I hate stupid drivers!

[SAHDad]

I hit a car when out on my run tonight.

I was running, and crossing the street. Now, tonight was a fairly uptempo run, so while I wasn't at a full out sprint, I was moving considerably faster than the average pedestrian. She sees me enter the crosswalk, and decides that she can make the left turn before I actually get through the intersection.

Well, she was right, but only because I slammed on the brakes. That way, instead of slamming into her hood, I smacked my hand against a rear quarter panel. I shouted "Yield" and she kept driving on her merry way.

This wouldn't bother me much, but it seems to happen at least a couple of times per month. And that's far too often.

 

[deekaypee]

OH, I'm so glad you weren't hurt as it could have gone differently so very easily.

I'm an urban runner, too, and just like you I have these encounters a couple of times a month. Some of the time I don't think drivers even see me because they're too busy watching for other cars.

Anyway, I don't have anything helpful to say, but I applaud your boldness is the hand smack/Yield comment!

 

[bunnyfoo]

Glad you're okay!

Yep, that's happened to me a couple of times too. Last winter, DF and I were almost run down by some guy who couldn't be bothered to clean off his windshield except for whatever little window was removed by his wiper blades.

I also think a lot of drivers forget that they actually have to make a stop before the sidewalk... not stop halfway in front of the sidewalk, just before they turn.

 

[momof2minnies]

Was she on the cell phone by any chance- it kills me to see people pull out of their driveway then get on the phone.You couldn't make that call before you left????

 

[SAHDad]

Was she on the cell phone by any chance- it kills me to see people pull out of their driveway then get on the phone.You couldn't make that call before you left????

Nope. A longer, better description of the whole incident is this (since I wrote the above while DS was gathering things for bed):

I was running northbound on Street A. I was on the west side of the road, in the bicycle lane (no sidewalks - gotta love my town). The driver was also on street A, facing to the north, and wanted to make a left turn to head west on Street B. She started to make the turn as I entered the intersection (no lights, stop sign on Street B), saw me, stopped, and then attempted to complete her turn. If I had not stopped, I would have gone over her hood or under her car (depending on how she hit me) - as it was, my hand slap was at least in part to avoid running into her - though I was certainly steamed.

She saw me - she just severely underestimated my speed. (Heck, even walking, I would have probably had to stop. It's not as though intersections are so big in that area that they take more than a few seconds to walk across, let alone run across.)

 

[wilbur]

Glad to hear you weren't hurt.

This is a huge pet peeve of mine. What ever happened to pedestrians have the right of way at intersections?

I'm always watching & have come close to getting hit several times. Drivers are oblivious to anything around them. Drivers doing roll stops, talking on the phone, driving way to fast. I could go on & on.

Stay safe.....Sue

 

[Cruella de mom]

glad you are ok! I hate stupid drivers too. Luckily we have oodles of bike riders here so the public is pretty well versed in the share the road laws.

You know you are training to harrd when you come away from close calls like that thinking "if she had hit me, I could get some great painkillers and I wouldn't have to train......"

 

[jmasgat]

SAHDad I have had a similar thing happen to me--smacked the car, too-- and then had the driver stop and yell at me for smacking his car. As though anything that I could do with a bare, flat hand would compare to what he would do with 3-6000 pounds of vehicle!

Maura

 

[tiberius]

I've tried to reply several times to your note, but I can't seem to write anything that I am willing to leave in print for all to see.

I'll just say that I am glad that you are OK and that I wish all the "stupid" drivers out there would get their acts together before they kill and hurt more innocent people.

 

[Duanerice]

Was she on the cell phone by any chance- it kills me to see people pull out of their driveway then get on the phone.You couldn't make that call before you left????

Folks in my neighborhood are on the cell phone while backing out. Amazes me.

Remember folks, doesn't matter who is the stupidest or who is at fault - we get hurt. Be cautious and slow up at the intersections.

I too run the roads most of the time. I used to have the "I have the right-a-way" mentality. Not anymore. I now have the "OK, I don't want to slow down but I also don't want to get hit so even though I have the right-a-way I will yield"" mentality. Might make that mile a few seconds slower but what the heck.

Works every time.

enjoy,
Duane

 

[stego]

is that you are safe. I think I have the most sanity when I do the "closed" course loop down in Austin. Having 5 walkers wide across the path is another issue altogether. I do have a 5 mile loop at the house and have had a similar experience as a runner to what you describe. As a pedestrian/runner I have to have the responsibility of constantly being "defensive". On a daily basis I encounter "sense of entitlement", "rules don't apply" etc. and it's gone beyond frustrating. I can choose to spin my wheels in futility or shrug it off and develop a "teflon skin". I can't change how people behave, but I can change how I react to them. It is always OK to vent to us here because you in certainly good company.

 

[SAHDad]

Yeah, it's a maddening experience. I generally assume that I am perfectly visible - neon clothes, perfect weather, etc - and that I also have a $1,000,000 bounty on my head that every motorist is out to collect. It's a little more annoying when you can see that they have seen you, and they either just don't care, or they really don't think about the possibility of a vehicle/pedestrian collision.

OTOH - tonight's run was much better, aside from the heat.

 

[Duanerice]

Actually wanted to add a comment. I have to admit the folks in my neighborhood are, for the most part, awesome. 99% of the time they pull over to the other lane when passing (I run facing traffic). Or on many occasions, when another car is coming the other way they actually stop until the car goes by then they pull over and pass me, even though I am usually off the road a foot or so.

I really don't have too many complaints for the most part. But then this is a partially closed area so the cars are the same ones you see week in and week out. They always see me out there and I wave to every single car. 99% wave back.

Gotta go run - Saturday is at the park!
Duane

 

[bunnyfoo]

Duane - That's cool that the drivers remember you! There are parts of my route that I run on the road because the sidewalks are so cracked or there are no sidewalks. Even though I run against traffic, I still get nervous as part of the route curves uphill. So I'm always expecting someone to come crashing around the corner.

stego - I often come across the 'Red Rover' line of walkers too. I can't tell whether they're ignoring me or they truly don't know I'm there. I once came across a group of ladies out for a walk, I was running towards them and they were facing me walking backwards because of the strong winds. As soon as I got close enough, they turned back around and pretended I wasn't there. This was on a track too so it's not like I hadn't run by several times. I had to resist thoughts of running through them.

SAHDad - I at your bounty comment. It sure feels that way sometimes.