thank goodness you were not seriously hurt. I mourn for the world at the loss of Alex. Be careful out there, I do not want to mourn for you. Glad you are not injured. keep up the great work!
Hard to grasp the wayward driver wasn't charged with failure to cede right of way, or something similar. Since the weather and the lighting was poor and he was making a turn, he should have exercised WAY more caution than he did. Since the driver was clearly at fault for the "accident", he should have been ticketed.
You’d think so, but one of the reasons why drivers have come to behave the way they do in this city is because the police have decided that there is nearly *nothing* a driver can do that would warrant getting a citation. Drivers know this and now behave accordingly.
That sounds absolutely dreadful - and yes, this city does not care about pedestrian/cyclist safety. It's clear.
I've had many close calls on my bicycle - and I have been hit as a pedestrian.
A couple years ago, I was out for a walk, I was crossing the street and hit by a turning car. I rolled over the hood, smacked into the ground... the guy stopped, rolled down his window and said "You good?", I remember mumbling something akin to "wha-huh-uh..." and he said "Cool" and drove away.
I wish that could be reposted every place that prints a story about people feeling "unsafe" on public transit, because there are dodgy people on it. Fact is, you're in far more danger in a car, danger of death, injury, trauma.
OMG Nora, I am glad you are more or less ok. And chapeau to you for being so kind to the numbskull that ran into you. I do not think I have it in me to be so charitable to someone who could have killed me.
Media and cities like to call these horrible situations "accidents" or "collisions" when really what they are are results of cars-before-people priorities.
When he got on his knees and started to pray, it was hard for me to want to kick him in the teeth. Had I ripped my coat however, I would have felt different.
I was waiting to cross a one way street in Montreal with my bicycle. I was looking in the direction that cars came from. Suddenly I was on the ground. Then I felt something crush my foot. A woman had backed out of a parking space but had not looked for what was behind her. When I realized what had happened, I was furious. I yelled at her for a while, refused an ambulance, got on my bike and rode it home. My foot started to really hurt about half way home. It was broken. I had the driver's contact information and let her know what she had done. She turned out to be quite nice and helped me to connect with SAAQ and I got some money to help with the costs. So now I look at parked cars as potentially dangerous too.
This is terrible- thankful you were not badly injured and infuriated by the list of recent pedestrian injury due to cars in Ottawa that you listed. Take good care Nora 🤗
I feel more and more anxious about hitting someone or another car. I feel like driving has become way worse. The one and only tech bro idea that I actually wished for was SAFE autonomous driverless cars. but sadly that grift seems all but dead now. If only we would fix Public transit as a viable alternative.
Damn, that's so scary, I'm glad you're all right. Walking in Ottawa (or attempting to take their poor austerity starved public transit) truly sucks shit!
Glad you are OK. My adult kids ride In TO and Vancouver - TO kid has been hit (was on the way to her MS defense) - was OK and the Van kid has been screamed at because her flashing jacket was "too bright". Maybe for pedestrians as well...https://flashwear.co.uk/products/waterproof-led-jacket.
Thank you for this vivid description of a horrible event which should not have happened. I hope you send this to our mayoral candidates and ask them what they plan to do. Pedestrian deaths must not happen in Ottawa. Cyclists must also be safe and not take their lives into their hands on the road. The driver of the car who hit you should absolutely have charged, no matter how upset and repentant he was.
There was no long term plan for the design of Ottawa's streets, which may be the problem. But if there had been, and that plan had been to create a uniquely awful situation that is neither safe nor functional, it would have been hard to arrive at a better execution of it than what we have now.
I'm so glad you weren't badly injured, and sorry that this happened to you.
So glad you’re okay, at least in the corporeal sense. I’ve had my own experiences with cars in Ottawa and elsewhere, both as pedestrian and cyclist. Genuinely baffled by the prioritization we willingly accept, of vehicles before people, in our discernment and laws. Stay safe out there.
Great piece Nora, especially the description of the accident. Rare to hear a subject experience of how shock works in such vivid prose. I hope you’re still feeling ok. Take some days anyway cause hurt or not you have experienced a serious trauma.
thank goodness you were not seriously hurt. I mourn for the world at the loss of Alex. Be careful out there, I do not want to mourn for you. Glad you are not injured. keep up the great work!
Hard to grasp the wayward driver wasn't charged with failure to cede right of way, or something similar. Since the weather and the lighting was poor and he was making a turn, he should have exercised WAY more caution than he did. Since the driver was clearly at fault for the "accident", he should have been ticketed.
You’d think so, but one of the reasons why drivers have come to behave the way they do in this city is because the police have decided that there is nearly *nothing* a driver can do that would warrant getting a citation. Drivers know this and now behave accordingly.
That sounds absolutely dreadful - and yes, this city does not care about pedestrian/cyclist safety. It's clear.
I've had many close calls on my bicycle - and I have been hit as a pedestrian.
A couple years ago, I was out for a walk, I was crossing the street and hit by a turning car. I rolled over the hood, smacked into the ground... the guy stopped, rolled down his window and said "You good?", I remember mumbling something akin to "wha-huh-uh..." and he said "Cool" and drove away.
I wish that could be reposted every place that prints a story about people feeling "unsafe" on public transit, because there are dodgy people on it. Fact is, you're in far more danger in a car, danger of death, injury, trauma.
I believe "from a car" -- you don't have to be in a car to be at risk from the cult of personalized transportation.
OMG Nora, I am glad you are more or less ok. And chapeau to you for being so kind to the numbskull that ran into you. I do not think I have it in me to be so charitable to someone who could have killed me.
Media and cities like to call these horrible situations "accidents" or "collisions" when really what they are are results of cars-before-people priorities.
When he got on his knees and started to pray, it was hard for me to want to kick him in the teeth. Had I ripped my coat however, I would have felt different.
I was waiting to cross a one way street in Montreal with my bicycle. I was looking in the direction that cars came from. Suddenly I was on the ground. Then I felt something crush my foot. A woman had backed out of a parking space but had not looked for what was behind her. When I realized what had happened, I was furious. I yelled at her for a while, refused an ambulance, got on my bike and rode it home. My foot started to really hurt about half way home. It was broken. I had the driver's contact information and let her know what she had done. She turned out to be quite nice and helped me to connect with SAAQ and I got some money to help with the costs. So now I look at parked cars as potentially dangerous too.
This is terrible- thankful you were not badly injured and infuriated by the list of recent pedestrian injury due to cars in Ottawa that you listed. Take good care Nora 🤗
I feel more and more anxious about hitting someone or another car. I feel like driving has become way worse. The one and only tech bro idea that I actually wished for was SAFE autonomous driverless cars. but sadly that grift seems all but dead now. If only we would fix Public transit as a viable alternative.
Damn, that's so scary, I'm glad you're all right. Walking in Ottawa (or attempting to take their poor austerity starved public transit) truly sucks shit!
https://www.lifeaftercars.com/
Glad you are OK. My adult kids ride In TO and Vancouver - TO kid has been hit (was on the way to her MS defense) - was OK and the Van kid has been screamed at because her flashing jacket was "too bright". Maybe for pedestrians as well...https://flashwear.co.uk/products/waterproof-led-jacket.
Hate cars....
Glad you're okay Nora. That's right by where I work.
Glad you’re safe!!
Thank you for this vivid description of a horrible event which should not have happened. I hope you send this to our mayoral candidates and ask them what they plan to do. Pedestrian deaths must not happen in Ottawa. Cyclists must also be safe and not take their lives into their hands on the road. The driver of the car who hit you should absolutely have charged, no matter how upset and repentant he was.
There was no long term plan for the design of Ottawa's streets, which may be the problem. But if there had been, and that plan had been to create a uniquely awful situation that is neither safe nor functional, it would have been hard to arrive at a better execution of it than what we have now.
I'm so glad you weren't badly injured, and sorry that this happened to you.
So glad you’re okay, at least in the corporeal sense. I’ve had my own experiences with cars in Ottawa and elsewhere, both as pedestrian and cyclist. Genuinely baffled by the prioritization we willingly accept, of vehicles before people, in our discernment and laws. Stay safe out there.
Great piece Nora, especially the description of the accident. Rare to hear a subject experience of how shock works in such vivid prose. I hope you’re still feeling ok. Take some days anyway cause hurt or not you have experienced a serious trauma.