Accidents Happen, but so does Stupidity

Accidents are bound to happen.  Most of the time they are just plain accidents.  No one's fault, and hopefully no harm done.  Sometimes, however, it can be chalked up to stupidity.  Today's incident might fall somewhere in between - I'll let you be the judge.

My son was going to a birthday party today.  The location was about 8 miles away, so it made for a nice bike ride for the two of us.  I rode with him there, rode back home, and then rode back to pick him up so that we could ride back home together.  We were able to take the San Gabriel River Bike Path for about half of the trip, which is always nice.

The only slight "hang-up" is that there are two detours to maneuver while workers finish constructing a new tunnel and resurfacing a section of the path.  Some cyclists try to make their own detours to avoid extra time and inconvenience.  I myself have found the detours to be annoying, but am looking forward to a wider, much safer, tunnel; and a smoother surface in the future.

As I was riding back home I saw a pack of cyclists riding below the bike path, in the concrete river bed, next to where the water flows.  I immediately understood their strategy.  Instead of taking the recommended detour (on surface streets) around the tunnel construction, they took one of the ramps down to the river bed (that service vehicles use) to go around the construction.  They would likely find another place to ride or walk their bikes up to the path later and continue on the bike path.

Their plan went awry, however, when I saw two of the bicycles slip from underneath their riders.  There was a wet spot on the concrete where mud and moss had formed a very slick area that caused their tires to slip, throwing the cyclists to the hard concrete.  I quickly stopped and walked down the concrete slope to where the riders had gone down.  As I helped them to safety I was amazed at how slick the patch was (a strip about 15 feet wide).  It was every bit as slick as sheer ice.

One of the riders in the pack was disgusted that there was not some sort of warning for that area.  I could understand his reaction, but could not agree with him.  He was trying to put the blame on someone else when it belonged squarely on their own shoulders.  His group had chosen to ride in an unsafe place.  A detour was provided - as inconvenient as it may have been - but his group thought they knew better.  I felt sympathy for their bumps and bruises, but they had to face the fact that they were the ones to blame. 

Thankfully they were able to keep riding.  The two cyclists that fell were hoping to get home before their bumps/bruises caused too much stiffness or pain.  I have no doubt they'll be feeling it in the morning.  I am not sure that their accident was caused by stupidity.  Naivety was likely the cause.  But the fact that it could have been avoided by taking the recommended detour makes stupidity a valid explanation.  It was a good reminder for me.  I need to quit trying to find my own detours around the construction and trust those who provide the real one.  Yes, mine might work from time to time, but I need to be a good example to my son so that I don't show him how to learn the hard way.  Let's save the bumps and bruises for an honest accident - not stupidity.