to "On the Road" editor, Kelly Kearsley

On Sat, 06 Nov 2004 00:06:21 GMT, Claire Petersky
<[email protected]> wrote:

> [see:
> http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/eastsidenews/2002082848_ontheroad05e.html.
> After reading this column, I wrote the following question to Kelly:]
>
> Q. There are so many motor vehicles now, and many seem to ignore traffic
> signals and stop signs. My biggest fear is that I will be riding my bike
> on
> day and be hit by a motorist who has ignored a stop sign, and I will be
> blamed. Are there rules for motor vehicles?
>
>
I hear that loud and clear. About 6 months ago I was nearly hit by someone
who didn't even bother to slow down for an obvious stop sign, but
went through at around 35 MPH, in a 25 MPH zone. Would I have been
in the wrong because I was riding and not walking in the crosswalk?
Where is a cop when you need one?
Bill Baka


--
Using M2, Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/m2/

Bill Baka wrote:

> On Sat, 06 Nov 2004 00:06:21 GMT, Claire Petersky
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> [see:
>>
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/eastsidenews/2002082848_ontheroad05e.html.
>> After reading this column, I wrote the following question to Kelly:]
>>
>> Q. There are so many motor vehicles now, and many seem to ignore
>> traffic signals and stop signs. My biggest fear is that I will be
>> riding my bike on
>> day and be hit by a motorist who has ignored a stop sign, and I will
>> be blamed. Are there rules for motor vehicles?
>>
>>
> I hear that loud and clear. About 6 months ago I was nearly hit by
> someone who didn't even bother to slow down for an obvious stop sign,
> but
> went through at around 35 MPH, in a 25 MPH zone. Would I have been
> in the wrong because I was riding and not walking in the crosswalk?
> Where is a cop when you need one?

What I find most disturbing is when cops ignore blatant violations happening
right in front of them.

One day in lovely Newport Beach, CA, I was sitting at a red light, next to a
motorcycle cop. 4-5 cars ran a red light right in front of us, in the most
blatant way. I don't mean yellow-to-red, I mean red for a second or so already.
They almost clipped cross traffic that had started on the green. There was no
excuse for this cop to not give chase to at least one, but he could have gotten
all of them easily -- they were headed right to another red light. So I glared
at the cop, like, "Aren't you going to do something about it," but he glared
right back, like, "Don't even look at me or I'll throw *you* in jail."

Red light running has really gotten out of hand in CA in the last 10 years. A
friend who's an actuary for AAA agrees. Apparently, claims due to running red
lights are way up. While I'm against speed traps and some other things, I'm all
for those red light cameras.

Matt O.

On Sun, 7 Nov 2004 12:31:23 -0500, Matt O'Toole <[email protected]> wrote:

> Bill Baka wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 06 Nov 2004 00:06:21 GMT, Claire Petersky
>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> [see:
>>>
> http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/eastsidenews/2002082848_ontheroad05e.html.
>>> After reading this column, I wrote the following question to Kelly:]
>>>
>>> Q. There are so many motor vehicles now, and many seem to ignore
>>> traffic signals and stop signs. My biggest fear is that I will be
>>> riding my bike on
>>> day and be hit by a motorist who has ignored a stop sign, and I will
>>> be blamed. Are there rules for motor vehicles?
>>>
>>>
>> I hear that loud and clear. About 6 months ago I was nearly hit by
>> someone who didn't even bother to slow down for an obvious stop sign,
>> but
>> went through at around 35 MPH, in a 25 MPH zone. Would I have been
>> in the wrong because I was riding and not walking in the crosswalk?
>> Where is a cop when you need one?
>
> What I find most disturbing is when cops ignore blatant violations
> happening
> right in front of them.
>
> One day in lovely Newport Beach, CA, I was sitting at a red light, next
> to a
> motorcycle cop. 4-5 cars ran a red light right in front of us, in the
> most
> blatant way. I don't mean yellow-to-red, I mean red for a second or so
> already.
> They almost clipped cross traffic that had started on the green. There
> was no
> excuse for this cop to not give chase to at least one, but he could have
> gotten
> all of them easily -- they were headed right to another red light. So
> I glared
> at the cop, like, "Aren't you going to do something about it," but he
> glared
> right back, like, "Don't even look at me or I'll throw *you* in jail."
>
> Red light running has really gotten out of hand in CA in the last 10
> years. A
> friend who's an actuary for AAA agrees. Apparently, claims due to
> running red
> lights are way up. While I'm against speed traps and some other things,
> I'm all
> for those red light cameras.
>
> Matt O.
>
>
The police around here mainly patrol the populated areas, and this is not,
yet. There is a 1,000 house development being built and it may take
someones' kid getting hurt for the police to start patroling.
Sometimes reality sucks.
Bill Baka

Sun, 07 Nov 2004 11:21:58 -0800, <[email protected]>,
Bill Baka <[email protected]> wrote:

>The police around here mainly patrol the populated areas, and this is not,
>yet. There is a 1,000 house development being built and it may take
>someones' kid getting hurt for the police to start patroling.
>Sometimes reality sucks.
>Bill Baka

If it had been built for people instead of their cars, a community of
1000 people could pretty much police itself.
--
zk

On Sun, 07 Nov 2004 12:20:30 -0800, Zoot Katz <[email protected]>
wrote:

> Sun, 07 Nov 2004 11:21:58 -0800, <[email protected]>,
> Bill Baka <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> The police around here mainly patrol the populated areas, and this is
>> not,
>> yet. There is a 1,000 house development being built and it may take
>> someones' kid getting hurt for the police to start patroling.
>> Sometimes reality sucks.
>> Bill Baka
>
> If it had been built for people instead of their cars, a community of
> 1000 people could pretty much police itself.

Very true. Real estate is crazy aound here, and these houses are being sold
before they are even finished. I wouldn't buy one just because I have seen
how they are built, el cheapo. No bike paths either, but it is all
25MPH zone. Last year it was just a nice open field to ride across.
My short cut has been paved over and clogged with houses. I think the
police
will start patroling shortly and follow the money, err, um, higher income
types.
Bill Baka

--
Using M2, Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/m2/

Zoot Katz wrote:

> If it had been built for people instead of their cars, a community of
> 1000 people could pretty much police itself.

Good point!

Matt O.

Bill Baka wrote:

> On Sun, 07 Nov 2004 12:20:30 -0800, Zoot Katz <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>> Sun, 07 Nov 2004 11:21:58 -0800, <[email protected]>,
>> Bill Baka <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> The police around here mainly patrol the populated areas, and this
>>> is not,
>>> yet. There is a 1,000 house development being built and it may take
>>> someones' kid getting hurt for the police to start patroling.
>>> Sometimes reality sucks.
>>> Bill Baka
>>
>> If it had been built for people instead of their cars, a community of
>> 1000 people could pretty much police itself.
>
> Very true. Real estate is crazy aound here, and these houses are
> being sold before they are even finished. I wouldn't buy one just
> because I have seen how they are built, el cheapo. No bike paths
> either, but it is all 25MPH zone. Last year it was just a nice open
> field to ride across.
> My short cut has been paved over and clogged with houses. I think the
> police
> will start patroling shortly and follow the money, err, um, higher
> income types.

The problem is not the prices, etc., or where the police choose to patrol. It's
that we build houses too far from everything else, so most people feel the need
to get in their cars to do anything. Communities can and should be built so
children can walk to school and other activities, so that adults can walk to
stores, etc. While completely eliminating commuting to work by car may not be
practical, eliminating a major portion of the 80% of car trips that are less
than 3 miles certainly is.

Matt O.

On Sun, 7 Nov 2004 20:14:50 -0500, Matt O'Toole <[email protected]> wrote:

> Bill Baka wrote:
>
>> On Sun, 07 Nov 2004 12:20:30 -0800, Zoot Katz <[email protected]>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Sun, 07 Nov 2004 11:21:58 -0800, <[email protected]>,
>>> Bill Baka <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>> The police around here mainly patrol the populated areas, and this
>>>> is not,
>>>> yet. There is a 1,000 house development being built and it may take
>>>> someones' kid getting hurt for the police to start patroling.
>>>> Sometimes reality sucks.
>>>> Bill Baka
>>>
>>> If it had been built for people instead of their cars, a community of
>>> 1000 people could pretty much police itself.
>>
>> Very true. Real estate is crazy aound here, and these houses are
>> being sold before they are even finished. I wouldn't buy one just
>> because I have seen how they are built, el cheapo. No bike paths
>> either, but it is all 25MPH zone. Last year it was just a nice open
>> field to ride across.
>> My short cut has been paved over and clogged with houses. I think the
>> police
>> will start patroling shortly and follow the money, err, um, higher
>> income types.
>
> The problem is not the prices, etc., or where the police choose to
> patrol. It's
> that we build houses too far from everything else, so most people feel
> the need
> to get in their cars to do anything. Communities can and should be
> built so
> children can walk to school and other activities, so that adults can
> walk to
> stores, etc. While completely eliminating commuting to work by car may
> not be
> practical, eliminating a major portion of the 80% of car trips that are
> less
> than 3 miles certainly is.
>
> Matt O.
>
>
You are most likely correct in that there is a park and a school 'planned'
but not yet built, and a farmer down the road is convienetly offering a
parcel for a shopping mall or whatever, which probably will get done
as soon as a few more people move into the area. Even when I go to do
some shopping now it is about 4 miles to get to a semblance of a town.
If the school in planning does get built it will be in the middle of
the new houses, so with eventual 1,000+? houses built there will probably
be plenty of kids riding bikes. I just wish they had at least planned
bike lanes at a minimum since all these houses are family sized, 1,500 Sq.
feet
or more, and that most likely means a few kids per house. I guess I can
just ride through it all.
Bill Baka


--
Using M2, Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/m2/

"Matt O'Toole" <[email protected]> wrote
>
> The problem is not the prices, etc., or where the police choose to
patrol. It's
> that we build houses too far from everything else, so most people feel
the need
> to get in their cars to do anything. Communities can and should be built
so
> children can walk to school and other activities, so that adults can walk
to
> stores, etc. While completely eliminating commuting to work by car may
not be
> practical, eliminating a major portion of the 80% of car trips that are
less
> than 3 miles certainly is.

I live in a neighborhood where just about everything is within walking
distance. People still drive almost all the time.