Damn Drunks!

In Bavaria, if you ride, you apparently have to know where the drunks are.

A German court ruled on September 14, 2009, that a motorcyclist who collided with a drunken pedestrian during a beer fest shared blame for the accident because she should have expected the road to be full of partygoers.

The female biker, who was traveling at a legal speed of 25-31 miles-per-hour, hit an apparently inebriated man who was crossing the road against a red light during the Munich Oktoberfest beer festival that attracts millions of revelers every year.

The court found her "50 percent responsible" for the accident.

"During the October (beer) festival there are, it is well known to the authorities, a large number of drunk people on the streets at night, who can not always be trusted to observe the rules of the road. The motorcyclist should have adjusted her speed to be able to avoid these people," the court said.

The woman was ordered to pay half of the damages, estimated at 2,500 euros—roughly $3,600. The court denied the woman’s bid for 1,000 euros—about $1440-- compensation for minor injuries sustained in the accident.