Ever watch an accident develop and can't do anything about it?

[John Schmidt]

There's a school nearby, Full Sail University, with hundreds of students in attendance. I was headed out to run a couple errands and caught a light at the street that enters the school. While sitting there watching the cross traffic, I notice this young gal on her bike crossing with the light from my left to right, but on the other side of the intersection. Just as she passed the center island, this driver came from my left and turned left right at her. I saw it coming and was immediately ill, there was nothing any of us could do. The driver hit the front of her bike, sending her flying. She went down hard on her back and her head bounced quite hard when she hit. While waiting for the light to change, I wathced the elderly driver get out and come back to where she lay. By the time the light changed, she was sitting up but crying uncontrollably. Someone was already on the phone in a car sitting in the lane next to where it happened so there was nothing I could do, and there were plenty of people attending to her. She probably has some road rash and some black and blue spots, but since it was her bike that was hit and not her physically she most likely didn't sustain any broken bones.

Two things caused this accident; she was looking down and not paying attention while riding. The driver was dashing through on a yellow light and also not watching. She had a green light initially, the driver started through on yellow. Frankly, I feel during school hours the cross walks should have extended green solely for the pedestrians benefit. You just can't cross a large six lane intersection that also has a turn lane in the time allotted. Sure hope that young gal is OK. 

[Patrick]

Its a terrible feeling to watch something like that and I never want to see it happen ever again.

[Jess from VA]

A bunch of us rode bikes to our VA jobs behind the whitehouse.  There was bike parking right in front of the bldg, and it was a quarter an hour (best price in town).  This was HQ VA, and many veterans had central office personal hearings, and many were of advancing years.  I warned the guys riding, never park your bike in the first spot next to car parking; few can parallel park worth spit, and someone will back into you.

So one morning I'm having my coffee looking down at my (and the other) bikes from the 5th floor, and a guy who could could pass for Methuselah backs in slow, slow, careful, careful, and still knocks the first bike over.  At least he didn't back over it.  Yelling from the fifth floor, through plate glass was not helpful.  

What happened next is a long story, but I helped sort everthing out, and made sure the old vet did not get charged with anything (but his state DMV was contacted for a new test) and the bike owner got his bike fixed.

Then there was the gal that lost her bathing suit top in the heavy surf and was not aware it had happened.  As a gentleman, I did not want to embarrass her, so I said nothing.  They say the Pacific has no memory, but I still do, sometimes.

I've seen a couple things like you describe John, and several people (who also saw it coming) leaned on their horns.  It's all you can do.  

[old2soon]

From the high seat of my eighteen wheeler ore times than I care to admit to. And Most-or a Lot of the accidents folks insisting on going thru on yellow and/or red. As to the title of your post John-just a couple days ago!  RIDE SAFE.

[baldo]

Then there was the gal that lost her bathing suit top in the heavy surf and was not aware it had happened.  As a gentleman, I did not want to embarrass her, so I said nothing.  They say the Pacific has no memory, but I still do, sometimes.

And they say that chivalry is dead....

[Gryphon Rider]

Then there was the gal that lost her bathing suit top in the heavy surf and was not aware it had happened.  As a gentleman, I did not want to embarrass her, so I said nothing.  They say the Pacific has no memory, but I still do, sometimes. 

Once I was on a cardio machine at the gym, and a young lady stretching nearby on a floor mat was revealing more than she likely intended. I figured she would be embarrassed if a forty-something young man pointed this out to her, so I asked the woman on the machine beside me to discretely inform her. She said, "Oh, it's okay, she's done stretching now," and declined to say anything. I would have thought the young lady would appreciate being aware so she could take preventive measures in the future.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Then there was the gal that lost her bathing suit top in the heavy surf and was not aware it had happened.  As a gentleman, I did not want to embarrass her, so I said nothing.  They say the Pacific has no memory, but I still do, sometimes. 

Once I was on a cardio machine at the gym, and a young lady stretching nearby on a floor mat was revealing more than she likely intended. I figured she would be embarrassed if a forty-something young man pointed this out to her, so I asked the woman on the machine beside me to discretely inform her. She said, "Oh, it's okay, she's done stretching now," and declined to say anything. I would have thought the young lady would appreciate being aware so she could take preventive measures in the future.

That's why I don't go to the gym. Too many young women trying to entice me. 

[Skinhead]

That's why I don't go to the gym. Too many young women trying to entice me. 

You too, huh??

[John Schmidt]

Geez, you guys need to go to my gym. There's a couple gals that barely bust 5' and I call them Littlebit #1 & 2. They get a kick out of it, once in a while if I'm nearby when one or the other leaves, I get a little hug has they walk by, followed by a "bye pops, see ya in a couple days." Makes the rest of the guys kinda jealous but it's all in fun. Workouts wouldn't be nearly as much fun if you couldn't tease the gals once in a while. They're younger than most of my grand children.

[cookiedough]

yep,  let us all be careful out there now that school is starting very soon or has already.

I cringe going thru the school zones and try to avoid them if at all possible, but they patrol that very carefully with cops all over the place as they should.  Go over 20 mph in a 15 mph school zone ya gonna get a ticket. 

I know it is hard to even coast going only 15 mph, but these kids do not look out for cars expecting everyone to stop for them and all it takes is 2-3 seconds of mistractions and not paying attention and can be a goner.