Girl Blindly Running Through an Intersection!

fastar1 said:
I don't know where to even begin.

You should be grateful that you live in a city where all these people want to hold these events. It's a sign that it's a vibrant, liveable city, plus the events themselves contribute to that life. While it's important for people to be able to drive around the city easily too, you have the other 350 Sundays of the year to drive as you please. Is it so much to ask for you to share your seemingly god-given right to the road for a few hours for the sake of a healthy city? And what makes you think it wouldn't be an inconvenience up in Aurora (or wherever you think is far enough away for you to enjoy the city as if it was yours alone)? Also, given that you choose to reside in such a liveable city, couldn't you opt to cycle, or take transit, or even walk around wherever you have to go? Or buy yourself an island in the Pacific?
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I will give you the benefit of the doubt since you don't even know anything about me. I live in the city precisely because I love the city. I'm big on public transit and while I do own a car and motorcycle, I rarely drive - I think I fill up maybe once every 2 or 3 months. After growing up in Mississauga and having to commute an hour each way, its really nice to be able to stroll to work in the morning in jusst under 10 minutes.

It's not the events, but rather the difficulty in doing something as simple as trying to come home. Try paying the high taxes in Toronto and then having some police officer tell you that you can't drive down a street to get home. Fustrating to say the least. Festivals like the Taste of the Danforth and others are less intrusive because they are limited to one street. But these marathons shut down at least a 10 city block radius. And there are now so many it is becoming a nuisance.

I just think there are better places to hold events that require significant road access. One example is why would you hold the G20 in a city like Toronto, shutting down the city when you could have it in a smaller city which could better use the publicity and subsidies from the province?
 
Not trying to be an armchair critic, but as soon as I saw the car stopped at the green on your left...I would've started slowing down (I guess that's just something to keep in mind in the future). Any time the right lane's moving downtown and the left one's stuck...prepare for a crazy person crossing the street or someone being let into the intersection someone into their lane (most likely from a gas station/parking lot/etc.)

Also another thing to note is that in situations like these, a honk freezes most people when they hear it. It'll buy you a little bit of time to swerve a little.

I'm really glad you didn't hit her - that could've gotten messy af.
 
BuFFaLoB said:
Try paying the high taxes in Toronto and then having some police officer tell you that you can't drive down a street to get home. Fustrating to say the least.
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This is just the type of attitude that drives me mad. What is it you're trying to say with that kind of comment? The only thing I get out of it is "I pay taxes so I own the street".

Like when I drive with people who complain about Sunday morning parades or sporting/cultural events because they can't get to the pub as quickly as they have done on every other Sunday for their whole lives. WTF? Never mind the opportunity to experience something different, or the potential net benefit to the city, or the desire to build something world class (as in the city or the event itself). It's always about me me me.

I pay taxes in Toronto and I've had the marathon run right down my street but that wasn't frustrating (I actually enjoyed it). It's narrow mindedness that's frustrating. Not saying that's you, but that's how you're coming across.
 
fastar1 said:
This is just the type of attitude that drives me mad. What is it you're trying to say with that kind of comment? The only thing I get out of it is "I pay taxes so I own the street".

Like when I drive with people who complain about Sunday morning parades or sporting/cultural events because they can't get to the pub as quickly as they have done on every other Sunday for their whole lives. WTF? Never mind the opportunity to experience something different, or the potential net benefit to the city, or the desire to build something world class (as in the city or the event itself). It's always about me me me.

I pay taxes in Toronto and I've had the marathon run right down my street but that wasn't frustrating (I actually enjoyed it). It's narrow mindedness that's frustrating. Not saying that's you, but that's how you're coming across.
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Hmmm, where do I begin? Isn't your argument using the same logic that frustrated you? You pay taxes in toronto and enjoyed a marathon so everyone else should just shut up and stop complaining? Isn't that the same selfish logic that you accuse me of?

The reason why you only hear "I pay taxes so I own the street" is probably because you don't hear very well and oversimplify everything.

You also have a tendency to make a lot of assumptions when making an argument.

I definitely don't think I own the roads because I pay taxes. However, I do think that everyone has the right to enter into their property with minimal restriction. I don't think that's too much to ask.

I think street festivals are fantastic. But they should be limited to avoid as much disruption to residents.

However, I do think that no matter how much I try to debate, you will be so closed minded that the best we can hope for is to agree to disagree.
 
BuFFaLoB said:
Hmmm, where do I begin? Isn't your argument using the same logic that frustrated you? You pay taxes in toronto and enjoyed a marathon so everyone else should just shut up and stop complaining? Isn't that the same selfish logic that you accuse me of?

The reason why you only hear "I pay taxes so I own the street" is probably because you don't hear very well and oversimplify everything.

You also have a tendency to make a lot of assumptions when making an argument.

I definitely don't think I own the roads because I pay taxes. However, I do think that everyone has the right to enter into their property with minimal restriction. I don't think that's too much to ask.

I think street festivals are fantastic. But they should be limited to avoid as much disruption to residents.

However, I do think that no matter how much I try to debate, you will be so closed minded that the best we can hope for is to agree to disagree.
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I wonder if you didn't just make an off-the-cuff complaint and I'm making it out to be more than what you intended because it happens to be a pet peeve of mine.

Anyways you seem like a rational a courteous poster so if you care to pursue this off-topic discussion, I've sent you a crushing PM :)
 
Next clip will be at 0.000000001% speed.

The following video: In Planck-time speed.
 
The girl was an idiot to cross. The OP will be a statistic by seasons-end if he keeps riding like that. Each 50% at fault.
 
beverage said:
The girl was an idiot to cross. The OP will be a statistic by seasons-end if he keeps riding like that. Each 50% at fault.
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We're all statistics by seasons' end. Even before. But yeah, he did seem like he was going a bit fast for in-town riding.
 
OpenGambit said:
the question that should be asked is not whether the light was green for you when you hit her, its what the light was when she started crossing.

a green light is not licence to run over someone who fell on the street when they were crossing legally, for example.

From looking at other pedestrians, it looks like the light just turned green. You should be looking before proceeding.

its also just unwise driving to speed past a vehicle that is blocking your vision and almost stationary like that. Its an easy way for someone to turn left in front of you, even though this time it was a pedestrian.

In short, I actually think its your fault.
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+1 to this .... Especially the last part about flying past that car on the right ... Rider should have noted it was stopped or slowed for a reason .... What if there was a left turning car there and not a pedestrian? We'd all be reading about it in the Fallen Riders section and nobody wants that. Call me a wuss, but please be a little less aggressive in city traffic .... Accelerating that much in the curb lane where any idiot text walking or with ear buds in could step out is a recipe for trouble.
 
OpenGambit said:
the question that should be asked is not whether the light was green for you when you hit her, its what the light was when she started crossing.

a green light is not licence to run over someone who fell on the street when they were crossing legally, for example.

From looking at other pedestrians, it looks like the light just turned green. You should be looking before proceeding.

its also just unwise driving to speed past a vehicle that is blocking your vision and almost stationary like that. Its an easy way for someone to turn left in front of you, even though this time it was a pedestrian.

In short, I actually think its your fault.
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If you watch the video in HD on an HD screen, it's very apparent (you can tell by the vibrant sweater) that she started running across the interesection well after the light went green. Probably no way for Ultra to see her because I know I had to specifically look for it in the slow-mo.

He "flew by the car on the right" cause it was a left turning taxi although 70 in the city is a bad idea on general principle. I start worrying when I get anywhere above 50 anywhere in the city except maybe the Gardiner or Lakeshore.
 
With the exception of a few posters in this thread, most of you guys seem to lack general common sense. The rider is not at fault here, regardless of his speed. He had the right of way and was riding within his lane, legally. 'Nuff said.

The idiot crossing on foot at a red light in front of three moving vehicles, however, was definitely in the wrong; and all the rationalization and justification in the world won't make it right.

Get your head out of your *****, boys.
 
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Scary said:
Get your head out of your *****, boys.
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Back atcha! There are really two points of view to this whole thread. Some are arguing legalities while others are arguing safe riding practices/techniques.

The rider might legally be in the right (but I suspect he would have some charges tossed at him if he'd actually struck the pedestrian). Regardless of the legalities, his riding is risky, and will lead to a world of hurt unless he starts being more observant to the warning signs. If it had been a left turning car crossing the intersection, the OP would still have the right of way, but that means squat if he's no longer around. The cabbies sudden stop mid-intersection should have been his signal to hit the brakes and proceed with caution, not keep going his self-proclaimed 20%+ over the speed limit.
 
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beverage said:
Back atcha! There are really two points of view to this whole thread. Some are arguing legalities while others are arguing safe riding practices/techniques.

The rider might legally be in the right (but I suspect he would have some charges tossed at him if he'd actually struck the pedestrian). Regardless of the legalities, his riding is risky, and will lead to a world of hurt unless he starts being more observant to the warning signs. If it had been a left turning car crossing the intersection, the OP would still have the right of way, but that means squat if he's no longer around. The cabbies sudden stop mid-intersection should have been his signal to hit the brakes and proceed with caution, not keep going his self-proclaimed 20%+ over the speed limit.
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I actually agree with this, in the same situation I would have 100% always slowed down a bit due to the danger of left-turning vehicles.
 
^ +1. Legally right vs wrong doesn't matter in the end, it is whether or not you're still around after the fact.

Legally traffic flowing straight through an intersection on the green has priority, but how many cars have turned left ('illegally' or against the rules of the road) in front of a bike and injured or killed the rider? I'd rather slow down and walk away from something, than potentially plow into a pedestrian or vehicle because I legally had the right of way.
 
beverage said:
Back atcha! There are really two points of view to this whole thread. Some are arguing legalities while others are arguing safe riding practices/techniques.

The rider might legally be in the right (but I suspect he would have some charges tossed at him if he'd actually struck the pedestrian). Regardless of the legalities, his riding is risky, and will lead to a world of hurt unless he starts being more observant to the warning signs. If it had been a left turning car crossing the intersection, the OP would still have the right of way, but that means squat if he's no longer around. The cabbies sudden stop mid-intersection should have been his signal to hit the brakes and proceed with caution, not keep going his self-proclaimed 20%+ over the speed limit.
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Discussing both right of way AND best practice is a good idea, so that everyone can know their options and obligations, but best practice is what will get you home. In addition to this people should know that insurance companies may review fault, rather than sticking to the basic rules of fault determination, if the 'victim' is travelling at a speed more than 15 Kmh over the limit.

Funny thing is that a couple of months after this post, in exactly the same place, there was an issue with a cyclist who dove straight into traffic at full speed, against the red. I had to accelerate to avoid having him run into the side of me, as I was the first thing into the middle of the intersection. All other traffic stopped dead which is a good thing, because the other three vehicles would have pancaked him. It's a dangerous intersection, as are so many in the downtown core, so you have to keep your wits about you.
 
great post thx

i wear my hero for evidence but it has other benefits.
i can use it to critique any close call or just to see if i forgot to turn off a signal after a turn..

but most importantly ive discovered...
whether its even rolling (on) or not i get a ton more respect from cagers. makes them check in with themselves before they choose to cut me off
i love it
 
What a dumb *** chick, running crossing the street on a red. If the bike hit her, wow she's off to the hospital and the rider too. Damn.
 
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SpeeDemoN said:
It doesn't matter if he was doing 20, 50, 70 or 100. He had the green.

100% her fault.
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lol, you couldn't be more wrong

beverage said:
The girl was an idiot to cross. The OP will be a statistic by seasons-end if he keeps riding like that. Each 50% at fault.
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:occasion5:
 
This happens to me twice a week when I ride a Bixi bike form Spadina to Yonge across King St. Pedestrians think they own the road when they jwalk, or are simply too stupid to look both ways.
 
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