Electric scooter kid went flying after hitting my car door

[LoveMyPiano]

I was just about to get out of my car - door opening onto the pavement - this afternoon, not dark by any stretch of the imagination, although the car door does have a light that stays on even when ignition off.
I had seen a girl (I think I know her, she's 8 or 9) go zooming past "up" the road - wearing black, on her no-doubt Christmas present, large electric scooter.
I pushed the door open, not fully, an was about to get out when I heard a skidding sound and she hit the car door and went flying onto the ground.
When I look afterwards, the tyre marks were about 2/3 of the way across the pavement, closer to my car. Had the door been fully opened, it would have been badly damaged, I think - or she might have been.
She rolled on the ground but didn't hit her head (no helmet) and seemed to want to check her scooter thoroughly herself.

I didn't say sorry - more like "Oh God!" - and checked she was OK, briefly saying that she was very difficult to see, but that's all, even though I think a whole lot more.
This will no doubt come back to me as "she was knocked off her scooter by that woman up the road" etc - but AIBU to think it was her own fault, even allowing for the fact she is a young child?

Sounds like classic Darwinism.

Regardless of fault, I think I would have waited for her to pass before i opened the car door, just to be on the safe side.

I couldn't wait for her to pass, she came zooming down behind me.
I didn't deliberately open the door into "her path"... I had seen her go past and out of sight; she must have turned round to come back.

I don't think electric scooters are legal to be used on uk roads and pavements. Maybe this is a good reason why they aren't as yet.

I don’t think OP saw her and opened the door deliberately! I read it that she had been aware of her going up the road and she didn’t see her coming back down and crashing into the door.
The scooters are a) illegal on public road or pavement and b) bloody lethal
Hopefully her parents will see sense and get rid of it.

Always wise to check in the mirror to see if anything is coming before opening the door

Well given they are illegal to use except on private property then you're absolutely not in the wrong. Her parents sound like idiots though buying an 8 year old an illegal scooter and letting her ride it with no helmet unsupervised.

Hopefully this will make her parents realise how dangerous these things are before she really gets hurt.
Unfortunately as they bought her one in the first place its unlikley they are very bright

That's right, and how it was.
Next door has a little two year old who is quite prone to running onto the pavement across their small front garden with no gate,. Gives me chills when I think what could have happened if it had been her, not a (my) car that the scooter hit.

(You wouldn't believe they're illegal round here. Saw a boy trying to do a wheelie on one when I came back home. )

This

I do - I also do the Dutch (?) check when setting off. And I am checking , on the footpath, for people walking, dogs, disability scooters and similar. Any of those could have moved across even if I did continue to open the door, which I wouldn't, unless I genuinely had not seen them. She was going too bloody fast, that between me looking in the mirror and then opening the door, there she was! (As I said, wearing her no doubt new trendy black Christmas outfit, with no lights on the scooter at all.)

I thought there where still illegal in most palaces apart from private property or unless you held a drivers license.

I think they would be banned on pavements full stop. They zoom by.

A small child in dark clothes on a scooter with no lights and no sound. I fail to see how this would have made a difference. The scooters are not allowed on the road or pavements. So why should the OP feel ANY blame for this? I think I would go to the child's house and request that the child not be allowed on the road as it is illegal. If the child had been badly hurt, the OP would have felt dreadful, despite it not being her fault. Stupid parents.

Exactly!
(Although your typo has me imagining the Buckingham Palace staff scooting along the corridors.)
It could have been so much worse - and for me as well, even. They seem to be quite heavy, and don't steer easily.

Haha palaces one of my fancier typos.

@m00rfarm
Thank you.

If it is who I think it is, I would be hesitant to go knock on the door..... I expect she has relayed the event differently. You really can't "tell people what to do" around here. (Much as I want to --- really want to.)

How awful OP - are you ok? Must have shaken you up a bit

To be honest anyone who buys their 8 year old an electric scooter, let's them ride it unsupervised without so much as a helmet is unlikely to be someone who is amenable to discussion.

I hope you're alright though.

Given that you don't actually know the girl said anything of the sort you're assuming, and must have had a pretty nasty fall, I would have taken her home and explained to her parents. If she hasn't said she might develop concussion/be very sore once the adrenaline wears off and her parents wouldn't have a clue to keep an eye on her.

It doesn’t sound as though it’s your fault and you didn’t cause this accident. But poor little girl. She’s too young for it to have been her fault either. Her parents should have been looking out for her and ensuring that she rode it safely and legally.

You've turned this incident into a whole conversation that hasn't happened in which you are treated unfairly? That's really weird.

She shouldn't be riding a scooter on the pavement but i wish people would pay more attention when they open their doors whether it's pavement or road side. Mate of mine is paralysed after someone doored him into oncoming traffic

It was horrible to have it happen, and is weighing on my mind.

Natural selection?