What Is WRONG With Some People?
@danishcanadian (28953)
Canada
September 2, 2009 12:19am CST
I was hit by a bike while I was trying to turn left to go up the walkway into my apartment building.
I say the bike hit me, because that's precisely what happened. As I was turning left, out of nowhere a guy came from ahead on my left going the opposite direction, and blocked me.
I am legally blind, and had turned my head to the left to see up the walk-way, so this guy was in my blind spot (right eye). He was walking, and his bike beside him came into contact with my body. I blocked him from moving with my cane and said "excuse me." He told me to get out of his way. I told him I was blind, and he said to get out of his way, again. He pushed between me and my walk way, and continued down the street to the bridge. I should have taken a picture of him with my cameraphone. I wish I had.
I did call the cops, though. I live right behind the police station (the back of the police station faces the back of my building). I gave the cops my information, who I was, where I was, what happened, how it happened and so on. I explained that I was not hurt, but that I called because I didn't want this jerk to get into a worse tangle with someone else.
He had a guitar on his back, so that would have made him a lot easier to identify. Pretty hard to blend in when you have a guitar on your back.
The police were busy tonight, so they didn't come to question me till later. My husband told me that he'd seen the same guy out before, but also being legally blind, he wouldn't have been able to pick him out of a lineup either. I asked him to stick around, to tell the cop that he'd seen him too, though he was not there with me at the time this happened. We ordered pizza, so we wouldn't have to leave to get dinner. The cop didn't come till we were done, but if we'd have gone out somewhere, murphy's law suggests we'd have missed the cop's visit. LOL
The cop who came was really nice, and respectful. She was also pretty pleased with my American husband's opinion of Canada. :)
I don't know if they caught the guy or not, but she didn't object to the idea that should one of our canes get tangled in the spokes of the guy's bicycle as he was trying to push us out of the way, it would not be our faults. LOL
Hey, we're both almond BLIND! If the guy gets in our way walking, its his own damn fault!!
To turn this into a discussion, has anything like this ever happened to you? How did you handle it?
5 people like this
16 responses
@Grandmaof2 (7579)
• Canada
2 Sep 09
That was one rude individual. 
I have never had severe eye sight problems but I have been around many who have and it's bad enough without having to deal with ignorant people and this in my opinion is flat out ignorant. He'll get his because we all know what goes around comes around.
I have never had severe eye sight problems but I have been around many who have and it's bad enough without having to deal with ignorant people and this in my opinion is flat out ignorant. He'll get his because we all know what goes around comes around. 1 person likes this
@deejean06 (1952)
• United States
4 Sep 09
Hi danish...I was completely shocked when I read your discussion! I cannot believe just how poorly people behave towards each other and it disturbs me that there is a growing trend of this horrendous behavior in our society. I'm glad that you are well and that he didn't hurt you.
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
2 Sep 09
Arrogant idiot...
Nothing quite like this, but one day I was walking and I crossed a driveway. A car was waiting to turn into it and after I walked across it he did turn it. Then I hear him yelling behind me. He was yelling at me for "taking the right of way." Well excuse me, but I did have the right of way and he wasn't actually turning yet, so I went. The nerve of somebody yelling at me for being in the right. Geez...
1 person likes this
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
2 Sep 09
Wow what a jerk! I would have seen the cane and no matter how much of a hurry I was in I would have made sure I wouldn't get in your way. I am not blind but, I think it would be a little hard getting around if I were and people were in my way. I can't believe the nerve of some people!
1 person likes this
@BlueGoblin (1829)
• United States
3 Sep 09
Probably just a young kid that wasn't taught to be more courteous. You can't do much more than you did. You should take comfort that if they don't find him then something similar will happen to him one day. What comes around, goes around.
1 person likes this
@anklesmash (1412)
•
2 Sep 09
how rude one time i was running to get somewhere in a hurry and i nearly bumped into a blind person i managed to avoid it but i still felt guilty and i never harmed or hindered him in anyway
1 person likes this
@rusty2rusty (6751)
• Defiance, Ohio
3 Sep 09
Yes, something like that has happen o me more than once. Alot of times it is in the stores. But yesterday it was right outside the court house. The person didn't give me a chance to scoot over and pushed my cane out of their way. Ug!!! than it happen as someone wasgoing in to the elevator of the courthouse. Little did they reaize, we got off tothe same foor because their kid had to go to the same court room as my son. Now I know where that kid got their manners.....they were never taught any.
@horsesrule (1957)
• United States
2 Sep 09
Wow, I'm constantly amazed by how rude and inconsiderate some people are. I mean, you're carrying the cane for goodness sake, there's no way he could miss it unless he was mentally challenged! I have had similar run-ins. One time it escalated to complete ridiculousness when I politely asked a guy if I could see behind him since he was blocking the shelf and so I reach out to get his attention by touching his arm and he went off on me. I mean he freaked out, it was so weird. I was in one of the electric scooter things and I am older and quite overweight so maybe all those things pushed his hate button but he came at me so I had to use the cart to push at him and then he freaked some more and my daughter came up behind him and grabbed him off me and threw him up against a display. It was ridiculous and so bizarre. He went to security about me, said I'd attacked him. I had to spend quite a lot of time talking to security. Wow. Nothing came of it of course because it was so obviously stupid but it was quite upsetting.
1 person likes this
@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
9 Sep 09
First of all, I hope you don't cross paths with this guy again. He sounds like he would be someone who can lose it fast. His temper, I mean. And then who knows what he will do.
Also, a similar experience perhaps: I was entering the parking lot of a supermarket with limited parking spaces. I parked my compact car and a lady in her super huge van parked right next to me. She started barking out obscenities because I didn't leave her enough space to get out of her van. I kept quiet and backed out so she could get out (she was quite large)and then parked a few inches over, away from her van.
I was going into my exercise place where she happened to be also, because the building has dance classes for kids (and her daughter was taking lessons). I approached her and just apologized. She almost broke down in tears and said she was sorry and that she was having a bad day. We hugged, and had a nice conversation. A good ending is always nice. 
Also, a similar experience perhaps: I was entering the parking lot of a supermarket with limited parking spaces. I parked my compact car and a lady in her super huge van parked right next to me. She started barking out obscenities because I didn't leave her enough space to get out of her van. I kept quiet and backed out so she could get out (she was quite large)and then parked a few inches over, away from her van.
I was going into my exercise place where she happened to be also, because the building has dance classes for kids (and her daughter was taking lessons). I approached her and just apologized. She almost broke down in tears and said she was sorry and that she was having a bad day. We hugged, and had a nice conversation. A good ending is always nice. 
@Jemina (5770)
•
3 Sep 09
Sorry to hear about that DanishCanadian. You maybe handicap being legally blind but it sounds like that jerk was mentally handicap. In that case, you cannot reason out with him because he will never understand you. I hate people like that. I hope the police were just nearby when it happened. He could have gotten what he deserved. Okay, next time don't forget to take a photo but I hope you won't get into a similar situation again.
@prashanthalva (2272)
• India
2 Sep 09
The Mental Make Up Of Some People Is Never to Care Or Bother About others .. They Live Life In A Way they Deem Fit .. They Are A Problem To Society .. But Do People Care .. I Understand It's A Hooligan Behavior .. But Who Is There In My Country To Watch Over these Fools .. Not the Cops In My Country For Sure .. I Can Comment But Not Do Anything Much ..
1 person likes this
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
4 Sep 09
were they on the sidewalk?
if they were,that's illegal anyway.
we have jerks like this that cruise down the sidewalks where they're not supposed to be.i even had a guy come up behind me and honk his bike horn.
i told him to get the f off the walk.
the cops rarely do anything here about them even though it's the law.
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
14 Sep 09
Why are some people so damned ignorant? What do they gain by being that way? Yes I've had similar treatment from a job that I had. I'm severely hearing impaired that I'm legally deaf. One day this guy and his girlfriend happened to be on my good side and I over heard him say "Oh, that's the deaf girl from yesterday" Oh let me tell you right now, hells fire flew into me right then and there but being on the job, I had to do it tactfully so I turned around to see who he was talking about and he was looking straight at me so I asked him how did he know I was deaf that yes indeed I am legally deaf. He stumbled from one foot to the other not knowing what to say and knowing full well that I was cussing him out in a nice way. Then his dumba$$ girlfriend asked how I knew what he said and I told her that I can hear very little but I mostly read lips. If I had been her, I'd have shoved my elbow in his side for saying such a thing in the way he did it!! Oh I was so upset that I quit my job that day because I can't handle being around so many people in all different directions and to be judged in the manner in which this low down dirt bag did me. I hate having to defend myself over and over again on a constant basis so I've become very reclusive. I'm happy and yet I'm not but I'm not being belittled anymore. Another job the assistant manager screamed at me "I told you...." I snapped back "You may have told me but doesn't mean I heard you!" and quit after that incident because like I said, I hate having to point it out because I'm NOT looking for attention, quite the contrary but a little bit of understanding would be "OH SO NICE"
What do they gain by being that way? Yes I've had similar treatment from a job that I had. I'm severely hearing impaired that I'm legally deaf. One day this guy and his girlfriend happened to be on my good side and I over heard him say "Oh, that's the deaf girl from yesterday" Oh let me tell you right now, hells fire flew into me right then and there but being on the job, I had to do it tactfully so I turned around to see who he was talking about and he was looking straight at me so I asked him how did he know I was deaf that yes indeed I am legally deaf. He stumbled from one foot to the other not knowing what to say and knowing full well that I was cussing him out in a nice way. Then his dumba$$ girlfriend asked how I knew what he said and I told her that I can hear very little but I mostly read lips. If I had been her, I'd have shoved my elbow in his side for saying such a thing in the way he did it!! Oh I was so upset that I quit my job that day because I can't handle being around so many people in all different directions and to be judged in the manner in which this low down dirt bag did me. I hate having to defend myself over and over again on a constant basis so I've become very reclusive. I'm happy and yet I'm not but I'm not being belittled anymore. Another job the assistant manager screamed at me "I told you...." I snapped back "You may have told me but doesn't mean I heard you!" and quit after that incident because like I said, I hate having to point it out because I'm NOT looking for attention, quite the contrary but a little bit of understanding would be "OH SO NICE" 
@Philbo (578)
• Canada
17 Sep 09
It's sad that there I people in the world who completely lack any sense of courtesy. Even if bicycles are allowed on the sidewalk that kind of behaviour is inexcusable. There are bylaws in most Canadian cities that prohibit bikes from riding on the sidewalk. There may even be some provinces with province wide laws. The police wink at it and in the case of young children it may be understandable. Rudeness isn't welcome anywhere though. He's lucky I wasn't there. I would happily identified the jerk to the police for you.
@ElicBxn (63252)
• United States
2 Sep 09
I can't believe how MANY people will walk in one direction and look in another. you know how big the riding carts are at a shopping center? well, I've LITERALLY had to warn people off from walking into them, when I'm sitting still! My roomie, who is also almost blind, was using one at a Best Buy in Houston and had exactly that happen to her - some guy walked into it - but at least he acknowledged he had done it to himself. I've been at Walmart and stopped the cart to avoid a person and still have to say - "Watch out" when they kept walking! Totally looking another direction!
Where did these people park their brains? Lordy, I hope they don't DRIVE that way!
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
3 Sep 09
hi danish canadian theres absolutely no excuse for that man to'act like the jerk he was he should have seen you were blind and'ot out of your way. I hate it when people do things like that. This reminds me of a goof I made and how small I felt as a result.I am an elderly lady and i was shoppngin my favorite grocery store. this young lady came up to me and asked in a sweet voice,please could you tell me where the coffee is,they changed things so around here.She was right,they had remodeled and changed the various foods and stuff around. I was tired and say a bit abruptly, young lady there are large signs above each row,just read them. She looked at me and said,still in a sweet voice,I am sure there are but I am blind. I said ohmy goodness I am so sorry I didnt realize i Took her arm and said Ill show you where the coffee is so you can find it next time. you do very well without a cane. she said I really am trying but its so hard when they changed everything around. I felt about three inches tall but she was so sweet about it.after that I often saw her and she seemed to have memorized where things were too.
