In Capitol Hill and Downtown I regularly see bicyclists with no lights or reflectors at night, not even slowing down for stop signs and redlights, going the wrong way on one way streets, riding on the sidewalks nearly missing pedestrians, and doing lots of stupid shit.

Tonight I nearly faceplanted one into the concrete. I'm walking down the sidewalk near Broadway and 5th, after dark, no other pedestrians anywhere near me, when all of a sudden I see a blur as a bicyclist zips past me from behind at about 30 mph, missing clipping me by less than 3 inches when he would've had plenty of room to pass on the other side and he must've seen me from at least 50 feet back. If I wasn't distracted by something else and my reaction time was a fraction of a second quicker, I'd probably be in jail tonight. This wasn't some punk teenager either -- guy looked to be in his mid 40s and well dressed.

So, hypothetically, as a private citizen, how much trouble would I probably have been in for knocking someone off their bicycle under such circumstances? NOT deliberately, but because I was startled and they got clotheslined by my arm or something. I know it is illegal for them to be on the damn sidewalk in the first place.