IAmA pedestrian who was hit by a bicyclist.

I can't be too specific as the case is still going on, but last year as I was walking to class, I was hit from behind by a bicyclist going at least 20mph. The impact and fall fucked up my knee, broke my laptop that was in my backpack, and sprained my ankle. I didn't hear the bicyclist coming because his bike was so silent. This was in broad daylight on a crowded campus with a slight downhill slope. My guess is that he moved to dodge someone who turned, and hit me.

As tried to get back up, realizing the horrible pain I was in, the bicyclist told me to watch where the fuck I was going and started to try to ride off. I tried to get him to stop but he didn't. I called the police. He was picked up minutes later, but released, because since he wasn't driving a motor vehicle it couldn't be prosecuted under hit and run. Instead, it is being prosecued under assault and battery.

I am suing him for the cost of medical bills (about 8k so far), the cost of replacing my laptop ($1k), and for two weeks of my salary since I wasn't able to work ($400).

They rallied their biker friends to play the 'entitled car driver' card and leave trash on my car and send me harassing Facebook messages. One time I had to get campus security to come out and physically remove them from my car, since they decided they were going to sit behind my car and play cards, since I had no other way out. I am in the process of getting a restraining order against him as well.

EDIT: Getting a lot of downvotes here. I'm sorry that some people can't drive, but don't downboat/blame me for being the messenger.

EDIT2: Apparently the guy is part of some kind of biker club and one or more of them is a Reddit reader. I found thier (public) Facebook page and there are about 50 of them conspiring to fuck with me on here. One of them also ran into me at school a while ago and said I better knock it off or that they'll make life very difficult for me. I'd post the group, but my lawyer advised against. Fuck this crowd mentality and fuck bikers.

EDIT3: I've since learned that this cyclist culture really blew up in Poland. The critical masses, the douchebaggery, the self-entitlement..it was pretty much imported from there. Cities have been locked up completely for hours because cyclists wanted more 'rights' (as in, precedence over pedestrians on the sidewalk/road/etc). Then it spread to our west coast, then our east coast, then everywhere else it goes on. You know how cities can make people with overgrown yards mow their grass, to get rid of the vermin that might take up residence there? Poland is the home owner, and these douche cyclists are the high grass. The only real solution is to invade and teach them some order. That's our burden.

EDIT4: Okay, enough with the Poland joke. The other lawyer actually pulled the 'anti-Semite' card today because apparently the defendant is Jewish. It stems from the fact that I said that he and his group can go fuck themselves the other day before I called the police to remove them from behind my car. Seriously? I didn't even know he was Jewish. It wouldn't matter. Of course, now I've been receiving calls/emails from his family and friends of his family for being anti-Jew. I've gotten about ten phone calls and a few emails today talking about how my future career is over and how I'm going to be expelled etc etc. Lawyer says to keep my cool and not talk to any of them because anything I say will only make them madder and give them more ammo to make me look anti-Semitic.

Comments: 2241 • Responses: 11  • Date: 

[deleted]626 karma

I've almost been hit by a bicyclist who was speeding the wrong way down 6th Avenue in NYC (it's a one way street). I was about to get on the bus, and I didn't look in the direction he was coming from (traffic doesn't go that way). The bus was a few feet from the curb and I stepped into the street when I heard "WATCH OUT ASSHOLE!" and saw this guy wiz by me. I appreciate bicyclists are not using greenhouse gasses and all that, but they aren't god's gift to traffic. They still have to follow traffic laws (go the right way up a one way street, stop at a red light, bus lane only), and they still have to yield to pedestrians.

I'm sorry about your accident, I hope you sue his balls off.

HitByBike384 karma

The douchebags are the ones that annoy me. The ones that think traffic laws don't apply to them because it takes effort for them to peddle. Sorry if you have to stop at a red light before a big hill, should have driven something with an engine if you don't like physical activity.

The majority of bikers probably aren't like this, but I sure as shit notice the ones that are over the ones that aren't.

[deleted]45 karma

No doubt most bikers aren't inconsiderate assholes, but now I make sure to watch out for the ones who are.

HitByBike45 karma

I'm sure there are plenty of bikers who stop at red lights and yield properly, I just don't see them. When I'm driving my car I have to yield for them when I have a green arrow because they want to go straight through the red.

chriscanada383 karma

Not all bikers are like this, I have NEVER hit a pedestrian and I would side with you on this one. If you need to ride around pedestrians you should do it at a slow speed, enough so that you can stop on a dime and that just incase you did hit anyone it wouldn't do anything.

HitByBike53 karma

The delta-V (difference in velocity) is the biggest problem with speed. It doesn't matter if one car is going 150mph on the interstate if everyone else is and everyone can handle it. Conversely, you get pedestrians walking 2mph and a bike going 20mph and there the situation is ripe for a collision or having to ditch to keep from hitting someone.

handburglar150 karma

I had a little discussion on reddit with a biker the other day. They did this same shit on my campus, they would go 15-20mph on a WALKING PATH, weaving in and out of everyone, and telling everyone to fuck off who got in their way.

Bikers like this have a horrible chip on their shoulders, and I'm guessing you are either in San Francisco, New York, or maybe Berkley as they seem to be the worst in these areas.

I like how they camp around your car even though you were walking when he hit you.

I don't have a question, but bikers like this make me rage.

HitByBike134 karma

The harassment was the worst part. If I got a bunch of my car driving friends to harass them, it would be like gang warfare in the parking lot as people started bringing out tire irons and chains, while the bikers started taking the chains off their bikes and strapping their helmets on.

[deleted]93 karma

I'll take the case!

HitByBike111 karma

Already have a lawyer who is working for a respectable amount. We offered to settle for much less, but were told to go fuck ourselves. Now it's in court.

[deleted]69 karma

I was joking, I can't solicit business like this.

But yeah, get your money dog. Get your money.

HitByBike37 karma

Could you really not? I don't know the specifics of lawyer-laws but what if I didn't have a lawyer and needed one?

NateSloannn87 karma

I always worry about this, but from a bikers point of view usually.

What were the extent of your injuries?

Did they find the guy because you got a good look at him?

Is it a small school? Because how does this guy always find your car, or does he know where you live?

Is this guy intimidating, or is he one of those indie bikers?

HitByBike128 karma

The guy was an indie biker. He wasn't intimidating by himself, but obviously he and his friends have enough spare time to annoy the piss out of me for their own mistake.

EDIT: My injuries included a twisted knee (couldn't stand on it for days), sprained ankle, as well as various cuts and bruises. The police got me an ambulance because they suspected my knee was broken.

pojodojo42 karma

What was the location of the accident? Sidewalk? Crosswalk? Middle of a block?

My friend hit a pedestrian last weekend on his bike. He was in the bike lane and this girl started running across the street no where near a crosswalk. She got hit and had a bloody nose. I don't feel bad for her, he was going fast on a bike in a bike lane. If there was a car there instead, she might be in a lot worse shape.

HitByBike73 karma

I was on the sidewalk that wasn't anywhere near a road. It was one of those campus walkways that don't necessarily follow roads.

[deleted]38 karma

I'm surprised the police managed to pick him up so quickly. What kind of description were you able to make with such a brief look?

HitByBike80 karma

Lots of spandex and a very unique helmet. Campus police work pretty fast here, especially because it was later in the day and they were bored.

sonvincent28 karma

you can add damages for their conduct, but if you don't have a lawyer already you better get one now.

also, where was the accident, on a sidewalk? in the road? cross walk?

HitByBike82 karma

I have a lawyer. They don't think I have a 'bad conduct' case until my restraining order goes through. Once it does, we'll add damages for douchebaggery.

[deleted]27 karma

me too! It hurt but i didn't have any lasting injuries. I just scraped my knee and bruised my abdomen a little (part of his handle jabbed by stomach when he hit me). He was also an asshole, but I was jaywalking so it was my fault somewhat.

I am also a biker - Having a bell warning people and teaching yourself to say "to your right, to your left" i feel is mandatory when your riding a bike near pedestrians.

HitByBike31 karma

They're still liable if its a yield-to-pedestrians situation or if you can prove they had sight of you and time to stop. Even if its not yield-to-pedestrians, if you straight up run someone down it's still illegal.

I feel bad, the first time I heard this I went the direction they were walking and almost caused them to wreck. Then they flipped me off. I figured out what they meant after that.