It's not fair!

Tony Raven said:

So the answer is to ride a tandem (with your partner) wearing a
pantomime horse outfit ;-)

The 4 legs seems to fool them even without the outfit.

James
--
If I have seen further than others, it is
by treading on the toes of giants.
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/julesandjames/home/

Ian Walker said:

It's because cyclists don't come and march through London every time they
are unhappy about how they are treated.

Not heard of Critical Mass?

-dan

--
"please make sure that the person is your friend before you confirm"

Just zis Guy, you know? [email hidden] opined the following...

Quoted message said:

So do I. They hate recumbents :-)

As do dogs. Or rather, they vary in reaction from utter confusion to
full-on aggression.

I had always maintained that dogs were not that smart and the inability
to recognise someone once they get on a bike seems to wrap that up
nicely.

Jon

a person known to the world as 'Daniel Barlow said:

Ian Walker said:

It's because cyclists don't come and march through London every time they
are unhappy about how they are treated.

Not heard of Critical Mass?

-dan

Good point. So the question is: why is critical mass given so much less
attention than countryside marches?

Ian Walker
--
After bitter Usenet experience, my email address is invalid to prevent spam.
Real contact details are on my website at http://www.drianwalker.com

Ian Walker [email hidden] opined the following...

Quoted message said:

Good point. So the question is: why is critical mass given so much less
attention than countryside marches?

Because there aren't enough 4x4s involved?

Or perhaps because a group of cycle couriers and (in the eyes of the
media) under-paid commuters aren't as interesting as a selection of
city-dwelling "country folk" demanding the right to kill foxes in an
inefficient and archaic manner.

<That probably revealed more than it should about where I stand on this
issue!>

Jon

On Sat, 02 Oct 2004 17:58:20 +0100, Zog The Undeniable
<[email hidden]> wrote (more or less):

Quoted message said:

Succorso said:

Out for a lovely 50k ride this morning (enjoyng a brief sunny interval
here in Norfolk), and after observing something up ahead, a question
popped into my head.

Drivers of motorised vehicles in rural areas follow one particular rule,
in my experience, pretty much 100%; and that is - they slow down to a
complete crawl (<5mph) when passing horses.

It's a truism that the "I Slow Down For Horses" bumper sticker actually
means "I Live In A Nice Place Where There Are Horses".

I thought it meant "My other car is a Hors(ch)e"

--
Cheers,
Euan
Gawnsoft: http://www.gawnsoft.co.sr
Symbian/Epoc wiki: http://html.dnsalias.net:1122
Smalltalk links (harvested from comp.lang.smalltalk) http://html.dnsalias.net/gawnsoft/smalltalk

On Sat, 02 Oct 2004 11:56:20 +0000, Succorso
<chris@_LEAVE_US_ALONE_SPAMMER_SCUM_ivy-house.net> wrote (more or
less):

Quoted message said:

Out for a lovely 50k ride this morning (enjoyng a brief sunny interval
here in Norfolk), and after observing something up ahead, a question
popped into my head.

Drivers of motorised vehicles in rural areas follow one particular rule,
in my experience, pretty much 100%; and that is - they slow down to a
complete crawl (<5mph) when passing horses.

I would like to (humbly) suggest that us rural cyclists are just as
vulnerable as our equine friends, and should be offered the same courtesy.

Now that I think about it - I really don't understand why it's ok to go
steaming past a cyclist at motorway speed, but not a horse and rider.
Yes yes, the horse may be startled and do something rash - but hey, so
may I.

After you've been been hit by or hit a horse, it's harder to do the
"n'run" bit, than it is when you've been hit by or hit a cyclist.

--
Cheers,
Euan
Gawnsoft: http://www.gawnsoft.co.sr
Symbian/Epoc wiki: http://html.dnsalias.net:1122
Smalltalk links (harvested from comp.lang.smalltalk) http://html.dnsalias.net/gawnsoft/smalltalk

Zog The Undeniable said:

It's a truism that the "I Slow Down For Horses" bumper sticker actually
means "I Live In A Nice Place Where There Are Horses".

Actually it means "I *only* slow down for horses" judging by the way
the lard-rovers thus accoutred drive around here ;-)

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

Quoted message said:

They also hate normal bikes with panniers - even when the bright yellow
rain cover's nowhere to be seen!

I could see the horse was eyeing me up in a
'ohmygoditsahorseeatingmonster' way, so stopped, since I was already
going very slowly.

It's a very funny thing, I used to ride a horse called Rupert he hated
the colour yellow and would bolt like mad if he saw something yellow
approaching.
Sniper8052

Sniper8052 said:

Quoted message said:

They also hate normal bikes with panniers - even when the bright yellow
rain cover's nowhere to be seen!

I could see the horse was eyeing me up in a
'ohmygoditsahorseeatingmonster' way, so stopped, since I was already
going very slowly.

It's a very funny thing, I used to ride a horse called Rupert he hated
the colour yellow and would bolt like mad if he saw something yellow
approaching.
Sniper8052

:-)

I used to ride horses too, so I'm perhaps a bit better able to read
their moods than non-horseriders might be. I definitely felt it better
to stop in this instance - not only would it prevent horse doing
something daft, but hopefully wouldn't reinforce it's current idea that
my pannier was a Very Scary Thing to be Much Feared and Run Away From.

I'm a great believer in it being better not to turn apprehension into
fear, than to have to try and turn fear into apprehension :-) Of
course, this doesn't mean that horse-owners don't have an obligation to
try and accustom their mounts to most day to day things they'd encounter
on roads and bridleways, so they don't spook easily - but since I'm not
the owner/rider, I feel I shouldn't assume the horse has completed it's
bomb-proofing!

--

Velvet

In article <[email hidden]>,

Gawnsoft said:

I thought it meant "My other car is a Hors(ch)e"

Bless you!

--
Nick Kew

Succorso <chris@_LEAVE_US_ALONE_SPAMMER_SCUM_ivy-house.net> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Out for a lovely 50k ride this morning (enjoyng a brief sunny interval
here in Norfolk), and after observing something up ahead, a question
popped into my head.

Drivers of motorised vehicles in rural areas follow one particular rule,
in my experience, pretty much 100%; and that is - they slow down to a
complete crawl (<5mph) when passing horses.

I would like to (humbly) suggest that us rural cyclists are just as
vulnerable as our equine friends, and should be offered the same courtesy.

Now that I think about it - I really don't understand why it's ok to go
steaming past a cyclist at motorway speed, but not a horse and rider.
Yes yes, the horse may be startled and do something rash - but hey, so
may I.

I believe the first car insurance policies did not cover damage "by
horse". (Not sure if this is still the case.) Anyway given the
average speed of uptake of new ideas by cagers (*), is it not likely
that the original attitude caused by the insurance is still around?
Or is this all an urban myth I have associated in my mind with the
museum of Bedford?

Clear skies
Sarennah

(*) Compare a lecture hall with hard seating, dodgy heating which
needs to be turned off when the lecture starts if anyone can hear
anything at all and what is learned there with what would happen if
there were padded reclining chairs, music of your choice and perfect
temperature control....

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Now that I think about it - I really don't understand why it's ok to go
steaming past a cyclist at motorway speed, but not a horse and rider.
Yes yes, the horse may be startled and do something rash - but hey, so
may I.

The more I think about it, the more I can't help but wonder if there's some
sort of class issue involved. Simplified somewhat, the typical driver
mindset might be "horse = wealthy important rider who almost certainly has a
big car as well, just like I do; bicycle = peasant"

Quoted message said:

(*) Compare a lecture hall with hard seating, dodgy heating which
needs to be turned off when the lecture starts if anyone can hear
anything at all and what is learned there with what would happen if
there were padded reclining chairs, music of your choice and perfect
temperature control....

Hmm. I teach psychology in noisy cold lecture theatres but our Management
department has lovely new rooms with comfy seats. So you're suggesting that
people doing MBAs will pay less attention. Interesting... Might explain
Enron... :o)

Ian Walker
--
After bitter Usenet experience, my email address is invalid to prevent spam.
Real contact details are on my website at http://www.drianwalker.com

Just zis Guy said:

On Sat, 2 Oct 2004 13:46:49 +0100, "dwb" <[email hidden]>

wrote in message : said:

A bicycle is not going to rear up and dump it's rider WITHOUT THE RIDER
MAKING IT.

Unless there's diesel on the roads :o)

It's not going to rear up, dump its rider, and then trample a car
with powerful iron-shod hooves. Drivers have been killed by horses.

On 04 Oct 2004 12:34:29 +0100 (BST), [email hidden] (Alan
Braggins) wrote in message
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

A bicycle is not going to rear up and dump it's rider WITHOUT THE RIDER
MAKING IT.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Unless there's diesel on the roads :o)

Quoted message said:

It's not going to rear up, dump its rider, and then trample a car
with powerful iron-shod hooves. Drivers have been killed by horses.

Oh, everyone knows that most drivers' biggest concern around cyclists
is that they might scratch the paintwork as they are mown down.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University