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Ambulance hits cyclist, rushes him to hospital, then sticks him with $1,800 bill

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Re: Ambulance hits cyclist, rushes him to hospital, then sticks him with $1,800 bill

#281

Post by Dylan16807 »

rahimnathwani wrote: post #166
bradleybuda wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If the Waymo could not see the bicycle then them cyclist could not see the Waymo. So at best the fault lies with each party to make visual contact and determine who goes first.

If the Waymo could not see the bicycle then them cyclist could not see the Waymo. If the cyclist cannot see the Waymo, then either: A) There is no Waymo, and the cyclist need not yield, or B) There is a Waymo, but its path is blocked by turning lorry, and the cyclist need not yield. So either way the bicycle has priority, no?

B sounds wrong to me. That would mean if you had enough lorries blocking the next one's sight they could all go through at once.

I don't think you're supposed to start moving again until you can see whether a waiting vehicle would intersect your path.

Re: Ambulance hits cyclist, rushes him to hospital, then sticks him with $1,800 bill

#282

Post by tabbytown »

cj wrote: post #159
throw0101d wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I've been urban biking for years. It's no doubt dangerous. I don't think you become complacent like you do when when driving. Also: motorcycling. Generally recommended to always assume you're invisible. There's even an acronym for it: SMIDSY, Sorry mate, I didn't see you . * https://www.brm.co.nz/s-m-i-d-s-y-road-craft/ * https://www.webbikeworld.com/scientific-studies-explain-smid...

Exactly this. Part of the experience of riding a motorcycle is being acutely aware of your surroundings at all times. I rode a motorcycle as my daily commute for years, and then when I switched to a car it felt oddly strange how little I had to pay attention: (Possibly controversial belief: riding a motorcycle makes you a better car driver. Motorcycling has made me pick up habits like always looking over my shoulder…

> (Possibly controversial belief: riding a motorcycle makes you a better car driver. Motorcycling has made me pick up habits like always looking over my shoulder and not solely trusting my mirrors when changing lanes)

Completely agree:

1. Finding the gaps in traffic, and hanging out there and chilling. Cars always cluster together. If I crash when I'm in a gap, it's my own fault. But I'm not going to crash because someone veers into my lane while watching Youtube.

(Benefit of motorcycling where lane splitting is allowed: the gap may be ahead, as well as behind. Plus it feels really good to get in front of everyone else when they're all jockeying together to get ahead.)

2. Following distance. Why does everyone follow one car length behind? This is basic driver's ed. If I'm further back I've got time to dodge obstacles, account for slowdowns and react to crashes ahead. This is closely related to #1.

3. Using my turn signals, religiously. I turn them on well before a lane change or turn.

4. Memorizing my route, to avoid distractions. When motorcycling, I don't want my phone out. I need to be caffeinated, laser focused, and geared up for battle.

5. Being comfortable going slow. If I wanted to be fast, I should have put on my helmet :)

Re: Ambulance hits cyclist, rushes him to hospital, then sticks him with $1,800 bill

#283

Post by taneq »

marxisttemp wrote: post #124
taneq wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

SMIDSY is one very good reason for ATGATT

Not quite an acronym but to complete the trifecta, sometimes nobody was at fault and you just haddalayerdown (because we all know steel and human flesh are much better at slowing a motorcycle down than wimpy old rubber)

Oh god, that quite literally figuratively literally gave me whiplash. I've heard that "had to lay her down" line and... there is no, absolutely NO situation in which you have to "lay her down". Well okay, maybe if you're trying to slide under a semi-trailer, Bollywood style. Exception that proves the rule, and all that.

Edit: You do definitely hear that, though. Not saying it doesn't fit, just that I don't like it. :D

Re: Ambulance hits cyclist, rushes him to hospital, then sticks him with $1,800 bill

#284

Post by vv_ »

fy20 wrote: post #169

As a European, the fact that you have to pay for emergency transport in an ambulance is enough internet for today.

In Lithuania, a mandatory health insurance tax of 6.98% is deducted from your monthly salary. For example, if you earn €5,000 per month (chosen as it is close to the average salary in the United States), this amounts to €349 per month or €4,188 per year. Despite this tax, you often have to pay for many services unless you can afford to wait months in line. Consequently, many companies provide their employees with additional health insurance, typically costing between €100 and €300 extra per month, allowing people to access private clinics for treatment without the long waiting times.

Therefore, the total cost of insurance ranges from €449 to €649 per month. In comparison, the average cost of health insurance in the United States is $447 to $703 per month. Although the sums are quite similar, the standard of care in the United States is often considered higher, with significant payouts if doctors make a mistake, which contributes to the increased costs, unlike in Lithuania where you'll get a pittance.

Just because these fees are not immediately visible doesn't mean they don't exist. Get off your high horse. There are very few countries in the European Union where healthcare is any good and the core reason behind it is that they're filthy rich (at least for now).

Re: Ambulance hits cyclist, rushes him to hospital, then sticks him with $1,800 bill

#285

Post by amanaplanacanal »

instig007 wrote: post #273
exe34 wrote: post #256

Earlier quoted context omitted.

over here in the civilised world, we have bicycle lanes.

and the cyclists still don't respect pedestrians and abuse their privilege and oftentimes cut them off on pavements and zebra crossings when they feel like it.

I would still bet way more pedestrians are killed or injured by car drivers than bicyclists.

Re: Ambulance hits cyclist, rushes him to hospital, then sticks him with $1,800 bill

#286

Post by viraptor »

Moru wrote: post #267
viraptor wrote: post #253

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not talking about the cases where you have any choice about what's going to happen or your safety margin. A person jumps from a place fully obstructed by a truck, 1cm in front of your car - it doesn't matter how slow you're going - you're going to hit them before you register what happened.

That is why you don't drive past busses parked at a bus stop. There is always someone late for class or work, running out of the bus, and then across the street behind or in front of the bus. I'm even slowing down if I'm in the opposite lane meeting the bus because this happens so frequently. And the law (here in Sweden) says I should drive no faster than that I can stop on the road surface I can see. And that I have…

You're assuming you've always got the choice to keep the distance. Sometimes you don't. If you get in a tight alley where you have to pass a truck, you can't do it differently. Whatever safety system you use, one day it either won't help in the situation, or you'll forget about it. Overconfidence in your control may give you a really bad lesson in humility.

You can also see the recent video of a Tesla avoiding a person falling onto the street and crashing into another car. There's no reason to keep the speed lower in that area, no extra space to be away from the sidewalk and no time to react to the change.

Re: Ambulance hits cyclist, rushes him to hospital, then sticks him with $1,800 bill

#287

Post by nitwit005 »

fetzu wrote: post #229
fy20 wrote: post #169

As a European, the fact that you have to pay for emergency transport in an ambulance is enough internet for today.

Because you think you don’t pay for your healthcare? As an European, I have probably paid upwards of 150k for healthcare and probably got about 10k worth of it (at what might consider unreasonable prices, mind you). Even in countries with universal healthcare, it’s not free. There is always someone footing the bill. EDIT: a word

Medical bills cause a steady stream of bankruptcies in the US. It's much less common in many other countries.

Those people often do have insurance. They were paying. They are often shocked to find their insurance rejected their claim.

Re: Ambulance hits cyclist, rushes him to hospital, then sticks him with $1,800 bill

#288

Post by taneq »

the_sleaze_ wrote: post #176
marxisttemp wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not quite an acronym but to complete the trifecta, sometimes nobody was at fault and you just haddalayerdown (because we all know steel and human flesh are much better at slowing a motorcycle down than wimpy old rubber)

Cue an extremely vivid memory of a rainy drenched Washington DC street awash with glare and sparkle from the street lights. Car in front of me lit the brakes, and I grab the front handbrake on my little 250 to.... nothing. No result. "uh" escaped my mouth as I grabbed a somewhat panicked handful of brake and slammed on the rear again to.. absolutely nothing except a lighter rear wheel. Finally had to just lean into a…

When you say 'gliding' you mean the... what? I'm confused. When you lock the front in the wet, 'nothing' is the best possible outcome and even then doesn't last long enough. I'm assuming your 250 had ABS and the 'nothing' was it not dramatically flopping you onto the road. (As an aside, I used to hate ABS and I've now totally come around to it. New ABS is so incredibly much better than old ABS.)

Also there's no such thing as a quick hard veer in the wet, the road is like oiled glass.

Re: Ambulance hits cyclist, rushes him to hospital, then sticks him with $1,800 bill

#289

Post by danielbarla »

instig007 wrote: post #273
exe34 wrote: post #256

Earlier quoted context omitted.

over here in the civilised world, we have bicycle lanes.

and the cyclists still don't respect pedestrians and abuse their privilege and oftentimes cut them off on pavements and zebra crossings when they feel like it.

For several years now I have commuted almost exclusively by biking and walking to & from work, and I can say that both the pedestrian and biker populations have a small but very noticeable number of idiots in them who just don't seem to care.

On one long bridge here, pedestrians and bikes have dedicated roads, on the opposites sides. I regularly see bikers use the sidewalk side, and the same with pedestrians on the biker side; neither is "fun" nor safe. I've actually been yelled at by a biker on the pedestrian side for not noticing him zipping by me... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Elsewhere, I regularly see people walking in the middle of the bike lane, where it's a mixed use sidewalk. The road is clearly marked, yet these people are walking there, playing chicken with each cyclist, on purpose.

The reality is that these people are a fairly small minority, but we tend to notice them. So, I wouldn't make blanket statements.

Re: Ambulance hits cyclist, rushes him to hospital, then sticks him with $1,800 bill

#290

Post by freeone3000 »

jart wrote: post #269
epistasis wrote: post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a pretty weak example; gravity is a physical force of nature and inescapable. Cars are a political choice that we made but don't have to make. But that the comparison seems apt is pretty endemic of how cars are treated: an absolute must, as if they were a force of nature. Never mind that a huge chunk of our population can not drive, and are therefore excluded from society by cars. Car dependency is a very excl…

Saying cars are a political choice assumes we live in a command and control society. Saying "we" in this context assumes you have political power.

We do have political power; if you’re in the US, you had the opportunity to exercise it in the last week. Your local elected officials make the plans for roads and bike lanes and zoning and parking lots and variances; and they are usually quite responsive to the voting public.
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