Does Something Sound Wrong To You?

[Said1]

Don't think Bank & Heron would be particularly peaceful, and it would not be difficult to not hear a truck.

As to the boulevard, maybe Said 1 would know.

I believe the sidewalks are wider in this location, but not having been there for quite a while, could be wrong.

Ain't plannin on goin any time soon.............yetch!! That manure smell emanating from parliament hill............Smell it all the way to the East End......several K's.

Truck drivers should know how to turn a corner without climbing the curb.

It's a major intersection, double turn lane - mother had two other children with her.

You can see a bit of it here - scroll down to bank and heron.
City of Ottawa - Traffic - Live Traffic Video

I've seen trucks do that sort of thing all the time, you have to be extra careful when you see one turning - I always back up, even when I'm alone.

 

[karrie]

I read this story and shook my head. Does there seem to be some warped underlying isse here, or is it just me?

If I have an eight year old child with me and I see a transport turning the corner I would get the child out of the way. I would be aware of my surroundings. I would not have my child within 6 ft of the curb unless we were ready to cross.

The trouble with kids is that they have this nasty habit of moving about on their own. Keeping your kids away from the curb is a grand idea, but, sometimes they end up in dangerous spots regardless of our best efforts. Blaming the parent is a cruel game to play when a child's been hurt, although I have been guilty of it myself at times.

 

[Diarygirl]

I can understand what CanadianLove means by the mother not being more aware with a large truck making a turn and not watching how close it was to the curb. As a mother with a small child you have to always be wary of anything going wrong. It's unfortunate that the child did get hit and that the truck driver had to go up on the curb with making the turn. I would have expected that CanadianLove's point was that the mother should have been watching out for the child and paying attention just like the truck driver should have been paying attention too. I back up if I'm close to a curb just in case something like that happens. Never mind having a small child with me. Scary to think that those types of things can happen so easily. In the meantime...the driver is still at fault. He should have been watching out of his side view mirror to see his clearance.

 

[karrie]

I would have expected that CanadianLove's point was that the mother should have been watching out for the child and paying attention just like the truck driver should have been paying attention too.

Canadianlove said that the something about the story sounded wrong, and implied there is a 'warped underlying issue' which should be looked into. Essentially, Canadianlove is implying that this parent did this on purpose. That's not something I would have expected anyone to support with such a freak accident personally.

I would expect that 'mother got careless' was a more logical explanation, especially in a busy city if the mother and child were frequent pedestrians.

 

[VanIsle]

Canadianlove said that the something about the story sounded wrong, and implied there is a 'warped underlying issue' which should be looked into. Essentially, Canadianlove is implying that this parent did this on purpose. That's not something I would have expected anyone to support with such a freak accident personally.

I would expect that 'mother got careless' was a more logical explanation, especially in a busy city if the mother and child were frequent pedestrians.

I agree that carelessness was probably the issue. I seriously doubt any parent would "help" this accident along. She could have been talking to a friend, it could have been a route they took all the time and she just wasn't paying attention in the manner in which she should have been. How many of us get in our cars and drive the familiar road home never really realizing how we got home. When things become such a habit, it's easy to overlook even possible dangers. It's horrible that his leg was run over and I'm sure it was also very tramatic for him and his Mom but, he's alive. That's the most important issue. I believe it said the truck driver was charged. I assume it's a lifetime lesson for him also.

 

[talloola]

Yes, the driver should be charged, and yes, it is stupid for anyone to stand right
close to the edge of the curb while waiting for traffic light to change. I'm sure
she won't do that once again for the rest of her life.
My mother saw a vehicle take out a baby carriage in same situation many years
ago, mother standing, waiting to cross the road, and the carriage right at the
edge of sidewalk, very dumb indeed.
One should be a defensive driver, and one should be a defensive pedestrian,
especially with a child close by.

 

[JLM]

In theory, a truck driver is responsible for his vehicle, and should not have its wheels on the sidewalk.

I'm surprised that the mother and child were both unaware enough that this happened, but you certainly can't put the blame on her.

No- you definitely can not blame her as in Canada there is no law against being stupid. Any adult with half a brain KNOWS that when a tractor trailer unit makes a 90 degree, it is almost certainly going to infringe in the other lane or on the sidewalk. That's not rocket science, just a matter of being observant a few times and storing the knowledge in the memory compartment.

 

[darkbeaver]

Pedestrians still present a problem to the orderly flow of city traffic. Pedestrians should be discouraged.

 

[Nuggler]

This is a tough design for tight right turns...

Once, down in Atlanta, we took out a stop sign and realigned a telephone pole. Poorly anchored.....mustaben.
8O
Not a scratch on the truck. Managed to put the stop sign back.

That was during a "learning" phase.:confused3:

Thank whatshisname it was 2:00 AM, and no one around.

:glasses11:

 

[Eyeneye]

you can't blame the mother. how would you go about doing that?

 

[TenPenny]

No- you definitely can not blame her as in Canada there is no law against being stupid. Any adult with half a brain KNOWS that when a tractor trailer unit makes a 90 degree, it is almost certainly going to infringe in the other lane or on the sidewalk. That's not rocket science, just a matter of being observant a few times and storing the knowledge in the memory compartment.

True, but any idiot with 1/4 of a brain knows that the street is for trucks, not the sidewalk. I'm pretty sure they even teach that to truck drivers.

 

[Eyeneye]

True, but any idiot with 1/4 of a brain knows that the street is for trucks, not the sidewalk. I'm pretty sure they even teach that to truck drivers.

sure. but they only have so much space to turn. Simply giving them the knowledge that Trucks go on streets and people go on sidewalks isn't going to alter the mere physics of the situation.

 

[CanadianLove]

Quote Zan:
"The worst of the worst is this insane reluctance to let someone into a lane when they're trying to change lanes. I swear it's like some secret society out there is determined to retrain everyone on the road NOT to use their signal lights. If I put my signal on and attempt to change lanes, odds are the driver that's behind me in that lane is going to speed up and box me into the lane I'm trying to get out of... and what I want to know is WHY?!?! they do that? Is it somehow an affront to them that someone needs to enter the same lane they're in? Sometimes several vehicles in a row will do it - staring straight ahead and pretending they don't see you frantically trying to change lanes so you don't miss your turn off ......So the trick seems to be that you're supposed to NOT signal, and just make an apparently random swerve into a lane whenever it suits you... at least that's what I see happening all around me. It's friggin' nuts. "

They area conditioning themselves for the work place and the competion of life. "No one is going to get ahead of me!" They are the type that takes work home with them, and the competion never leaves thier lifestyle. In the end they will be able to buy thier friends until thier money runs out.

 

[TenPenny]

sure. but they only have so much space to turn. Simply giving them the knowledge that Trucks go on streets and people go on sidewalks isn't going to alter the mere physics of the situation.

No, but it might teach them to look around once in a while, and there are ways to avoid running over people, if you have even the slightest ability to drive.

But I forgot that we're supposed to blame the mother here, because she somehow allowed her son to be run over, while he was standing on the sidewalk.

 

[Eyeneye]

But I forgot that we're supposed to blame the mother here, because she somehow allowed her son to be run over, while he was standing on the sidewalk.

ha. yeah. poor parenting. "Johnny, let's go for a walk. Stand here... wait... wait..."

whatever. We have no idea as to what really happened in the situation. Was the kid holding his mother's hand? Was he running up ahead? Did the truck come wayy on to the sidewalk or just a little?

Too many missing factors for any reasonable judgment to be made.

 

[Twila]

I was recently run up onto a side walk in a dual turning lane - I had the outside lane and the person in the lane beside me couldn't stay in their own lane - my options were to let the other car hit me or jump the curb. I suppose if someone was actually on the sidewalk, I'd have had to let the car hit me, but that probably would have sent my little cavalier up onto the sidewalk anyway. Some times I think It's amazing any of us ever arrive anywhere in one piece.

Next time let the car hit you. If you go to your insurance company. and try to tell them that you hit a pole, light standard, or person because someone in the lane beside you squeezed you out of your lane and they'll tell you it's your fault for leaving the lane. Ridiculous for sure.

The worst of the worst is this insane reluctance to let someone into a lane when they're trying to change lanes. I swear it's like some secret society out there is determined to retrain everyone on the road NOT to use their signal lights. If I put my signal on and attempt to change lanes, odds are the driver that's behind me in that lane is going to speed up and box me into the lane I'm trying to get out of... and what I want to know is WHY?!?! they do that? Is it somehow an affront to them that someone needs to enter the same lane they're in? Sometimes several vehicles in a row will do it - staring straight ahead and pretending they don't see you frantically trying to change lanes so you don't miss your turn off ......So the trick seems to be that you're supposed to NOT signal, and just make an apparently random swerve into a lane whenever it suits you... at least that's what I see happening all around me. It's friggin' nuts.

I see this here and worse my husband does it! I don't know why. My guess is that when they see the signal they realize they've left too much space between them and the far in front. It's stupid and it annoys the hell out of me. Next time he does it I'll ask him. See if he is even aware he's doing it.

Sorry Twila, I totally hijacked your thread - your OP made me think of how easily I could have hit someone if they were on the sidewalk when I was edged out of my lane - and that got me sidetracked on a total rant....but I'm done now.

Don't sweat it. I like it when my threads evolve (cause that's what I consider it) you've added to the conversation, helped it evolve. It's not like you jumped in with "I like turtles" or something.

 

[gerryh]

sure. but they only have so much space to turn. Simply giving them the knowledge that Trucks go on streets and people go on sidewalks isn't going to alter the mere physics of the situation.

The moron driving the truck should have known whether or not he could safely make the turn. If he wasn't sure, then he shouldn't have made it. It is HIS responsibility to ensure he is driving safley and staying on the roadway. It is NOT a pedestrians responsibility to ensure that a motor vehicle stays off the sidewalk.

 

[JLM]

you can't blame the mother. how would you go about doing that?

I'm not sure if "blame" is the word, perhaps taking responsibility for the safety of her child is more appropriate. We are given a brain, eyes and a memory to help us be wary of dangerous situations and when used with a little common sense it serves us quite well. In my working days we had a stock phrase to help keep us safe - "Always expect the unexpected".

 

[Eyeneye]

The moron driving the truck should have known whether or not he could safely make the turn. If he wasn't sure, then he shouldn't have made it. It is HIS responsibility to ensure he is driving safley and staying on the roadway. It is NOT a pedestrians responsibility to ensure that a motor vehicle stays off the sidewalk.

As long as we agree that it's not the mother who should be tried, I daresay I concur.

 

[JLM]

The moron driving the truck should have known whether or not he could safely make the turn. If he wasn't sure, then he shouldn't have made it. It is HIS responsibility to ensure he is driving safley and staying on the roadway. It is NOT a pedestrians responsibility to ensure that a motor vehicle stays off the sidewalk.

Yep, he certainly has to shoulder some of the responsibility too.