Ran over my fugggin bike
Thread started by
KVNY at 09.25.09 - 7:55 am
Was headed home from school (CSULB) and was riding on the side walk bordering campus. I never ride on the sidewalk but had to do so here in order to get to a break in the median where i could get across to the other side of the street where the bike lane is. As I approached an outlet from the school parking lot to the main street I could see a pick-up edging forward waiting for a break in the traffic to make a right turn. I tried to make eye contact with the driver, but was unable due to the glare. I guess I just went into aggressive street-riding mode and decided to go for it. Unfortunately just as I did so there was a gap in the traffic on the main street and the driver, whom I'm guessing had never even glanced to his right, went to pull onto the main street running over my front wheel and almost my left foot in the process. Bike is a loss as the LBS said the frame is bent (which is weird because it wasn't a hard impact at all). Besides loosing the bike (1970-somthing schwinn le tour III) The guy had the nerve to imply that it was my fault. I know riding on the side walk is not the smartest idea (illegal in some parts of LB), and I know i probably should have stopped when I was unable to make eye contact with him or should have gone behind him, but I still had the right of way. You cant just make a turn and only check one freakin direction. I guess I'm just lucky I didnt get run over. Kinda supports the idea that riding in the street is safer than on the side-walk.
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did you get the guy's info? license plate number at least?
you can get him to pay for it
snowcone09.25.09 - 8:36 am
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i see you riding here sometimes. i think we live in the same apt. complexes. sorry bout your bike :[
meow09.25.09 - 8:49 am
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Yeah, exchanged info and took some pics of the scene. Went and tried to file a Police report this morning, but apparently you have to call and have one done at the scene and time of the incident. My dad and I are gonna conference call him today to see if he'll reimburse me for the bike (i got it for $200).
Meow; Baycrest? What do you ride?
KVNY09.25.09 - 9:51 am
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I guess the plus side of all this is i have an excuse to get a new bike... fixed/ single speed conversion probably. I really dont know what to do with my old one though. I'd feel so bad just throwing it away :-(. Was in such good condition for its age too.
KVNY09.25.09 - 9:53 am
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Sounds like the same reason pedestrians get hit by right-turning cars. They only look left for oncoming cars but not right for peds, bikes, anybody. And yes, certainly shows sidewalk riding can be more dangerous.
0gravity09.25.09 - 10:21 am
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don't throw your bike away. there's a new bike kitchen that just started up in long beach. take it to them and i'm sure they'll help you strip it, and you can keep any useful parts for yourself or donate them to them.
cassidy responding to a
comment by KVNY
09.25.09 - 10:52 am
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make eye contact
aaaaalways make eye contact...
d-styles09.25.09 - 10:57 am
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If you were a pedestrian stepping out in front of a car and got hit, it would be the cars fault.
So the same situation is true here. Don't throw that bike away. Your frame is made of steel, it can be straightened.
puck killer09.25.09 - 11:09 am
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you're talking about Atherton, huh?
I know that break in the median you are talking about.
fuck fuck fuck i miss long beach.
la duderina09.25.09 - 11:20 am
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Yup it was on atherton. And Yeah I was thinking about how sturdy those steel frames are. I guess i'll ask around and see what I can do. It is not a bad bend. I didn't even realize it was bent until the bike shop did the measurements on it, but there's nothing else they will do to it cause of liability issues. I also have to figure out how much money to ask this guy for. Since I wasn't able to make the police report I doubt I'll be able to make a claim with his insurance company. And if the bike really is repairable i'm not sure if I should technically even try...
KVNY09.25.09 - 11:30 am
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It's not worth trying (and failing) to properly straighten the frame. It's an old '70s Schwinn, not a prized Colgnado.
0gravity responding to a
comment by puck killer
09.25.09 - 11:32 am
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next time you should cross the street at....what;s the name of the street that runs in front of the pyramid...I can't remember...wow can't believe I can't remember..anyways cross right there where you have a light.
la duderina09.25.09 - 11:40 am
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yeah sometimes I stand there and wait for the light to change and use the left turn lane, other times if i dont feel like standing and waiting like yesterday, I go a little further down to another break in the median. FML
KVNY09.25.09 - 5:01 pm
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I actually just (and I do mean JUST- got the phone call about two hours ago) got offered 12 grand to settle my case, which was almost the same situation. In my case, the driver never looked left while making a left turn, and I was riding on the street.
Since you obviously aren't going to be able to navigate the insurance company and all that yourself, I'd advise getting in touch with a lawyer- Gary Brustin's the one I was recommended to by the folks at the Bicycle Kitchen. (www.bicyclelawyer.com)
About your bike- you'll want to take it in to a bike shop or two and see if they can give you a written estimate of its value or the cost of fixing and/or replacing it. You can give the estimate to the insurance company as a guideline for how much they should reimburse you.
danya09.25.09 - 5:47 pm
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What if someone is riding against traffic in a bike lane?
profoscurity09.25.09 - 5:52 pm
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Thanks for the info danya. I'll look into it
And I'm pretty sure riding against traffic in the bike lane is against the law since if you're in the street you should be following traffic laws and lights and everything. I see a lot of people doing it and it drives me nuts. I'm guessing they're inexperienced and it freaks them out to have cars whizzing past them from behind. But i'd much rather be hit from behind than have a head on...
KVNY09.26.09 - 1:34 am
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I think the police will determine this is mostly the driver's fault, but you will be found at fault too. It is an infraction of CVC to ride a bike on the sidewalk.
That said, I have put myself in dangerious situations at the spur of the moment manytime on my bike. We all need to ride safer.
Eye contact, yes. Don't you hate the jerks who tint their front windows so you can't SEE their eyes?
Creative Thing09.26.09 - 7:54 am
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Sorry to hear about your mis-adventure, you should find a school in the SFV. LoL like Woodbury or something.
by the way, i think i saw a frame that would fit you at ATOMIC Cycles. you know us tall guys have to look out for each other
Adrian_The_BEAST09.26.09 - 10:26 am
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"It is an infraction of CVC to ride a bike on the sidewalk. "
No it isn't.
California vehicle code states that individual jurisdictions may prohibit bicycles riding on the sidewalk but pretty much doesn't mention sidewalks except for telling you not to park your bicycle in a manner that blocks the sidewalk. Thus the default in California is that riding a bicycle on the sidewalk is legal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_law_in_California#Sidewalk_cycling_may_be_banned
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc21100.htm
Ihttp://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc21206.htm
gregb responding to a
comment by Creative Thing
09.26.09 - 12:46 pm
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Time to transfer to CSUN lol, thanks Adrian. I think i'll probably go back to the same guy I got this bike from. seemed to have a pretty good selection of stuff
http://hbbikeshop.com/bikes
And yeah, its not illegal to ride on the side-walk. Plus it was right next to the school where theres friggin bikes and peds everywhere. It is in some parts of LB (like down on 2nd street). Damn it. I really probably should have had the cops come and do a report. I guess in the long run the bike was only worth about $200, but thats still $200 I may have lossed out on.
KVNY09.26.09 - 12:57 pm
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You never said if you got the driver's insurance info or not. Assuming you did get all his info, you could follow up and possibly get this resolved with the insurance company or him. I would contact him and see about having him pay for it, cause chances are he wouldn't want his insurance company involved. So that would work to your advantage.
You don't need a police to come out to make an accident of this magnitude legit. The one I was in I called 911 to get an officer to respond, and they told me to just get the info mentioned above. Luckily we had a camera to help document everything. Things were resolved to my satisfaction in this accident.
If the dude did his homework, he see that you were riding illegaly. In LB there is municipal code that states in part,
A. No person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk within any business district; upon the sidewalks of bridges; in pedestrian underpasses; on pedestrian overpasses; upon sidewalks adjacent to any school building, church, recreation center, playground, or senior citizens' residential development;
reference
Doesn't mean you shouldn't pursuit this and get some compensation.
User1 responding to a
comment by KVNY
09.28.09 - 12:07 am
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Yeah i was looking at that and i'm pretty sure that its limited to certain areas:
"within the area south of Ocean Boulevard between the Long Beach Museum of Art on the west and Bluff Park on the east; on the northerly side of the Downtown Marina mole which directly abuts said marina, between Gangway A and Gangway P."
So if i understand what that says, riding on the sidewalk everywhere else, including by the school is legal as long as you follow those other rules below.
Unfortunately i'm an idiot and only got his drivers license # (which he didnt even physically have on him as he said he left it at home) and contact info info. This is the first time i've ever been in any sort of traffic incident so, like an idiot, i didnt get his insurance or registration stuff. So its quite possible he doesn't even have a license or insurance/ registration. My dad and I called the guy the next day and he was going on about how it was my fault and how i should pay for his car and stuff. I should've called the cops as soon as he said he didn't have his license. oh well. a learning experience i guess. At least it wasn't that big of a loss (financially anyway).
KVNY09.29.09 - 9:59 pm
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