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THE ROAD IS OUR AGONY, BUT ALSO OUR DAILY BREAD - - - a series of memorable and forgettable rants, ramblings, and stories from the road. . .
About Me
- the mostly reverend
- i've been riding bikes for over 50 years. by my way of thinking, that makes me an expert on everything relating to bicycles. just ask me.
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Blog Archive
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2008
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November
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- dinner with gloria gaynor
- things to ponder as you digest turkey
- you folks who get your financial advice from FOX NEWS
- my dog's brother
- with the demise of "don't ask, don't tell" looming...
- holiday techniques, part 1
- from our canadian bureau
- create a caption
- fryguy shoots cyclists!!
- from the obituary pages
- new york city study on bicyclist behavior
- i just LOVE the republicans
- in memory of a good, decent man
- let's ALL help the republicans! you know they'd d...
- today's sermonette topic:
- my radio job has lots of perks
- i just don't know what i can add here
- tour de georgia to skip 2009, will return 2010
- today's sermonette topic:
- mitch mitchell and friends
- behind the scenes at the kim west radio cycling show
- tonight's sermonette topic?
- names, numbers, dates*
- video of the year
- KC cross nats course preview
- if mccain's aides had been this thorough BEFORE th...
- ah, THIS is better...
- the new face of the GOP??
- might i suggest a new mantra
- they want me out east...
- grant park celebration
- we all won!
- my quiet hero
- jimmy carl black
- i'd love to eavesdrop on the political discussions
- john dean, on tomorrow's election
- who needs SNL?
- why we just ADORE mcshame supporters
- josephine the plumber, or "my granddaughter, the p...
- latest mccain-palin joint campaign appearance
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November
(40)
6 comments:
Show me 15$/gallon gas and I'll show you a road where bicycle saftey is a possibility.
I'd say there's probably a very easy explanation for this "phenomenon": there are so many new or casual cyclists out these days, trying to save a buck... people who haven't ridden the street, rarely ride the street or just haven't rode a bike until now... they don't know the rules or anything, it's uncool to wear a helmet, etc. I've met two people who didn't know that traffic laws applied to bicycles too (they were dead serious)... I'm not saying the most seasoned bicyclist obeys all the rules (we know we don't), but we're probably a lot "safer" breaking the rules than newbies are... in the end, you've got a person on a 30 lbs bicycle & a person driving a 2500 lbs car, the car is always going to win in chicken, so be safe everyone!
I'll be the first to admit that I've broken my share of laws on my bicycle. But...
Cyclists are part of the problem that cyclists are treated as second class citizens. If we want to be taken seriously as a group, as a viable alternative to driving, and as a group that wants to improve the limited respect and limited awareness by others, then we've got to start paying attention to the public image we're fostering. For cyclists, a renegade status is something of a point of pride - how many times have you watched an alleycat on youtube - but we've got to grow our culture & establish a legitimacy to it, born in part by our behavior on bicycles, not just by showing up en masse at a meeting. We can do all this without kowtowing to legislators & officials.
You have a bike lane, use it. If the law says you're supposed to have a helmet on, wear one (especially on your kids). Obey the law and stop at stop lights, at least when other cars are around (oops, there I go). If you want to raise awareness, tell a better, more compelling story about why cyclists belong, and back it up by acting like an adult.
and these standards DON'T apply to motorists?
THEY don't run stops signs or red lights?
THEY don't regularly break laws regarding yielding right of way and speed limits?
i'm just saying...
as a former yippie [look it up], i firmly believe that as long as i'm out there being an obnoxious asshole, yelling and flipping off these jerks wads, there will be other, more "sensible" calm cyclists who will come across as VERY reasonable, especially in light of the abhorrent behavior that i exhibit.
such are the sacrifices i make for the betterment of the world. you folks have NO idea how much i give...
I got chastised by a motorist for not stopping at a 4 way stop the other day. The only cars were behind me, and no one else was coming from the other three directions. Not a complete stop, but quick pause, and certainly more than I've seen cars do making right hand turns at the same intersection.
Funny thing was that while the guy was yelling at me from his drivers side seat, he was on the left hand side of the road and splitting the yellow no passing line.
Kim,
Your sacrifices are copious and noteworthy.
These standards do apply to motorists, but motorists already have an established place on our roads. Cyclists are fighting an uphill battle, and until we are accepted as a part of the transit system, we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard. And just because some douchebag is an ass in his car, it doesn't give me permission to be an ass as well. I'm not an ass in my car, or on the bike - mostly. I'm just sayin'...
Like my momma said, if you don't first respect yourself, no one else will, either.
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