shesgottasurf

Hey all you sowallers......
I wanted to throw out something I witnessed today that greatly disturbed me (and surely the parents of the victim....) I am reporting this as non-prejudice as possible....... just 'informing' you of what I SAW......

I was driving west on 30-a, just east of Ed Walline, or Gulf Place. I happened to glance at the bike trail, and I witnessed a crime, in my opinion....... I'll tell you what I saw, and what I believe to be what happened, in that order. I am writing this to warn fellow 30-a'ers, families, and to possibly help the family that suffered this disgusting action on this bicycler's part

There were 3 people on the concrete walking/bike path by the road......a woman, man and a child (aged @ 6-9?) (their daughter, I presume) She stood around 4' tall from what I saw from the car.

The next time I glanced over at the trail, I see the BIKER- PLOW through at the expense of the little girl..... I saw her arms fly up to her face, and she kinda whirled around, and suddenly I realized she had been hit, or some other part of this... (excuse my 'language) dumbass, narcissticic bike rider!!!!!! I mean, I thought for a second that it was an accident between family/friends..................until I kept watching, and the biker KEPT ON RIDING WITH AN AGGRAVATED LOOK on his SUPERIOR FACE!!!!!! .......Like the girl was at fault for being in his WAY!! (And maybe they were, but this should not relieve him from responsibilities from his actions!)
He never looked back, didn't stop, just kept biking on.....I watched this in my rearview mirror, and I couldn't believe it! I truly believe the parents were stunned, and they didn't/couldn't pursue the biker. (They were watching him until they couldn't see him anymore, and surely had called to him, but my windows were up, and I didn't hear) As I watched him catch up to me in my car, at the corner of 30a and 393, I felt like I should pull in front of the biker that 'pretended' that he didn't just commit an assault on a child, ........but I was scared to try. (cause surely he is not in his right mind to be able do such a thing to a child and pretend it never happened........) ....and surely I couldn't stop him, anyway....he could just drive around my car. I didn't even think to file a police report until after the shock of the scene wore off.

So I am writing this to all Sowaller's to hopefully give this 'biker' a name, and bring him to justice. The parents may be looking for him, for his name, whatever, I don't know. I will file a police report tomorrow, and hopefully they did, too. He actually stuck out like a sore thumb, as described below, so hopefully somebody here will know who he is if he's local.....?

He was (obviously) on a bike. (not the 'racer' kind...just a leisure bike?)
He seemed in his mid to late 40's somewhere.....
Slicked back hair, or pulled into ponytail?
He had a basket on the front and on the back of his bike.
There were TWO dogs with him on the bike.
One in the front basket, one in back.
They looked like Miniature Pinschers.
This is something I have never seen, ( 2 dogs on a bike) and I am hoping someone knows someone who has two of these dogs, AND carries them on his bike......
Hmmmm............. ?

I hope to warn you to avoid YOUR family member from being run over, or yourself, and/or to help the victim's to learn the name of this guy if they're looking!!

buster

It may be a really bad move by that guy and he may be a real jerk. But it also sounds like you may be overreacting a bit. Your title says "run over" then you say she put her hands to her face. You say you glanced over, and were looking in your rear view mirror. Isn't it possible you didn't clearly see what happened? Maybe they stepped in front of the guy or he was in a bad postition. Yes it sounds like he was a jerk and should have stopped or something but why would you call the police unlessthe girl was injured? What justice would you and the police do to the guy for being a jerk?

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shesgottasurf

Sure, I understand how you could think I have overreacted. I don't know how to really convey in words what I saw, but what I saw was NOT some little 'touch', or 'smack', or 'graze'. The parent's reaction was not condusive to their little girl overreacting, either. Even if it was, this was definitely a situation where a normal functioning individual would KNOW they had hit a kid with their bike and would stop! Sure, there are rules on the bike path, but even so, right or wrong, if you injure another individual, you are morally responsible to stop and at the very LEAST, recognize and admit what you did. And surely, you'd try to help out. Ya think?

JustaLocal

There is no question, pedestrians have the right-of-way on the multiuse path!

This is one reason so many cyclists prefer the road. I almost always end up slowing down (much) or running off into the grass in that area near Gulf Place. There is not really a way that feels 'polite' to come from behind. I ring my bell early, but still it seems to startle people.

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"It was far easier for you as civilized men to behave like barbarians than it was for them as barbarians to behave like civilized men." - Spock (Star Trek)

ASH

Was the bike a lime green color? I have seen a guy on a bike as you described and the bike was lime green. If you aren't sure of the color, please say so in order to keep the innocent, innocent.

Did you speak with the parents to let them know what you witnessed?

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Anthony

Smiling JOe

... or to hear their version of what happened? Was the girl just startled, and the parents upset at the rude biker? When I hit something with my bike at full speed, it usually knocks me off balance, causing me to crash.

Though I've secretly wanted to run over people who refuse to move over when alerted, several times, I resist the urge. Especially today, when everyone is listing to their ipods, or talking on their blueteeth. They are just in another world, and we need to tread lightly. For many reasons, bikes and walkers don't mix well, especially on the paths which narrow down to four feet. If I were riding on the path now and people are in my way, I would just pretend like I'm a food runner at the Red Bar, and yell, "hot food, coming through! Hot food, out of the way!"

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ameliaj

Just a note to bikers. I'm more than happy to stay right when I hear the bell, hello, "on the left" call, but I do need a little warning. Many-a-time I hear the biker alert and it startles me out of my walking reverie and it takes me an extra second to respond. Maybe, give me a 15 to 20 foot warning instead of a 5 foot warning. I'll gladly give you the right of way.

Henry

How would you bikers feel if folks in cars decided to take matters into their own hands and run you over when you don't get out of their way fast enough?

I can't imagine how much bile must be flowing in your body to think you have the right to run people over because they aren't jumping fast enough when you want to barge through.

SWGB

I just stay to one side of the path or the other, why do some people feel the need to walk down the exact center?

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Smiling JOe

Henry, no bile here. My complaint was when people don't move over after giving multiple shout outs. As I noted, I try to remember that people often have music shoved in their ears (very dangerous), and perhaps that is why they don't move. I've also seen the path filled three people across, with none of them moving. I'm not in a hurry anymore, and mostly, I ride on the road, so it doesn't bother me that some people just don't get it. I just put on my Zen hat and am at peace with it after taking some deep breaths.

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ameliaj

I really do try to stay right (one of those important lessons everyone should have learned in kindegarten). But oftentimes, it's not just one walker and not just one biker using the path and some way must be given. Everyone should just be patient and give plenty of warning. And, when notice is given that someone is passing, just step further to the right. I might add, that this should also apply to "powerwalkers" who are attempting to pass by the "speed challenged" group.

Bluznbeach

If I had seen this, I would have stopped, talked to the parents to ascertain if the child had actually been hit or was just frightened. If the child was hit or injured, I would offer to call the police on cell, and stay at the scene to tell the officer what I witnessed. In my opinion, the best way to handle from that point is to let the police take over.

RiverOtter

I ride a "race" () bike but not on the multi-use path. I was riding my bike on the right side of the white line while in Blue Mountain Beach and some jerk in a Maroon Expedition blew at me. I wasn't even in the road. I "politely" asked him to pull over so we could discuss the FL road laws but he declined. He was the only guy that blew or yelled at me the whole week. You don't happen to drive a Maroon Expedition do you

The jerk that hit / grazed / startled the little girl should be yanked off his cruiser bike by his greasy black pony tail and given a serious attitude adjustment .

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SWGB

RO,

Was it a friendly "hi" beep or a "your in the way of my land yacht beep"? Occasionally I will simply tap the horn as a warning that there is a vehicle coming from behind. Especially if the bike rider is wearing an iPod.

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RiverOtter

While I do roll with an ipod, I wasn't in the road. For a good stretch of BMB there is a bike lane between the road the the multi-use path and I assure this jerk was not giving a friendly toot.

I still can't figure out why he didn't want to pull over and discuss the finer points of the FL Road laws
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RiverOtter <--- Not pencil thin like most cyclists

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SWGB

Yep, honk and run like a coward.

You weren't up by Gulf Place at around 4ish today? I was going to do a "hi" beep, but thought it might be taken longer.

Oh that wasn't you, this guy was "biker thin".

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RiverOtter

Nope, I was there June 7 -14. Coming back in Aug

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Smiling JOe

RO, ever thought about keeping a small basket of 2-3 raw eggs on your handle bar?

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RiverOtter

How's about one of those glass breaking tools

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Smiling JOe

raw eggs could be funn. Glass breaking tools being hurled at vehicles is oh so not right. Breathe deeply.

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RiverOtter

I wouldn't hurl them. Maybe just "Knock" on their window after I catch up to them at the stop sign

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SWGB

Paint ball gun!

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ASH

Back where I come from, one the kids rode bicycles around a lot when they were younger. There was a neighbor that had two dogs that were absolutely nuts. They would almost get run over by vehicles as they chased. On a bike forget it.
One day the kids got sick of having to try to outrun the dogs to get to their friends house and took a paintball gun with them. Problem solved! The big brown dog with the big green spots on him is now afraid of bicycles for some reason.

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Anthony

RiverOtter

LOL

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sweetgal

I hate nothing more in the world when the bikes are on the road, and theres the bike path righ tthere. They tend to be in their own world sometimes, and its sad. I hope the little girl was ok, and hopefully its a one time incident. Wonder if the parents reported the incident ?