I almost ran a kid over today(unintentionally)

[Joshooha]

I almost hit a 4 year old kid in my neighborhood this summer. I guess he and his family were out in the yard and someone had called his name from across the street. As I was passing the parked car on the side walk I could see a blur through the windshield of the other car which prompted me to hover over the brake (I usually, just hover the gas at about 22 mph) he darted in front of my jeep at a full sprint, I locked it down and stopped. His parents were outside, saw him do it, didn't even bother correcting him. Neither did the other adult that called him over to the other side of the street. Apparently I was an asshole though when I threw my arms up in the air. I mean people fly through my neighborhood at 35-40 mph, especially at the portion where I was at. Maybe we do need to decrease the surplus population with stupidity like that.

 

[5-90]

I almost hit a 4 year old kid in my neighborhood this summer. I guess he and his family were out in the yard and someone had called his name from across the street. As I was passing the parked car on the side walk I could see a blur through the windshield of the other car which prompted me to hover over the brake (I usually, just hover the gas at about 22 mph) he darted in front of my jeep at a full sprint, I locked it down and stopped. His parents were outside, saw him do it, didn't even bother correcting him. Neither did the other adult that called him over to the other side of the street. Apparently I was an asshole though when I threw my arms up in the air. I mean people fly through my neighborhood at 35-40 mph, especially at the portion where I was at. Maybe we do need to decrease the surplus population with stupidity like that.

Kids are like that - because parents don't take responsibility for them either.

Had an incident in the supermarket a while ago - shortly after my wife was back on her feet from having had her right knee converted (medial compartment to total.)

Kid, probably three years old, pushing a lightly-loaded cart (he couldn't see over or through it...) and a good 20 feet away from him mother. He bumped into me - I barked in surprise, then told him he should watch out (NB: I was civil - and the only time I raised my voice was the initial yelp of being hit.)

This asinine woman followed me around the store, yelling at me from thirty or forty feet away, and accusing me of scaring her child.

Other customers in the store were asking me what happened, customers that saw it happen told me I handled it well and told her to shut up about it, and her husband came over to apologise for it.

I thanked him for having the class to do it, and told him that it would have come out a lot worse if his kid had bumped my wife - medical bills aren't cheap, and the last thing she needed was to have her knee bumped...

Gang, this has much to do with why people tune out - the kids aren't held responsible, the parents hold neither their children nor themselves responsible. They screw up, and it's somehow your fault that they did it.

I don't get it.

 

[iwannadie]

I mean people fly through my neighborhood at 35-40 mph, especially at the portion where I was at. Maybe we do need to decrease the surplus population with stupidity like that.

The same thing happens in my neighborhood. The speed limit is 25 and there are a lot of kids and several playgrounds between my house and the main road. Yet people refuse to do the 25mph and when I am doing 25mph they try to ride my bumper and are mad at me for going slow.

I know for a fact if I hit their kid going the speed they go they would call me a monster and want to throw the book at me. Some how it is ok for Them to go faster because they are special and in a hurry.

 

[Talyn]

Happens all the time here on campus. You would think college kids would know better.

x2 Here they just walk out into the road. Don't even look at all.. too busy screwing with their phone or ipad or other pos. While the law says that they legally have the right of way, physics overrule.

 

[iwannadie]

x2 Here they just walk out into the road. Don't even look at all.. too busy screwing with their phone or ipad or other pos. While the law says that they legally have the right of way, physics overrule.

I would like to know how something like that would turn out in court. The pedestrian always has the right of way but what if they are breaking the law walking when the signal says stop or not in a cross walk? Would the judge just say too bad the pedestrian has the right of way?

Maybe a bumper mounted bear mace sprayer, sure you will stop and not hit these people but they will get a wake up call...

 

[Talyn]

This is from the VA law:

§ 46.2-923. How and where pedestrians to cross highways.

When crossing highways, pedestrians shall not carelessly or maliciously interfere with the orderly passage of vehicles. They shall cross, wherever possible, only at intersections or marked crosswalks. Where intersections contain no marked crosswalks, pedestrians shall not be guilty of negligence as a matter of law for crossing at any such intersection or between intersections when crossing by the most direct route.

The governing body of any town or city or the governing body of a county authorized by law to regulate traffic may by ordinance permit pedestrians to cross an intersection diagonally when all traffic entering the intersection has been halted by lights, other traffic control devices, or by a law-enforcement officer.

Highways are any roads. I'd say carelessly is what they are doing by just walking out in middle of traffic w/o even bothering to look.

 

[iwannadie]

That is what makes sense, I would at all costs avoid hitting a person even if they are fully in the wrong but I hate the thought I would be seen as guilty if I did hit someone in these situation.

 

[WB9YZU]

I would like to know how something like that would turn out in court. The pedestrian always has the right of way but what if they are breaking the law walking when the signal says stop or not in a cross walk? Would the judge just say too bad the pedestrian has the right of way?

No.

We had an incident on Campus last Winter. Buses and cars go up and down University and Johnson streets all the time (Opposite sides of the block, both 1 way). In the first incident I can recall, a Librarian on her way to work, stepped out in front of a Bus. They had to call in a crew to extract her corpse. It was ruled an accident.

But it doesn't really matter, accident or not, She didn't get to go home after work to her Husband and Kids.

As drivers, we can only do so much. Situational awareness is something most ignore and assume it is someone else's problem. By the time they recognize whose responsibility it really is, hopefully they are not Dead.


-Ron

 

[UNCC_99XJ]

Kids are like that - because parents don't take responsibility for them either.

Had an incident in the supermarket a while ago - shortly after my wife was back on her feet from having had her right knee converted (medial compartment to total.)

Kid, probably three years old, pushing a lightly-loaded cart (he couldn't see over or through it...) and a good 20 feet away from him mother. He bumped into me - I barked in surprise, then told him he should watch out (NB: I was civil - and the only time I raised my voice was the initial yelp of being hit.)

This asinine woman followed me around the store, yelling at me from thirty or forty feet away, and accusing me of scaring her child.

Other customers in the store were asking me what happened, customers that saw it happen told me I handled it well and told her to shut up about it, and her husband came over to apologise for it.

I thanked him for having the class to do it, and told him that it would have come out a lot worse if his kid had bumped my wife - medical bills aren't cheap, and the last thing she needed was to have her knee bumped...

Gang, this has much to do with why people tune out - the kids aren't held responsible, the parents hold neither their children nor themselves responsible. They screw up, and it's somehow your fault that they did it.

I don't get it.

We had something similar happen in my parents neighborhood last year. The house 3 lots up from them was "bought" by a "family" (read: occupied way out of their price range by two women who we suspected were fostering kids, as the kids were of all nationalities, ages...etc). The kids liked to ride their bikes, play basketball and do other kid activities in the road, which is completely normal in a regular subdivision in Anytown USA. One of the other neighbors pulled in and was trying to get to their home, but the kids wouldn't move out of the middle of the road. Eventually, the kids moved, and as the other neighbor was passing she rolled down the window and very calmly and politely said to one of the kids (maybe 8 or so years old this kid) "You might want to pay more attention to traffic, before you or someone else gets hurt." The kid took off running back to her house screaming bloody murder saying the neighbor threatened her and all that BS.

Long story short, a sheriff's deputy was called out that day, and then returned the next day with a court order for harassment. This whole deal wound up costing the good neighbor, who was just trying to give a word of advice to a child, a whole day off of work to go to court. By the time she had her turn in front of the judge, the judge looked at the case, scolded the bad neighbor for wasting everybody's time, and told everybody to go home.

Fortunately, that family is no longer in the neighborhood as they were foreclosed on for not making the mortgage payments (imagine that!)

 

[Milford Cubicle II]

I'm still waiting for the sequel to this thread...

"I almost ran a kid over today(Intentionally)"

:dunno:

 

[Voteban]

I've never almost run anybody over in a car, but for some reason every animal / small child thinks it's okay to run right out in front of me on my old school motorcycle that doesn't have the best brakes in the world (thank god it only weighs 320lbs).

There's a lady at the end of the street in my neighborhood that never keeps her dog on a leash (state law requires it) and I've almost run over the damn thing 10-20 times, almost causing me to wreck about 50% of the time. I've seriously considered walking my American Staffordshire Terrier (the legit pitbull) down the road and let it eat the stupid little dog, it's not my fault if my dog is on a leash and there's isn't..

Don't worry, she's a nice dog, she just doesn't play nice with other dogs..

And this is the bike they'll have to try really hard to replace, they're so damn rare.

Stupid little dog...

 

[iwannadie]

For the dog, call the city and say it's an aggressive dog and tried to attack your kid. It won't matter how big or small of a dog they will send someone out. Let the neighbor pay all the fees to get it back and learn a lesson or not pay and problem is solved either way.

I love the old bike too wow.