MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Out running this morning, a mile from home, pop goes my calf muscle. Instant agony and a long slow hobble back. Many many cars passed me, I'm in running gear and hobbling badly, is it unreasonable to think someone may have asked if I needed anything, a lift, borrow a phone what ever. I know I should go prepared and carry a phone but I don't.
I'm not upset, not disappointed, just thought someone may have asked. I certainly could not drive past someone in a similar situation, good light, lots of people urban streets.
Just got me thinking.
All three I think 🙁
Whenever I'm out on my bike though, if I stop for a rest/snack/drink etc, it seems every single bike which passes will check I'm ok/don't need a tube/tool etc. Maybe the 10% of society who does care is made up of cyclists 🙂
Same thing happened to me when I was about 4 miles from home. No one stopped or asked if I was ok. I would have thought it was obvious that you were in trouble but some people just don't think like that.
If I ever saw anyone in that situation I would stop, other people obviously don't.
Mowgil - Good point well made. Totally agree cyclists always check others. I think motor bike riders are the same.
I would have picked you up.......I help all sorts of strangers for my Karma Bank balance.
Always carry £1 coin for telephone call or £20 note taxi money.....
What part of the country are you resident? May have a bearing on opinion?
Perhaps if you'd actually indicated you were in trouble - you know, stick out a thumb, ask for help?
But i thought You were running back home from the London Marathon and were nearly there
where?
Local near me in the Dales.... Yeah I'd stop.
Bradford? On yer own, sorry...
A year or so ago my crank came off while I was pushing hard (my fault for poor maintenance) and I went sprawling. Knocked myself out in front of a row of cars waiting for the lights. No one checked if I was ok even though I must have been out cold on the floor for a short while. Most people are to focused on their own little bubble.
I wouldn't have stopped and I'd have been surprised if somebody had stopped had I been in a similar situation.
If it'd been out in a more remote area or crap weather then it'd be different but a limping runner on a random town street? You'd never get anywhere if you stopped for every one of those you saw round here.
Pushing a bike, changing a tire etc then fair enough but even then I'd only expect other cyclists to stop and not the "general public".
You're probably a bit ugly to be seen with to be honest. No one wants someone like that in their car.
Maybe everyone thought you were trying to copy Paula Radcliffes running style..
Were you on the pavement or on the road? if your on the pavement I would much prefer drivers were watching where they were driving than trying to work out if a pedestrian is hobbling and need assistance.
As always on here. Interesting, humorous and different perspectives offered.
Yep I'm ugly so that works against me. As does being a lanky git.
As I said, I'm not bothered just inquisitive on others thoughts. I do recognise it depends where you are.
Bit hard for Cubist. To have an off in front of cars in a que and no one has a care. I think that's very sad.
Thanks for everyone's view.
I doubt I would have stopped if I were driving. I've marshalled 100 marathon club events before, and witnessed an astounding amount of limping and hobbling even before the race had started. Unless you looked in serious distress, I'd have just assumed you were in the process of walking off an injury/cramp.
Anyway you have my sympathies!!! I tore a calf muscle a couple of years back, followed by a 10 miles walk home, and a couple of months before I could run again.
As a cyclist I stop check for every cyclist who appears to be in difficulties and have given away tubes links and even a shoelace to jerryrig a broken derailur , as a motorist I have stopped for broken down cars and cyclists but how do you identify that a runner who is still moving needs help ? If it was clear and obvious I hope I would but I suspect I'd never realise and drive on.
After my hub cracked on a round of the Bealach na Ba I stashed the bike in the bushes and stood holding my helmet (fnarr fnarr) by the side of the road hitching. My hope was that the helmet would show I was a stranded cyclist and not some random punter. I waited nearly 3 hrs during which time numerous cars passed many of them with bikes on the roof and empty back seats.
It's a well known psychological phenomenon known as the [url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bystander_effect ]bystander effect.[/url]
It could have been worse, you could have been in the process of being [url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Kitty_Genovese ]stabbed to death.[/url]
No, I wouldn't stop unless I have leg and arm restraining gear, a Polynesian war club and a Glock 27.
As far as I know you could just be a psychopathic mass murderer up to your new trick targeting me.
😈
About 20 years ago I stopped to try and help a woman being abused by a man. I got head butted by him and had my nose broken. Understandably I'm a bit more circumspect now....
She then ran off with him...
People may have thought you were Keyser Soze
I'd happily stop to help people whether that be injuries, accidents or cyclists with mechanicals etc but I doubt I'd stop for a hobbling runner ...crawling along and I'd have stopped 🙂
aP - MemberAbout 20 years ago I stopped to try and help a woman being abused by a man. I got head butted by him and had my nose broken. Understandably I'm a bit more circumspect now....
She then ran off with him...
See! Because he forgot his Polynesian war club he got head butted. Imagine you charging with your war club toward the guy then with one swift blow you knock him out cold. There problem solved. No more violence. If she complain you can knock her out too with one swift move ... 😈
Polynesian war club! Don't leave home without one! (advertising mode)
Snapped my frame in France 2 years ago and walked 11.5 miles back to base along a quite busy road carrying the bike and not one offer of a lift and I thought the French were very biker friendly .
I have in England kept my Karma balance in the black with a few lifts and tubes for broken down cyclists in the past
After my hub cracked on a round of the Bealach na Ba I stashed the bike in the bushes and stood holding my helmet (fnarr fnarr) by the side of the road hitching. My hope was that the helmet would show I was a stranded cyclist and not some random punter. I waited nearly 3 hrs during which time numerous cars passed many of them with bikes on the roof and empty back seats.
You could've walked to Applecross or Lochcarron in that time.
I saw a roadie fixing a puncture while driving back from the peak the other day. Realised I had a track pump in the car.
His smile when I hopped out the car holding it was really something
You could've walked to Applecross or Lochcarron in that time.
From Kinlochewe? In road shoes? And why would I walk to either of those places when my car was parked at Achnasheen? Also, not being gifted with the second sight I didn't know I'd be 3 hours waiting for a lift...
I don't think you really thought that comment through. 😉
It's a well known psychological phenomenon known as the bystander effect.
I wonder as well whether there's a greater fear of getting involved these days. People are reticent to offer help because they think the other person might get angry for them interfering, or think they had ulterior motives for stopping. And I suppose, sensationalised news has made people more cautious that the hobbling runner might have a bunch of car-jacking mates hidden behind a hedge or something.
So when presented with an uncertain situation, the safest action is no action. By the time the driver has thought, "hm, maybe I should've stopped after all" they're half a mile down the road and it's "too late".
I suspect most drivers were busy 'making progress', planning their next overtake.....
His smile when I hopped out the car holding it was really something
...but what about the pump?
I had stopped and was consuming on energy gel whilst was riding down the Sea to Sky Highway from Squamish to Vancouver (very scenic, lots of tourists) when this random bloke stopped his car and asked me whether I was OK and did I need a lift.
Nice guy, I thought, but no I'm OK to carry one....
45 minutes later and I stop at a view point for more energy gel and a bit of a stretch when same guy pulls up again and offers me another lift.
I hurriedly made my excuses and left 🙁