I was walking home last night, and I got hit by a bicycle! Here’s how it went down...

I was crossing the street (in the cross walk, mind you) and I checked to see if anyone was coming out of the round-a-bout. Sure enough, there was, so here is my strategy: continue walking across the street at the same speed. I have ridden a bicycle in Davis long enough to recognize this as the only strategy that ensures that traffic does not come to a stand still. You see, if the pedestrian keeps walking at a constant speed, it becomes a simple task for the cyclist to judge the speed and hence the location of the pedestrian when they reach them. With that said a simple slight turn of the handle bars would avoid an accident and everyone goes on with their day... but no.... this woman not only doesn’t make the slight adjustment to her left to avoid an accident, but she doesn’t even hit her brakes, just plows right into me.

Fortunately she wasn’t traveling that fast, so I wasn’t hurt. This is a constant worry while in Davis, with so many pedestrians and bicyclists, and I have been on both sides. My feeling is that a little more attentiveness by both pedestrians and cyclists would go a long way!