Reckless young mother on the bike trail.

[John Schmidt]

Took my usual six mile bike ride this morning and used a rather wide trail going around a nearby lake. It's paved and is about 12' wide, but has some sharp and hidden curves in places...hidden because of the foliage on either side. People stay to the right most of the time, but this morning I come flying around this curve, locked up both wheels but still bumped into a young woman pushing a stroller while she's yacking on her cell phone. She commenced to scream all kinds of obscene stuff at me, saying she was going to sue for hurting her child(who was still asleep), and on and on. When she paused to take a breath, I just smiled and suggested this is the U.S., not the U.K., and we stay to the right so as to not get hit by oncoming traffic. With that she started in with the tirade again so I asked her if she ate with that mouth, then got on my bike and left....she's still yelling at me. I hadn't gone 30 yds. and heard a noise, turned around and she had just been hit again by a female bike rider. I knew who this one was, a local offduty female deputy. She shut the dumb broad up in short order, told her nicely but firmly after showing her the badge to "GET YOUR ASS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE TRAIL." Yes, she raised her voice at her, the mother then quietly moved to the right side and walked away. As I continued around the lake, I eventually met up again with our trash talking mother on the far side of the lake....walking on the right side. As I passed she gave me the Hawaiian Good Luck sign and two words of "encouragement."  You just can't fix stupid.

[Westernbiker]

LMAO!!!    LOVE IT!

[solo1]

Yes and they drive cars too while yakking on the phone.  Stupid is too nice a word for them!

[Gryphon Rider]

She might have been rude and stupid and on the wrong side of the trail, but if you can't stop or swerve within the distance you can see, you're going too fast.  If you were riding your Valk on a mountainside road and went around a corner only to find a large rock in the middle of the road, would you blame the rock after crashing into it?  Sorry if this seems harsh, but that's the way I see it.

[RoadKill]

She might have been rude and stupid and on the wrong side of the trail, but if you can't stop or swerve within the distance you can see, you're going too fast.  If you were riding your Valk on a mountainside road and went around a corner only to find a large rock in the middle of the road, would you blame the rock after crashing into it?  Sorry if this seems harsh, but that's the way I see it.

If it was a rock coming at me in my lane of travel talking on a cell phone I would not only blame the rock, I would turn it into a pile of gravel.

[musclehead]

She might have been rude and stupid and on the wrong side of the trail, but if you can't stop or swerve within the distance you can see, you're going too fast.  If you were riding your Valk on a mountainside road and went around a corner only to find a large rock in the middle of the road, would you blame the rock after crashing into it?  Sorry if this seems harsh, but that's the way I see it.

If it was a rock coming at me in my lane of travel talking on a cell phone I would not only blame the rock, I would turn it into a pile of gravel.

I don't have a jackhammer, but I have a sledge hammer. I could help.

[old2soon]

She might have been rude and stupid and on the wrong side of the trail, but if you can't stop or swerve within the distance you can see, you're going too fast.  If you were riding your Valk on a mountainside road and went around a corner only to find a large rock in the middle of the road, would you blame the rock after crashing into it?  Sorry if this seems harsh, but that's the way I see it.

  The female in question-if i read this right-was on the WRONG side of the trail. End of story. The female fd up. She could have been in a cage-aimed dead center at ya. She wasn't. What it was-was walking on the WRONG side. I M H O the deputy done the right thing. And yes-ya can't fix stupid. RIDE SAFE.

[Walküre]

She might have been rude and stupid and on the wrong side of the trail, but if you can't stop or swerve within the distance you can see, you're going too fast.  If you were riding your Valk on a mountainside road and went around a corner only to find a large rock in the middle of the road, would you blame the rock after crashing into it?  Sorry if this seems harsh, but that's the way I see it.

I see it like that, too - perhaps too fast for the conditions? If there are people walking on this trail, and it sounds like it's a normal occurrence, than great care would have to be taken. The key line in the original post, to me, is:

but this morning I come flying around this curve

Just my opinion...

R

[John Schmidt]

She might have been rude and stupid and on the wrong side of the trail, but if you can't stop or swerve within the distance you can see, you're going too fast.  If you were riding your Valk on a mountainside road and went around a corner only to find a large rock in the middle of the road, would you blame the rock after crashing into it?  Sorry if this seems harsh, but that's the way I see it.

Gryph...not a worthy comparison actually. First and foremost, a rock has no control over where it lands on the road. This woman had total control over her actions, and she's well aware of it being a "bicycle" trail first....pedestrian second because it's posted at numerous locations. Those that use the trail for walking/running know this and with very few exceptions will keep to the right. There are numerous young people that jog on that trail with their little ones and observe the flow of traffic by keeping to the right. As for going too fast, that wasn't the case here, and as stated....it was a blind curve so I had no advance warning or view. There were at least a half dozen riders that had just passed me but reached her before she got to the blind curve so didn't have a run-in. I will generally average around 7-8 mph on that trail, on the street it's often a bit faster because it's straight and I don't have to watch for pedestrians except at crosswalks. It will be interesting to watch how she uses the trail in the future...assuming she lives in the area. I generally see the same people each day but this was the first time I've seen her.

As for stating I was "flying" around the corner was a poor choice of words. I wasn't passing anyone except walkers/runners and very few of those. Note my comment re. being passed by a number of other bikers.....7-8 mph isn't "FLYING."

[Gryphon Rider]

She might have been rude and stupid and on the wrong side of the trail, but if you can't stop or swerve within the distance you can see, you're going too fast.  If you were riding your Valk on a mountainside road and went around a corner only to find a large rock in the middle of the road, would you blame the rock after crashing into it?  Sorry if this seems harsh, but that's the way I see it.

  The female in question-if i read this right-was on the WRONG side of the trail. End of story. The female fd up. She could have been in a cage-aimed dead center at ya. She wasn't. What it was-was walking on the WRONG side. I M H O the deputy done the right thing. And yes-ya can't fix stupid. RIDE SAFE.

Not end of story.  If she were going the same direction as John, was on the right side of the path, and had to stop to tie her shoe, she would have been in the same spot as she was when he hit her.  If the path is 12 feet wide and he can't swerve around a 2 or 3 foot wide object (her and her baby stroller) when there is a minimum of 4 feet of clear path on one side of her, he is going too fast. End of story. 

John, you replied as I typed what is above.  Even at 7 MPH, if you can't stop in the distance you can see, you're going too fast.

[f6john]

   So from now on push your bike around the path, we wouldn't want to interfere with anyone's cell phone conversation or shoe tieing.

[Jess from VA]

John, we have had the identical issue on the famous George Washington Parkway trails (a National Park) up the Potomac from Mt Vernon to Old Town Alexandria for 20 years.  There have been many fistfights and accidents over the years between bike riders and walkers/joggers.  They have a very specific set of rules for left and right, and you have to stay right , just like on the road (foot traffic outside, cyclists inside).  If you're on the wrong side, you're at fault.

http://www.nps.gov/gwmp/index.htm

[BF]

We have a walking path that's a mile long in the neighborhood at a local city park that I walk on for exercise a few times a week.  It meanders around the park and over a couple small foot bridges and also has a few simi-blind spots as well.  

We also have lots of young women pushing stollers and talkin' on the cell phone that also walk on the left side of the path too.  Don't know why the correlation with the stollers and the cell phones, but they seem to go together like PB&J with these young women....and it's ALWAYS young women that do this.  Seldom do I ever see anyone else, young or old that walks on the left side of the path (although it does happen with other groups, but it's rare...usually a lone female walker/jogger).  

I figure that these are the same people (young women) that yake on the phone while driving that also hog the left lane on the road.  Oblivious to all but their own little world.  

[RoadKill]

It is all the fault of Gov't. Who is protecting these pedestrians? These young mothers pay taxes too ! there should be trail police every 10ft along the path writing citations to every one within 4 ft of another person. I will not rest until there is a second level to this path for traffic traveling 1 direction and in the opposite direction on the lower level ! Strictly enforced by officers in very non-confrontational PINK uniforms,armed with swords made of bubble gum but made to look like No2 pencils (so they are not intimidating) and all fines shall be less than a dollar so that no ones child has to go hungry due to a walking/biking infraction !    

[Thunderbolt]

to your health.  Maybe she watched the evening news John. 

[Mn. Norseman]

  Uncommon sense would say stay to the right. Pay attention ,your on a bike trail.
  Uncommon sense would also say don't stop to tie anything until your on a straight track.
  Better to be safe, especially with chidren along than to argue who was in the wrong..

[Bob E.]

When you are walking in traffic as a pedestrian, you are supposed to walk against traffic.  Sorry, John, but I tend to agree with gryph and walkure.  If the trail is open to bikes and peds, you need to watch out and maintain a safe speed.  You were going too fast to react to an obstacle within your site distance.  If this were a motorvehicle accident on a public street, you would have been cited.

[John Schmidt]

OK guys....I'm the criminal here. I'll admit it, so will somebody please pass the handcuffs and haul me away. But before you do....will all the naysayers that were there on the scene please raise your hand.

I didn't give all the MINUTE details because I didn't feel it necessary. BUT, one of them is.....the trail IS marked, painted right on the concrete as to where to walk/jog and where to ride. I was following that directive. That said....at 7 mph if I lock up both wheels I can stop on a dime and give you 9 cents change. Keep in mind, walking in traffic is different than walking on a bike/jogging trail. On the latter, you  follow the directions as to where to walk....and in my travels across this great nation I've never seen it posted to walk against the traffic. Now, I'm done responding to all this.