of the other taxes that we all pay that cyclist pay, including fuel taxes, because the vast overwhelming majority of cyclist drive.
Bicycles have the same right to the road as cars do, as a matter of law. We are not required to occupy a thin sliver of debris that many drivers seem to believe is relegated to us. Per WSDOT and the RCW bicycles have the same rights and responsibilites of drivers and, even if there is a bike lane, we have the right to use the bikelane, sidewalk of roadway as best suits our needs. An example would be that me riding 20/mph, which I do routinely,on the bike path adjacent to Beach drive would be fantastically unsafe to pedestrians, so I do it in the road. There are roads where bicycles are not permitted, such as the interstate, except in limited cases, i.e. where the interstate is the only road.
It is actually illegal to ride 4 abreast, 2 is the max, per RCW. It is also permitted on roadways. So, the OPs 4 abreast issue would be legit, not to discount the lack of awareness of surroundings, etc.
Bicycle tabs and insurance. Really? Tell me, how unenforceable do you want to make laws? Bicycles are an affordable means of transportation and crashes usually result in minimal injury and property damage. Since there aren’t really any numbers on this I can only provide anecdotal evidence based on my own experience of crashing at 20mph and that of my friends and their friends etc. Given that cyclists that are sharing the road are HYPER aware of what is going on around them (contrary to the popularly held belief that we are just blissed out).
My final point is the comment about how “entitled” we are. We are entitled, by law, to use the road. Drivers are required to share the road. The concept that we, as cyclists, are putting drivers at risk is as laughable as it is offensive. I’m not the least bit sorry that I delayed you 5 seconds when you had to take your foot off the gas to wait for a chance to roar past me, perhaps mashing your horn and screaming obscenities at me about how I should be on the sidewalk or, perhaps passing me more closely than would be…adviseable.
One more thing, paved roads came about due to bicyclists, not cars.
June 2, 2014 at 3:09 pm #809015
sam-cParticipantElikapeka- I agree with your post #5. that thought had never occurred to me though until i was almost run down by a cyclist who came up behind me without announcing himself (bell or voice). I was a pedestrian walking on a 5′ wide sidewalk, directly adjacent to a street. the cyclist was riding on the sidewalk at a good clip. the only reason he didn’t hit me was that I heard his bike (not a bell as I mentioned) and jumped out of the way. I had wondered what would have happened if he had run me over and I had no insurance (pre Obamacare days- just a ‘what if?’). perhaps bicycle insurance is warranted.
e.t.a. : sbre- I hope you are recovering from your injuries. take care of yourself.
June 2, 2014 at 3:21 pm #809016
elikapekaParticipantThe intent of the poster was not to turn this into another cars vs. bikes thread, and it’s not mine either.
My point is that with rights come responsibilities. When I was a kid growing up in Denver, we had to license bikes. We would ride our bike to the fire station, the nice fireman would give us a safety inspection, we forked over something like a dollar, and got a little plate to display on the back of the bike. No big deal. You could add five or ten bucks to the price of a bicycle and get it done.
As for insurance, since cyclists love to point out that most of them have cars, just add it onto your auto insurance. Shouldn’t cost much more. No matter how conscientious and law abiding you are, accidents happen. You should be responsible for any injuries or damage you cause. I don’t know why that should be at all controversial.
June 2, 2014 at 4:11 pm #809017
FranciParticipantSo I’m a little unclear on why this thread ended up on the car vs bike track. The OP was relating an experience that is clearly between a single cyclist and a group of cyclist. The group exhibited poor behavior – leaving the scene of an accident that they had a part in – leaving an injured person to fend for themselves, not knowing if he/she were able to do so.
Then someone suggests licensing bikes – everyone is all over hating that. Where is the outrage that a group of cyclist left one of their own on the side of the road to fend for him/herself after an accident.
This isn’t any different than an accident between 2 automobiles. If one forces the other off the road and into a tree/pole/?? and just keeps going – is that right? I don’t think so.
June 2, 2014 at 4:45 pm #809018
miwsParticipantJune 2, 2014 at 7:24 pm #809019
JanSParticipant+2 Franci….
:I suppose because some bicyclists feel that they’re above it all because they’re being environmentally superior, it doesn’t negate the fact that some can be asshats, just like drivers :D
SBRE…update on how you’re feeling ?
June 2, 2014 at 7:32 pm #809020
mark47nParticipantI don’t think that there is any debate over the poor behavior of these four cyclists. They were riding four abreast and left the scene of an accident that they arguably caused. The reality is that there are jerks in this world and you’re not going to get rid of them.
On the topic of registration; yes, Denver required you to license your bike (I grew up there, too). I never had a cop look at it and fat lot of good it did when my bike got stolen. What, exactly was the purpose of that? You want me to pay $5 for my bike, fine, but it’s not going to change anything. It will just create more scofflaws. As to insurance, riding a bicycle doesn’t exempt you from responsibility and no one here as made that claim. Given that most bicycle/bicycle accidents go unreported, for whatever reason, it’s hard to come up with statistics to indicate just how many incidents there are although I can tell you, from personal experiene that even in my worst crashes with other bikes i’ve gotten up and walked/limped away with little more than bumps and bruises and that includes cratering at 20 mph. Yes, I had a bit of road rash but my bike was fine, I required just 1st aid and some beer and the road was fine, too. I was intrigued by the woman who watched me crater and just stood there and watched, though one other man hurried over to help me up, after I said I was alright and helped get my bike up off the road. As I said, jerks are everywhere.
June 2, 2014 at 7:39 pm #809021
mark47nParticipantIndeed, Jan, I’ll assume that you aren’t lumping me into the category of asshats.
Perhaps I’m a bit defensive, but I’ve been cut off, screamed at, run off the road and hit by cars. I’m not anti car. I’m pro education and that includes educating drivers that bicycles have, by law, as much right to the road as they do. I will not have my rights usurped by asshat drivers and I bristle at the idea that bicycles are the problem, hich has ben asserted here, ven if not in this thread. Many cyclists ride assertively because they are trying to maintain their space on the pavement rather than be shoved into the gravel, glass and debris, not to mention grates nd the curb.
My assertive riding may be viewed as being a poorly behaved cyclist but what is my alternative? Surrender my rights? No, I’ll not do that.
June 2, 2014 at 7:57 pm #809022
JanSParticipantlol…no, Mark, I would have to meet you first to determine that :D
And I understand what you’re saying. Sadly there are jerks on both sides. First, there are drivers who drive as offensively as they can, as if they own the road, and you’d better get out of my way, bro ! Then there are certain bicyclists who simply assume that they can do anything they want, and the rest of you will have to just put up and shut up. Just this morning I encountered a young man on his bike who darted out on his bike, backpack on his back, no helmet, right in front of me, to cross the road to the other side. Then stopped and just sat there, still in the street. He crossed maybe 5 feet in front of me, and I was going 30 mph. I see both sides.
Assertive riding is OK…esp. if common sense is thrown in…and an awareness of your surroundings, not assuming that those cars will always see you when you move that fast.
And drivers should not have to surrender their “rights” (if you wanna call them that) either. Given the nature of some people, we just may be dreaming a bit ;-)
back to the OP…hope he’s OK. Besides tart cherry juice, warm baths with epsom salts, and maybe a massage or two will wipe out the remains of the wall collision…would be nice, also, if the other cyclists who did not stick around, saw his post , and offered an apology :(
June 2, 2014 at 9:47 pm #809023
KimberleyParticipantSpeaking of asshat cyclists, I passed a cyclist cruising down Admiral as I was heading up Admiral this morning at 6:10 a.m. Why on earth he wasn’t either riding in the correct lane or on the pavement, I haven’t a clue.
June 3, 2014 at 5:31 am #809024
JanSParticipantIn the same vein, as I was going down Admiral towards the bridge this morning around 9:30am, I watched as a very privileged asshat SUV driver sped down the hill going at least 45 if not higher, weaving into the left lane, tailgating the slower drivers, and then repeating it again and again until going on to the bridge. It didn’t actually get them ahead much. I don’t think we should make this a tit for tat thread about who is worse, cyclists or drivers. I was just pointing out that there are all sorts of asshats out there…and SBRE encountered some of them this weekend – and it didn’t turn out well…
June 3, 2014 at 2:26 pm #809025
JoBParticipantJune 3, 2014 at 4:37 pm #809026
elikapekaParticipantSbre, hope you’re okay. I’m also sorry that this thread took off in the direction it did instead of focusing on what happened to you.
And I hope I’m not breaking any rules here, but I’ve got to say, AlkiWarrior, I know you like to poke some sticks and get people riled up and all that, but to do it as the very next post when someone has posted about a personal situation that caused them injury was not cool.
June 4, 2014 at 3:53 pm #809027
sbreParticipantHello all, thanks for your well-wishes and support of an ugly situation.
As I believed at the time of the accident, I still do now; that the aches and pains I’m feeling are muscular and are well on the way to healing. Although its still sore to do a lot of things like sneezing (LOVE SPRING!!!) and trying to get out of bed, but I’ll be back to normal soon.
As some of you may know I’m an active member of West Seattle Bike Connections (westseattlebikeconnections.org) and the corner where this accident took place was AGAIN a topic of discussion at our monthly meeting last night, and we’ve decided to be pro-active and work with the necessary entities to see about changing this corner and making if more of a user-friendly bike lane instead of a wide sidewalk that services a bike lane on either side of it. (if you’ve never ridden this section of the trail then you might not understand what that means)
We know it will take time and diligence, but almost all of our active members use this corner and have brought up its many short-comings often times in the past.
So making lemonade out of the lemons dumped onto my life, I, we hope for your support on getting (at least) that corner improved for safer cycling.
Stay friendly, stay positive and for crying-out-loud, stay safe!!!
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