I Almost Killed Someone Today

reply to post by smyleegrl


How do you know you would have killed him?? people can survive some very gnarly accidents.

Next time you have that happen slow down as you begin to veer off the road... that way you can see what is there.... like a pedestrian with dark clothing.

Originally posted by smyleegrl
its dark and deer have a tendency to commit suicide on the stretch of road I'm driving on.

LOL, I shouldn't be laughing, this is pretty serious, and i'm sorry you experienced that. It's always my biggest fear to hit some drunk or something because he went out of his way in front of my car. Once again, sorry for laughing, and sorry that happened to you.

It happens a lot, I've almost killed over a dozen people just by driving alone because of their sheer stupidity. People decide to just jump in the street without looking, or walk at night without reflectors or bright clothes. A few months ago for example there was this black guy wearing a black hood, black shirt, black pants and black sneakers. He was jaywalking at night time, no moon and very little lighting besides what you'd get from cars. He was walking out from a Wendy's and crossing the road at a busy intersection, but about 200m away from it. I didn't hit him, i saw him on time but sometimes I think to myself why did I stop? Sorry, I have a spartan side of me that thinks that we've given stupid people too much of a given hand already.

reply to post by smyleegrl


better luck tommorrow but seriously many pedestrians are a darwin award in the making

reply to post by smyleegrl


I've noticed that pedestrians by and large pay little attention to their surroundings, ESPECIALLY teens and young adults! There is a high school down the road aways from me and the speed limit drops from 55 to 25 with short notice. These kids walking to and from school will have their earphones on and be texting on their phones as they walk, completely oblivious to their environment! I've also noticed people just walking in front of cars in the street but more often in parking lots without even looking to see if the oncoming drivers see them. I guess they assume they have the right of way, which technically they do, but that won't save them from getting hit. Then there's the jerks who take their sweet time waddling across when I've stopped to let them cross safely. I often see moms with hordes of kids and they're not holding their hands or even watching them to make sure they're safe. I'm disabled and don't move as quickly as I used to, but if a car stops to let me cross I always smile and give a lil wave of appreciation while hurrying so they may be on their way.

It's just basic common courtesy and respect. I really miss that in people... And it always seems to be getting worse. It's just sad how self absorbed and ill mannered people are, coupled with a lack of respect and taking responsibility for one's own safety and well being.

And of course if you had hit that person it would have been your fault in the eyes of the law, not to mention senseless waste of life and resources, plus caused numerous people associated and in the community sadness, grief and life long emotional damage. Just bc some jerk couldn't be bothered with following the basic rules of being a pedestrian!

reply to post by smyleegrl


Several people in Portland, Oregon die each year from being hit in the dark, wearing dark clothes. They usually have a hood up or are blacks or indians (native americans for you PC white folks).

Ron White says you can't fix stupid. At least, it can be cured if you walk in the dark with dark clothes on or next to a road.

Originally posted by smyleegrl

Originally posted by sweetooth
This morning i was out for a walk wearing dark pants and a dark top when a car going approximately 45 mph headed straight towards me and almost killed me. When i turned to look who was in the car i saw some kid and he was shouting about a 'lobster of doom' or something and then i saw his mother in the driver's seat waving an empty bottle of jack daniels around in the air. the roads are getting more and more dangerous with each passing day...

edit on 11-10-2012 by sweetooth because: i think i am dyselxic

This just made my day....thanks for the smile. I really needed it!

my pleasure smyleegrl. now you just get your eyes back on the road and put your laptop back in the glove compartment...

Can I turn this into a rant about bicyclist on the road heading no concern for laws, their own safety or anyone else's? You can have all the rights in the world and it will not protect from a 4000 +++ lb vehicle!!!
Thank God you didn't hit the ped!

Originally posted by Samuelis
Why would I wear reflectors when I'm out creepin at night?
Stay on your part of the road and we'll all survive!

She can't if someone is driving into it, and here is the uncomfortable truth, the reality check, that was drilled into me by my father, when I first was taught to ride my bike. It was to notice and even drive all the cars around me in my mind, to pay attention to spacing and behavior and notice all pedestrians.

I was taught, that if a car has a choice between hitting another vehicle head on, even at 30 miles an hour, or a bike, they'll choose to hit the bike in self defense, because hitting the car could be fatal to themselves or a child, so to pay attention.

All humans respond to avoid death and injury, and often instinctively. So the bystander or bike would take the hit.

This has happened a few times, in darker areas, with people dressed in dark clothes, in the city. I hate driving in the city. I drive cautiously and try to keep aware, alert, and yet when its not well lit, its a lot harder.

At least at night, the traffic is thinner, so I'm not yawning and being put to sleep by all the exhaust, which I can't stand. Lights are really bad for that in the daytime.

Just the other day, a car darted out from the supermarket and I instinctively swerved to avoid, and realized that if another car had been really close to the line, it could have been a disaster. Lucky, my instinct was to do a very shallow swerve since I sensed danger on all sides.

reply to post by phroziac



Yes well that bigger truck, follows the same scenario of the vehicle and the bike I was taught. The person will instinctively do, or in your case, train themselves to do, the least dangerous thing to them. In your case, its standing your ground. Another reason I'm very cautious around big trucks and don't like ever being sandwhiched by them.

I totally sympathize with you and I can say I've had situations just like this, or times when I nearly backed into or hit a car, and it's so scary. Once, I was trying to turn onto a busy street, looking left at the oncoming traffic, and this old man walked in front of my car coming from the right, just as I proceeded forward to make my turn. He was right in front of my bumper and I got him around the knees but he just stumbled back. I felt awful, but he just got up and stumbled on across the street. It was horrifying and the traffic was heavy all around me and no way to stop and chase him down or anything. It sure made me a lot more aware to watch the opposite direction, so embarrassing, too. Poor guy. So, another safety reminder for pedestrians - be sure to make eye contact with a driver before you step in front of their car - they may not even see you coming. My son has also almost been taken out while going to school in the mornings on his skateboard, but these big trucks, same thing - he tries to cross, they decide to make their turn - one of them sideswiped him and knocked him back with the big side view mirror on the truck- almost got him good -so scary.

Ah, almost got your first kill to join the club, but failed.

Well it was a good cause to fail, to kill innocent is against my books. Yes, you shouldn't be walking in all black.
It did save you a lot of trouble, Killing a pedestrian is pretty bad in the states.. Although when i walk home drunk I don't wear anything reflective, although I'm in the city, I really gotta watch out for Drunk drivers..It's scary.

reply to post by smyleegrl


I'm glad you posted this. The weekend is the only time we really do any shopping, because of a young baby at home with my wife, and 12 hour workdays for me, but the easiest thing to keep putting off is that run somewhere to get reflective tape or something for our after-dark dog walks. We have 2 dark dogs and thankfully 1 light colored one. We only walk on 25 mph side streets (on the sidewalk), but have to be really careful crossing intersections because a lot of the stupids, as we call them, like to drive 40-50 mph and not look before whipping turns or blasting through stop signs.

I would also like to take this opportunity to request that those who don't use turn signals for lane changes and/or turns kindly start using them, or stop driving altogether.

regularly come across a woman walking her dog along a fast A road (UK) and you constantly have to swerve around her as there is no other option and its on a bendy bit of road.

Only a matter of time 'til the crazy old woman or her dog is flattened!!!

reply to post by smyleegrl


The person walking on what you call the wrong side of the road, should've had time to see you coming with your head lights on especially. I can't imagine them not reacting when seeing your heads lamps swerve towards them.
Unless they had a death wish or wanted to play dare devil or sump'in. But anyone with street smarts knows the law
isn't necessarily correct for bicycles or pedestrians. I walk and ride my bike on the side of the road where I can watch traffic. People who go by the law put their lives in the hands of each person driving up be hind them when it only takes one jackass fighting with his girlfriend in the car or any kind of distraction to end your life. Hell some gang members would run a person over from behind just to get a kill under their belt.

No way you can trust people coming up behind you these days. Just another law I have to say is f---ed up.

reply to post by Samuelis


lol. Stealth is necessary sometimes, but why the hell would you walk on the road then?
I think you may have seen bigfoot!

I'm sorry for having to experience that, I know how you feel. Did that too almost. Twice. Exact same scenario. Had lots of teens to mid 30's die in my hometown late at night, off the beaten path, (I live in Wisconsin where many bars and not much for kids to do except hangout and party) but most were 'drunk' walking coming home from a party or bar. Not placing an excuse for loosing their life, but there is a reason the penalty is so large for DRIVING drunk...just because someone is using their own two feet, doesn't make them any more coordinated and cognigsent of where they are. If I'm not mistaken, riding your bike and maybe even walking over the li it is a fine.

Just because people may not be participating in a sport like running, biking, or on a conscious 'workout walk', that shouldn't eliminate them from having to invest in the numerous safety gear that is being manufactured for those people to wear to stay safe. Green and orange vests that easily pull over jackets, neat light reflectors to put in spokes of bike tires, thing-a-ma-jigs to clamp onto your shoe laces that glow in the dark....list goes on. There is a reason they make that stuff. I even see those vests at the dollar store for $1. So no excuse. This person didn't belong on the road like that.

Someone here mentioned there are times u want to walk incognito. I disagree. Be responsible if they gonna do it, or don't do it at all. If poster hit the person, I'm sure they would never be able to live with themselves again. We don't need someones' stupid irresponsable decisions o cause pain and guilt and grief like that. And including the walkers' loved ones. Heck, I see people walking their dogs holding glowstics at night in the city on the sidewalk even,,...

I remember one of the episodes when this happened to me..... I was out for dinnerand drank two small glasses of wine. hour period. And u know what? If I would have hit the guy, even if it was a little bunp on the ankle, and he ran out in the middle of the road, gues who would have been at fault? Me. Cause I had a glass of wine. Moral of that story is: it really make you think twice before having ANYTHING and driving.

reply to post by CheeseCurd


As a Wisconsin pedestrian I personally refuse to buy or use any type of nighttime reflective gear when I am out walking. But you can be sure nobody is more interested in my safety than I am, in addition I am considerate of the safety of motorists. I do have some strict rules, however, the first of which is "Never trust a motorist" in that I can't count on them to stop for crosswalks, traffic lights, danger, etc. Then again is Wisconsin you are never safe on the roads, there are drunks cruising about at all times of day.

Originally posted by jeantherapy
Glad everyone was uninjured. Me, I'm kind of sick of these apparently suicidal people riding bicycles on the streets at night with no lights. Hey dummy, not only is that illegal, it's highly irresponsible and dangerous!

To further that, its typically on busy streets, 2 feet into the lane, often when there is a perfectly wide-open sidewalk right alongside, and sometimes even in the snow (as I experienced on a busy 45 mph stretch of Rt. 20 in Illinois last winter.)

In a way, it makes me glad that these people, at the epitome of dbaggery, in their matching cycling gear, with their "I own the sidewalk, the road, and the forest preserve pathway, so get the f out my way" attitude, have watched their hero, the Ultimate Loser, Lance Armweak, fall from grace.