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AIBU?

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Original poster

To have cycled into a cat

314 replies

Rhododendron · 30/03/2014 21:39

Background: I'm new to cycling and not very good at it yet.

I was cycling along, fairly slowly, when a cat ran into the road ahead of me. Since it would be so much more manoeuvrable than me, I carried on, assuming it would avoid me. But it ran straight under my front wheel!

I don't think it was (hope not, anyway!) particularly hurt since it carried on running and disappeared through a gate. (I stopped.)

Was I BU? Should I have tried to avoid it?

Bit confused since I thought cats were rather more sensible than that? DH (experienced cyclist) says he's never needed to avoid a cat.

OP posts:
dammitsue · 31/03/2014 15:18

The fly wings came free with my sociopath starter kit! The collection of dead toads is all my own work though!!!

twofingerstoGideon · 31/03/2014 15:25

Oh dear, someone's trying very hard to be controversial.

Pleasejustgo · 31/03/2014 15:26

Oooooh so it wasn't you?? Who was it? I can't see the original post, I'll need that to shout and finger point at them instead in order to clear your good name Smile

Dammitsue did you get a space hopper with that then? For the toad squashing. OP may need to borrow that.

TalkShowHost · 31/03/2014 15:28

Sue, this is where you sounded particularly callous

"I'm not going to risk sending my shopping bags/drink/car clutter flying..."

So your handbag's stability is more important than the life of a cat?

OhYouBadBadKitten · 31/03/2014 15:29

Sue is just being a wind up merchant.

KellyElly · 31/03/2014 15:35

Pleasejustgo It was thebody but I'm in total agreement with her Grin

dammitsue · 31/03/2014 15:36

So I should slam my anchors on, sending my carefully packed shopping flying, my coffee onto my upholstery etc because you want to let Mr puss out to wander?? No. Tough shit if I sound harsh, my priority isn't your pet.

RedFocus · 31/03/2014 15:37

Lol @ backinthering.
Had a vision of the op mowing down small animals on her bike then Wink

twofingerstoGideon · 31/03/2014 15:38

I agree, BadKitten. Best to ignore the attention-seeking.

AchyFox · 31/03/2014 15:40

dammitsue did a cat run you over when you were very young ?

Pleasejustgo · 31/03/2014 15:45

Kellyelly AND theBody

Vile behaviour on both your parts.

Although after reading some posts I'm starting to feel the rage. Wink

cantbelievemyeyes · 31/03/2014 15:46

Someone asked who it was the ran over a pheasant during a driving lesson. Not sure how common it is, but I definitely did that. Travelling 50mph with quite a lot of cars behind me and the bloody thing shot out of nowhere. I can still hear the thud, I think I cried for about half an hour afterwards- combination of guilt and shock I think. Instructor said in all his years of teaching, no-one had ever killed anything.

I stopped learning shortly after that. Perhaps dammitsue could be my new instructor?

Pleasejustgo · 31/03/2014 15:47

Mmmm pheasant is delicious

Needaninsight · 31/03/2014 15:47

So you deliberately rode into a cat??! Confused

And you're wondering if you were being unreasonable?

I don't think you sound with it enough to be let out of the house, never mind ride a bike.

dammitsue · 31/03/2014 15:48

Sorry can't, but I can't stand simpering idiots who cry over roadkill. We wouldn't get along.

HoneyDragon · 31/03/2014 15:59

How if the op was going slowly did the cat run under the front wheel, the op should be injured. I cycled into a dog, and it fucking hurt both of us. Particularly as I had to grab the little bastard from running into the road.

TillyTellTale · 31/03/2014 16:07

I'm going with "get off the road too". Get the bus!

All cycles come with brakes, right? And the OP managed to stop after she hit the cat, but didn't think to use them as she approached the cat.

Given that her response to the 'what if it had been a child' question is that she would have thrown herself off the back or something...

Whatever your moral stance is, I think we should be able to agree that people on the road should be capable of slowing down! If OP cannot have the presence of mind to squeeze her left brake a bit and then her right under any form of pressure, she's not safe!

cantbelievemyeyes · 31/03/2014 16:13

That's a shame dammit- I was hoping some of your tough, no nonsense approach might rub off on me. But you're right, we probably wouldn't get along. I can't stand people who use phrases such as 'simpering idiot' inappropriately. I rarely smile as I'm too busy crying over dead pheasants.

FairPhyllis · 31/03/2014 16:14

OP, if the wheel of the bike actually ran over the cat, then it will have been quite badly injured and has probably run off to find somewhere quiet to die.

When cats are injured, if they are not actually paralysed they will take off to find a safe spot to die. They can even be hit by a car and crawl off to die somewhere else. They tend to want to be alone at the end.

Nomama · 31/03/2014 16:19

Oh dear!

I appear to have riled you, kelly.

But you are still reading something into my first post that I did not put there. That is the problem with the written word. Still, you probably know better than I what I was thinking at the time!

KellyElly · 31/03/2014 16:25

But you are still reading something into my first post that I did not put there. That is the problem with the written word. Still, you probably know better than I what I was thinking at the time! Of course not, only you know what you think. It just got lost on the way from your brain to the keyboard. It happens :)

Nomama · 31/03/2014 16:29

Na! I am a cat hating, runner overer who likes arguing with animal loving strangers on t'interweb! Grin

GoldenGytha · 31/03/2014 16:30

My cats are indoor cats, and reading some of the posts on here, just reinforces my belief that they are much safer indoors.

Can't believe some of the attitudes on here, cats are not vermin! Angry

They are the most beautiful, special creatures on earth. Rather spend time with my cats than with most humans, next to my children they are my life and give me reasons to carry on.

If they did manage to get outside somehow, and someone ran them over, I'd be utterly bereft, heartbroken, desolate, and beyond furious with whoever did it.

Just as well that they never go outside.

Poor cat, I hope she is ok Sad

KellyElly · 31/03/2014 16:40

My cats are indoor cats, and reading some of the posts on here, just reinforces my belief that they are much safer indoors. Mine too! Think that's why they've got to the ripe old age of 18 unscathed :)

SelectAUserName · 31/03/2014 16:44

There is a difference between scenario A: someone in a car, keeping up with traffic, suddenly confronted by a cat darting out into the road and having to make a split-second reaction in which the priority is not to do anything with the tonne of metal-moving-at-speed to endanger other road users, and scenario B: a wobbly cyclist travelling slowly (by their own admission) who spots a stationary cat ahead, has time to assess the situation but chooses to do nothing.

Cat gets hit in scenario A: sad but unavoidable.
Cat gets hit in scenario B: unreasonable, totally avoidable and indicative of both poor judgement and poor control on the part of the cyclist.

And like GoldenGytha, I am relieved that SelectACat is a house cat.

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