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  #26  
Old 07-11-2008, 05:39 PM
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Default Re: Bicyclists Assaults Motorist with Bicycle

More.

:facepalm:
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  #27  
Old 07-11-2008, 05:48 PM
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Default Re: Bicyclists Assaults Motorist with Bicycle

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Originally Posted by godfry n. glad View Post
When I ride my bicycle, I observe the laws and rules of the road, as deliniated in the state's statutes. I don't pick and choose those I will or will not observe, I do my best to remember that when I am on my bicycle, I am vehicular traffic and am required to observe all the appropriate statutes.

BDS and others seem to think otherwise and ignore traffic signals and street signs as they wish. Then, when one of these clowns is mown down by some hapless motorist who WAS obeying the traffic laws, the motorist is demonized and vilified, regardless.

.
If Godfry "observe(s) the laws and rules of the road" (does that mean he "obeys" them, or merely "observes" them?) when he's DRIVING (let alone when he's riding) he does more than most drivers. Personally, I jaywalk regularly, if there's no traffic. Disobeying laws "as (one) wish(es)" is not necessarily a bad thing -- it depends on what one wishes to do. If someone speeds to get a soon-to-be mother to the hospital (for example), that is a good reason to "wish" to break the law.

One of my son's schoolmates was killed recently while riding his bike here in Eugene. Apparently, he made a left turn right in front of a car. The driver was not "demonized". Here's my letter to the local paper on the subject, published a couple of weeks ago:

Quote:
This very R-G letters page has chronicled the war between bicyclists and drivers. Since David Minor’s tragic death, however, the conflict has changed. Cars are stopping to let me ride my bike across the street -- even when they have the right-of-way. As a long-time bicycle rider, I’ve never seen so many polite, considerate, even deferential drivers. I’m not the only one who’s noticed - all my bike-riding friends report the same thing.

I’m aware, of course, that this alteration in drivers' attitudes probably won’t last forever. But I’d like to say, "Thanks" to the drivers who’ve shown consideration, even temporarily, in honor of Minor’s death. It’s a touching and appropriate tribute.
.
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  #28  
Old 07-12-2008, 01:48 AM
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Default Re: Bicyclists Assaults Motorist with Bicycle

I nearly hit an idiot on a bicycle on my way to work this evening. I pulled up to a complete stop at a temporary four-way stop (half of Tulsa is under construction) at the intersection of Denver and 3rd Street, right by the new BOK Center. I was riding Moby the Great White Frigidaire, my faithful 46 mpg steed. I put both feet down upon my stop, saw that no one else was at the interection, let out the clutch and accelerated across the intersection. Before I was halfway though the intersection, I spotted a bicyclist, zipping along down Denver at about 30 mph. He blew right through stop sign at the intersection. If not for my lightning reflexes and the power-to-weight ratio of the motorbike, we would most certainly have made acquaintance in a most unpleasant manner, more unpleasant for him probably, but not that nice for my unprotected body either. There was no time to brake, but there was time to accelerate harder, which is what I did, just barely getting out of his way. I think I caught just a whiff of scat in his padded pants as I rode off to the east. Or maybe that was my own. I'm no astrologist or psychic, but I see him in an accident very soon.
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  #29  
Old 07-12-2008, 03:32 AM
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Default Re: Bicyclists Assaults Motorist with Bicycle

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Originally Posted by godfry n. glad View Post
This is common in these parts.
I reckon that location has something to do with it.

There's a standard jury instruction used in personal injury/vehicle collision cases to the effect that everyone using a public roadway has a right to assume that all other users will obey the law. In Ohio, my original home state, cyclists (and pedestrians) learn early in life that exercising that right borders on suicidal. Many motorists won't see you at all because they can't be fucked to keep a lookout for cyclists. And those who do see you wouldn't even consider yielding the right of way to a bicycle, even if they're in a situation where yielding is required by law.

The right to assume others will obey the law isn't so much a "right" as it is a fault-allocating rule for use after a crash occurs. If an Ohio cyclist exercises the right, there's every chance that a motorist will cream him. That means a good verdict for the cyclist (or his family) in the resulting lawsuit, but that's not necessarily much comfort considering that, good verdict or not, the bicyclist is still dead or missing a leg or some such shit.

But that's Ohio, which is pretty much stuffed from stem to stern and keel to maintop with assholes. Here in Colorado, drivers are for the most part quite cognizant of and courteous to pedestrians and bicyclists. People -- motorists and cyclists alike -- know the laws and take them seriously.

And in Boulder, CO, the militant cyclists have turned the Ohio paradigm around completely. Boulder is laden with bicyclists who delight in doing stuff such as lying in wait at crosswalks and darting out in front of passing cars. Such behavior is common enough that Boulder drivers are hypervigilant, keeping an extra close watch for cyclists and yielding the right of way to them even when not required.
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  #30  
Old 07-12-2008, 12:49 PM
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Default Re: Bicyclists Assaults Motorist with Bicycle

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But that's Ohio, which is pretty much stuffed from stem to stern and keel to maintop with assholes. Here in Colorado, drivers are for the most part quite cognizant of and courteous to pedestrians and bicyclists. People -- motorists and cyclists alike -- know the laws and take them seriously.
:blank:

I saw three cars just yesterday during the commute to work menace a cyclist. Which I recall because two had Jesus-fish stuck on them and all three had the "respect life" license plate design.
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  #31  
Old 07-12-2008, 01:44 PM
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Skull Re: Bicyclists Assaults Motorist with Bicycle

There's assholes on bikes. There's assholes in cars. There's assholes on foot. There's assholes on trains. There's assholes on planes. An asshole here, an asshole there, assholes, assholes, everywhere. :shakebooty:

Great. Now I have the most unpleasant visual of assholes (literally) going about their daily activities out in the world and I'm about to hop in my car and do my errands. :stwitch:
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  #32  
Old 07-12-2008, 04:03 PM
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Default Re: Bicyclists Assaults Motorist with Bicycle

:shakegodfry:
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  #33  
Old 07-12-2008, 07:20 PM
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Default Re: Bicyclists Assaults Motorist with Bicycle

Yeah, leave out the alleged social culture of hostility between motorists and bicyclists and you're left with the wholly predictable and not at all newsworthy tale of a fight erupting between a beligerrent drunk and an outspoken busybody.
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  #34  
Old 07-13-2008, 06:14 AM
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Default Re: Bicyclists Assaults Motorist with Bicycle

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There's assholes on bikes. There's assholes in cars. There's assholes on foot. There's assholes on trains. There's assholes on planes. An asshole here, an asshole there, assholes, assholes, everywhere. :shakebooty:
You said it best, pal! :five:That would have exceeded my curse limit, so I couldn't.:shakecurses:
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  #35  
Old 07-13-2008, 02:16 PM
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Default Re: Bicyclists Assaults Motorist with Bicycle

:giggle: Glad to help out, PW. :lowfive:
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  #36  
Old 07-13-2008, 10:10 PM
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Default Re: Bicyclists Assaults Motorist with Bicycle

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Originally Posted by Shelli View Post
There's assholes on bikes. There's assholes in cars. There's assholes on foot. There's assholes on trains. There's assholes on planes. An asshole here, an asshole there, assholes, assholes, everywhere. :shakebooty:

Agreed.

Now....If we could just get many bicyclists to acknowledge this, instead of going immediately into motorist blame regarding any conflict betwixt the two, we'd have a massive increase in the civility in sharing the road. There are enough bicyclists assholes out there to suspect that, when auto meets bicyclist, there is a reasonable chance that it was because the bicyclist was doing something stupid which precipitated the event.

Just because one rides a bicycle does not obviate one from observing the rules of the road, nor from being civil about it. Riding a bicycle does not make one blameless....any more than does operating a motor vehicle.
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  #37  
Old 07-14-2008, 12:42 PM
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Default Re: Bicyclists Assaults Motorist with Bicycle

Now....If we could just get many bicyclists to acknowledge this, instead of going immediately into motorist blame regarding any conflict betwixt the two ...
LOL Yeah, god, it's not like motorists ever go immediately into bicyclist blame to make a lameass comment like "the arrogant righteousness of bicyclists reared its head here yesterday".

Mick
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  #38  
Old 07-15-2008, 04:39 AM
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Default Re: Bicyclists Assaults Motorist with Bicycle

And....

Within a week of the above incident, we have this turnabout.

:facepalm:

Not a word about a mob of motorists converging to accuse the bicyclist.
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  #39  
Old 07-15-2008, 05:50 AM
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Default Re: Bicyclists Assaults Motorist with Bicycle

I have been thinking if I have anything to add to this conversation, and I think this is it.
One of the problems of Portland planning is that they are constantly pitting one group against another.
Instead of having buses pull over and let passengers on and off, they built curb extensions, so cars can't pass a stopped bus.
In order to give bicycles room, they built bike lanes and put up signs on already crowded streets. They mostly did this without eliminating any parking, because that upset businesses.
They build paths that are shared by a mix of bicyclists, runners and walkers.

Of course mixing all of that diverse traffic has set up conflicts. Bikes and pedestrians may have the right of way in some cases, but who's going to take on a car? Cars want to go where they are going reasonably quickly, if you are like me in my hot little non-airconditioned car in one of our hot spells, it's torture to wait an extra few minutes as a bus lets off a wheelchair.

Add that to the mix of driver styles. In NE they stop for nothing and push the speed limit. In SE people will generally go about 10-15 miles below the speed limit. Then you have poor visibility as most SUVs park next to the corners, making it difficult to see bikes, pedestrians or cats. Then you have the Washington licenses, who are lost and I give them an extra 2-3 car lengths because you will never know when they will do something dangerously odd. Then there are the Californians, who think turn signals are optional.

Infilling may be efficient, but we could do a lot better.
I wish there were more dedicated bike paths. I bet other bikers wish there were too.
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  #40  
Old 07-15-2008, 03:04 PM
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Default Re: Bicyclists Assaults Motorist with Bicycle

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Originally Posted by godfry n. glad View Post
And....

Within a week of the above incident, we have this turnabout.



Not a word about a mob of motorists converging to accuse the bicyclist.
You mean, not a word about some anonymous passer-by punching the driver in the head, setting off a ruckus?

:facepalm: indeed.

Besides -- why would motorists converge on the hurt cyclist? They'd have to, like, get out of their cars and walk over.
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  #41  
Old 07-16-2008, 07:40 AM
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Default Re: Bicyclists Assaults Motorist with Bicycle

Wow. Just when I thought nothing was more dorky than self righteous atheists and theists. I stand corrected. Biking enthusiasm is on thing, but self righteous assholes just make me want to duck and cover.
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  #42  
Old 07-16-2008, 03:48 PM
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Default Re: Bicyclists Assaults Motorist with Bicycle

Yeah, Qingdai was totally out of line.
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  #43  
Old 07-18-2008, 05:09 AM
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Default Re: Bicyclists Assaults Motorist with Bicycle

That's it mister, I am biking up to Canada and giving you such a bike over.
I'm going to use my heavy cruising bike too.



Just you wait (about 6 months, darn it'll be too cold then).
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  #44  
Old 07-18-2008, 12:58 PM
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Default Re: Bicyclists Assaults Motorist with Bicycle

Oh, you are such a self-righteous asshole!

But what an awesome bike. Baskets front and back! I wouldn't even mind getting hit with it.
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  #45  
Old 07-18-2008, 02:27 PM
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Default Re: Bicyclists Assaults Motorist with Bicycle

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It's time to license riders and register bicycle.
License, nothing! If I had my druthers, bicycles and motorcycles would be illegal (along with snowmobiles). Why ride a two-wheeled deathtrap when you can drive something with a minimal amount of armor?
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  #46  
Old 07-18-2008, 04:35 PM
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Default Re: Bicyclists Assaults Motorist with Bicycle

Saving energy, my friend, saving energy, that's why. Reason enough. Sacrifices have to be made.
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  #47  
Old 07-18-2008, 04:48 PM
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Default Re: Bicyclists Assaults Motorist with Bicycle

No amount of energy is worth a human life.
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  #48  
Old 07-18-2008, 05:38 PM
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Default Re: Bicyclists Assaults Motorist with Bicycle

Drilling for oil to make gasoline or diesel for your armor protected ride to burn or be used in it's manufacture, or to supply the power plants that generate the power you would use in an electric car has a certain casualty rate too, so does construction of the power plants, solar panels, hydraulic turbines, and wind generators and the manufacturing plants that build them. Is moving you from one place to another worth any else's life? I guess that's up to you to decide. If you think it isn't, get walking. Wait, shoe factory construction no doubt costs lives too, not to mention some lives might be lost or people maimed by the equipment that makes shoes, oh, and clothing. So, put your money where your mouth is, get walking, barefoot and in the nude unless you make your own clothes and shoes.
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  #49  
Old 07-18-2008, 07:01 PM
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Default Re: Bicyclists Assaults Motorist with Bicycle

Which is why "there's no such thing as a free lunch".
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Old 07-20-2008, 03:14 AM
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Default Re: Bicyclists Assaults Motorist with Bicycle

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