to think you should control your kids on their bikes?

[WatteringChanker]

I was cycling to work today across a path which is 2-bikes wide. Woman with pushchair and 2 (approx) 4 year old kids was going in the same direction as me across the path.

Both boys moved a bit to the side to let me and the lady in front of me pass. Then one decided fuck this and swerved into the middle of the path.

I yanked my breaks which meant my back wheel skidded out from under me and sent me flying.

The woman was quite apologetic but not enough for my liking and threw many excuses about her kids being wobbly on their bikes, not having hearing aids in etc.

AIBU to think that if her kids are so wobbly on their bikes they shouldn't be riding them across a path used by loads and loads of commuters? Or that the stupid cunt mum should put her kids hearing aids in so they can hear people coming?

For the record, I'm starting to suspect I've broken or fractured something in my hand as it hurts like fuck and is swollen nearly double the size. Sue the bitch.

Did you not slow down a bit?

Mmm but your hand has managed to post your OP.

I don't know what to think TBH.

MrsKeith Yes of course I slowed down but I didn't expect the kid to swerve right into my path. My back wheel skiddage was completely unavoidable coz I had to slam the breaks on so quickly.

Sparkling It's the very base of my hand that's the problem, my fingers are fine for typing.

What i think is that you should treat small children on bikes in the same way as you would if you were in a car.

in a car, you assume that small children are unpredictable and irrational beings. They might run into the road for example, and you need to be able to stop. Whilst there are pure accidents, often the driver is held to an extremly high standard in the interests of society and the child themselves. Hence, even if the child was largely responsible, there is an acknowlegement that the driver may have been driving to fast/unable to stop.

Where 4 year olds are using a cycle path, you need to be the one exercising caution and ride as though you assume that the child is going to do something like this.

sorry about your hand, hope it recovers quickly and it reminds you that you had a near miss and could have injured a child.

I am as pro-cyclists as they come (see my past posts) but YABVU. You should not be riding or driving any vehicle without being in full enough control to avoid the hazard of a small and unpredictable child THAT YOU HAVE SEEN. You should always give way to the more vulnerable road user. You should have got off and jogged past, or waited for a wider passing space. It is so important that we give kids the freedom to learn to cycle.

PS I am sorry you fell off and hope you are okay.

Of course a parent should supervise their children on their bikes. This is why I never take my three children out on bikes on my own.

But your aggressive language is not going to get you much sympathy.

I hope you see a doctor and your hand heals well.

The thing is I'm not sure you can assume the 4 year old thought 'fuck this' and decided to swerve.

Without seeing exactly what happened it's hard to comment.

I would imagine if I had a child who needed a hearing aid he should definitely wear it to cycle though.

You must have been going much too fast if you had to slam on the breaks and couldn't steady yourself.

Yabu
You could see there were CHILDREN and STILL didn't slow down enough
Your at fault here

Trying to visualise this - was it a cycle lane or a pedestrian pavement?

Agree with svrider these kids are aged 4 and need hearing aids? But you still post like this about them and make no allowances ?

you are typing well with 1 hand maybe you should go to a n e and have it checked out maybe you should think oh little kids coming i will let them pass like a normal person would

Oh and it's brakes not breaks.

Btw my elderly mother cut a cyclist up like this the other day (mum walking on a trial not cycling!)
Luckily enough the cyclist was a rational guy who understood that there are people who can misread a situation (we had all gone to the left, my mum shuffled to the right , almost directly in front if him
I'm glad it wasn't you we met that day tbh

You are an adult and you were passing 2 small children.
Yabu.
You should have been more careful.
How's mum supposed to control the boys bikes?

I assume they were off to school. Not clogging the road up with a car so that's got to be a good thing although slightly unrelated.

YANBU. 'Making allowances' for SEN doesn't mean broken bones from strangers.

Indulgence won't save any child when he/she next decides to swerve under a car not another human being.

Having seen a child of about 8 with its face removed by swerving onto a cobbled path at speed, I have to ask what are you lot on?

Think you're being way too harsh OP. And calling her names is NOT on.

This is a 4 year old child who is still learning to manoeuvre his bike. And how fantastic that a child of his age can cycle to school. Stop living in a bubble.

And as for the mum not being apologetic 'enough'...who do you think you are, the Queen? Do you want to her to drop to her knees and beg for forgiveness?

OP
You were going too fast
End of

But it was an accident.
The boy didn't do it on purpose.
How else is he supposed to learn to ride his bike safely and skilfully?

And I think the op's response of cunts, fucks and bitches while talking about an accident probably got me defensive of the little boy to start with.

Wow, the other mum is a 'stupid cunt' and a 'bitch' for allowing her 4 year old children (who have hearing impairments?) to wobble inadvertantly into your path? (And children of that age don't generally think 'fuck this' ). I really hope that you didn't swear like that in front of those children.

You sound arrogant, entitled and utterly vile to me, and to break your hand suggests that you didn't slow down much if at all.

'How's mum supposed to control the boys bikes?'

Exactly. She can't. Which is why I never take my three children out alone on their bikes. Because I am worried about them being injured by selfish cyclists and (car drivers) who ride too fast and don't consider small children on the cycle path.

You can't control your bike - or you would have been able to stop.
You can't read a situation - or you could have forseen that small children may be a bit unpredictable and you would have adjusted your speed.
You do not have sole use of cycle paths - children have the right to ride safely too.
This stuff happens - it's irritating but it was an accident.
Your language is so offensive and out of proportion that perhaps you have sustained a head injury and not just a sore hand!
You're the grown-up - act like one!