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?

Turns out that this one was the older sister of a younger one who was also out on her e-scooter yesterday.

So yes, there are some (more than these two -) who look similar and dress identically.

Still baffled that these kids are such a homogenous mass for you (a feral badly brought up mass apparently) that you can't tell them apart by their facial features

What did you say when you approached this child?

Can you please stop. You are talking about an eight told child!! 😭

Please stop saying that I said something I haven't.

But OK, there are many chubby (first time I've said THAT) children with long brown hair and pudgy faces living around here. and guess what---- some of them ARE related.

IF the one who fell off is related to the one I spoke to today (SHE knows me, to answer that question, and was just starting to talk about me to her friend) and NOT the one who fell off, then they are, as she told me, sisters.

They do dress very alike too - "White Fox" is the chosen brand of the day. I generally don't take notice of them to such great detail - so they DO become something of a homogenous mass.

Here's a diagram, to make it clearer for those who might think I sat in my car and watched her approach then opened the door into her... OR am so half-blind that I just got out regardless of what's going on around me.

No one should be speeding along a pavement. It could have been worse if someone could have been knocked down or a car backed out of the gates (if they are drives)

I think you are getting a hard time, @LoveMyPiano. Everyone who is a driver knows how easily a dreadful accident can happen, however careful we are. Children can shoot out seemingly from nowhere on bicycles and these dreadful scooters in the blink of an eye. This is obviously what happened here. I would imagine that you were very shaken afterwards and the problem is that you cannot stop thinking about what could have happened. You are not to blame - the parents who gave their child an illegal electric scooter that was too big and heavy for the child are in ones who should take responsibility. It is parents who should teach their children the highway code. The child is also at fault - an eight-year-old is old enough to know right from wrong and should have a sense of danger.

"But OK, there are many chubby (first time I've said THAT) children with long brown hair and pudgy faces living around here. and guess what---- some of them ARE related."

So you can't tell them apart because their faces are too pudgy?

I don't actually think you sound like your the blame for the accident at all. I also live in an area with kids whizzing around on those scooters and they are accidents waiting to happen. Not to mention the boys dresses in black with their hoods up - who are basically invisible.

But regardless of who was to blame, a child got hurt. So even if she was a child that you don't approve of, your focus on the "blame" and complete lack of care is jarring. Which is why you are getting flack on the thread.

@mollyfolk I don't take that much notice of them to a detailed extent (and would be deemed weird if I did), so they look similar to my eyes, and dress alike. As it turns out, the one I know (and dislike) is probably the sister of the one who fell. So even more understandable that they look alike. They also have a brother who resembles them, and is only slightly less insolent. (He is even younger.)
I didn't even say that their faces are "too pudgy" - just pudgy. His too,

I have also not focussed on the blame much more than in the opening post... Take the child riding too fast on the illegal and not age-appropriate scooter out of situation and there would not even BE a situation for blame to be apportioned.
I did care that she hurt herself - but I didn't care as much as people seem to think I should have. As I admitted earlier, I was surprised at myself.

What did you ask this child to get the information that she is her sister?

There is only one driveway entrance on my diagram (very few other drives on this road, hence road parking) - the one I have indicated is a set of electronic gates to the small apartment complex (of 8 and so eight parking spaces inside - also sometimes work vans etc are in and out).

We were talking about it earlier as anyone emerging from there would have little to no warning of a scooter being ridden as it was yesterday - and the scooter rider would not be thinking about a car coming from the side (I imagine). Mostly, people who are coming out of there, while of course, are checking the pavement that they need to drive over, are equally focussed on looking in both directions up and down the road - visibility is usually hampered by the aforementioned road parking.
The MAIN (but not only) problem in that situation would be an unsafely ridden e-scooter. It's clear to me at least.

We talked about something else first [my ability to lip read what she was saying when she had one eye on me...], and as she was on a scooter - and let's face it, it would have been fairly obvious is she and I HAD encountered one another yesterday.... I asked her if she had had a fall yesterday.
It was not an unpleasant exchange (on the surface).

(Maybe I should have said, "Did I knock you off that yesterday?" 😊)

I can't believe you don't beam your passengers out of the car like the rest of us OP.

And did she say no but my sister did?

Your whole attitude towards these kids is that they are lesser than you - you see them as products of a bad upbringing and beyond saving with their pudgy faces, on trend clothes and crude language. So it's not surprising that you didn't care. You've othered them basically so they have less value to you.

And that's what people are taken aback with.

People are people at the end of the day and if you are there when someone gets hurt you should see if they are ok. And if you are involved in an incident where a child gets hurt, you should pass them into the hands of another adult and explain what happened.

I've no idea what would happen if you police knocked on the door but they would definitely be wondering why you didn't do this, very basic, responsibility that we all have toward minors.

So the top speed of these scooters is about 12km per hour and at that speed, by my calculation, it would have taken her 15 seconds to cover the 50m from the gates of the apartments to your car door. It looks a clear line of vision. Your story isn't adding up!

Did you really not offer her a lift home or something?

What, she should have asked a child who she doesn't know to get into her car???

'My DD had an accident when she was out on her scooter this afternoon. She said some woman tried to get her to get in her car, saying she would drive her home'

Imagine the responses. 'Log it with 101' would be the least of it.

The top speed is actually 25mph - although shouldn't be in the UK.
She was probably going about 12mph; certainly much faster than I ever get to go on my bike (which is NOT electric), although if anything, I am underestimating the speed.

It was a clear line of vision if I have my head on backwards, rather than looking - including in my door mirror just before opening it - and then putting my head back in it's proper place. Is my diagram really so unclear?
We have also calculated the force with which my leg would have been hit, against the car door, had I started to step out of the car. I'll let you work that one out.
The distance from the gate to my car was 50 FEET not metres.~
It's late, I'll give you a pass on misreading.

"And they ARE lesser than me, not that I really think about children in that way."

Reported, what a disgusting way to talk about a child. Disgusting.

You mentioned LoveMyPiano · 26/12/2024 18:49 you had a cam which registers knocks even if the car is not on.
If you can’t find the parts to look at your cam, take it to the garage today that sells similar equipment and ask them if they can read it for you. Then this problem will be solved as to who did what when.
In fact, it seems strange the parents haven’t been banging on your front door are they are not really bothered nor the girl is accusing you.
It would be better to see the cam before any other adult starts to get involved, to be well prepared in advance.

You're over-reacting.
And telling me what I can and cannot say is part of the problem.
I hope your kids are perfect little peaches.

No, I am not. You have continued to make disgusting comments about innocent children. Your comments are showing up your horrid behaviour and vile personality.

I thankfully have two amazing polite high achieving interesting intelligent children who would have pity for the obviously disordered life you have where personal comments on a child's appearance is your level.

I have the card, (and cable and manual) - now I am trying to find a carrier to read it via my laptop.
I have a nasty feeling that it overwrites itself fairly quickly if not protected, and possibly only a bump to front or rear. I will be checking later though.

One possibility is that she never even told her parents....scared she might not be allowed out on it again, borrowed without permission even?

Might not even BE the "younger sister.".. in which case, wouldn't know where I live (not necessarily associating the house my car was next to as mine...). Do you really think that the parents should seek me out --- and why?

Oh God.
You're over-reacting even more. Now I have to consider what your offspring think of me...?
(I'm not.)

I am sure these children will turn out wonderfully. Fingers crossed.

Really so your comments, about not being delicate, pudgy, etc they're okay in your world??

My children wouldn't bother considering an individual like you thank you.