A Trackstand Saved My Life!

LOL
Similar situation happened to me.
Traffic light had changed and a car and I were busy making our way across a
5 lane intersection. Buddy stops mid way and I stopped cause I was curious
and bingo a lone white truck comes barreling through. One more second and I
might not have survived. Common Sense saved my life.

Another time I was on an admittedly narrow stretch of busy road in Surrey.
Semis and everything going through. Being too tired to find a bicycle
friendly way home. I looked behind and saw a White Construction truck
coming a little way off and decided to watch him... he took way too long to
inch over and i being kind of waiting too long to make a decision to get
out of the clipless, slowly plunked on to the sidewalk. I'd say he gave me
less than a foot and it was a fast heavy vehicle. The truck slowed down to
see me get up but continued. No one else even slowed down. What a crowd.
Just not my day I guess.

Track Standing is definitely more sofisticated though. 🙂

Zoot Katz wrote:
:::: I turned to the pair of horrified cyclists behind me and quipped,
:: "That would have been messy. But at least it would have been cleaned
:: up fast." The truck was a street sweeper.
:: --

Glad you're alive.

Roger Zoul said:

Zoot Katz wrote:
:::: I turned to the pair of horrified cyclists behind me and quipped,
:: "That would have been messy. But at least it would have been cleaned
:: up fast." The truck was a street sweeper.
:: --

Glad you're alive.

I'm glad I didn't soil myself.
--
zk

"Zoot Katz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Headed home southbound, (Ontario St. @ 12th Ave.) I'd stopped and
dabbed to wait for the red light. Cross traffic was heavy.

As the light was changing I looked to the left and saw that traffic
was stopping. I checked to the right and it was stopped. I mounted
up, clipped in the other shoe and started to go just as my light
turned green. Suddenly there was a very large horn, very loud and
very close on my left. I appears the city truck was either unable to
stop or the driver just felt like squeezing the light to get across
the intersection.

I froze. I only needed to hold the track stand for about four seconds
but it felt like an eternity as the truck passed within inches of my
body.

I turned to the pair of horrified cyclists behind me and quipped,
"That would have been messy. But at least it would have been cleaned
up fast." The truck was a street sweeper.
--
zk

at least they clean your streets up in Canada. down here all the storm
drains are clogged leaving big pools and small rivers to hide big potholes!

greggery peccary' .@. said:

Quoted message said:

I froze. I only needed to hold the track stand for about four seconds
but it felt like an eternity as the truck passed within inches of my
body.

I turned to the pair of horrified cyclists behind me and quipped,
"That would have been messy. But at least it would have been cleaned
up fast." The truck was a street sweeper.

at least they clean your streets up in Canada. down here all the storm
drains are clogged leaving big pools and small rivers to hide big potholes!

They keep the major streets clean. Most of the streets comprising the
"bike route" system are residential streets. They're packed with leaf
goo where we're expected to ride. There were several ponds and
cascading torrents this morning.

This street sweeper wasn't cleaning anything at the time. The brushes
were up, thank dog.
--
zk

In article <[email hidden]>,

Zoot Katz said:

Headed home southbound, (Ontario St. @ 12th Ave.) I'd stopped and
dabbed to wait for the red light. Cross traffic was heavy.

As the light was changing I looked to the left and saw that traffic
was stopping. I checked to the right and it was stopped. I mounted
up, clipped in the other shoe and started to go just as my light
turned green. Suddenly there was a very large horn, very loud and
very close on my left. I appears the city truck was either unable to
stop or the driver just felt like squeezing the light to get across
the intersection.

I froze. I only needed to hold the track stand for about four seconds
but it felt like an eternity as the truck passed within inches of my
body.

That's an ugly intersection. Southbound, as you were, you've got
that hump on 12th just to the left where you can't see what's
coming until it crests the hump, and then it's practically right
in front of you. Northbound on Dumfries @ King Edward is similar,
or even worse (no traffic lights there.)

Quoted message said:

I turned to the pair of horrified cyclists behind me and quipped,
"That would have been messy. But at least it would have been cleaned
up fast." The truck was a street sweeper.

I once heard of an account of a rider northbound on Ontario, riding
through the traffic-calming car barrier (which lets bicycles through)
at 11th -- a driver behind him tried to follow him, right through
the barrier, knocking the sign over. That one reminded me of the
time I was parked on the sidewalk at 10th & heather, doing some minor
adjustment to my static, kickstanded bike, and a driver drove right
up onto the sidewalk at me. Don'cha just hate it when they actually
/aim/ at bikes?

Then there's the drivers who ignore the "cars go one way" thing
on Columbia, up the hill from Broadway (and MEC.) At least you
can see those ones coming. Although I'd think that sort of stuff
is as at least as worthy of inclusion in the mayor's Public Disorder
online poll, as unh*lm*ted cyclists, defecating/urinating in the
streets (I guess some drivers might actually /cause/ that,)
jaywalking, littering, and open/public drug use:
http://mayorsamsullivan.ca/survey/index.php?sid=2

cheers,
Tom
--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

Tom Keats said:

Although I'd think that sort of stuff
is as at least as worthy of inclusion in the mayor's Public Disorder
online poll, as unh*lm*ted cyclists, defecating/urinating in the
streets (I guess some drivers might actually /cause/ that,)
jaywalking, littering, and open/public drug use:
http://mayorsamsullivan.ca/survey/index.php?sid=2

I thought you were joking. I went to the site on a lark. I cannot
believe that someone was stupid enough to include cyclists not wearing
helmets in a list of public disorder problems. That means that the
person who created the survey (or someone who influences the choices)
actually believes that not wearing a helmet is a sign of disorder! What
the heck is wrong with these people?

It smacks of the holier-than-though mentality I see among so many urban
planning students. Come to think of it, the worst of the lot I had to
deal with was from Vancouver....

If the survey wasn't active, I'd propose we skew the results a bit. If
I were the mayor, I would have a long conversation with the maker of
that survey. I just hope that the mayor didn't see/approve the survey
before it was posted.

-Buck

Buck said:

Tom Keats said:

Although I'd think that sort of stuff
is as at least as worthy of inclusion in the mayor's Public Disorder
online poll, as unh*lm*ted cyclists, defecating/urinating in the
streets (I guess some drivers might actually /cause/ that,)
jaywalking, littering, and open/public drug use:
http://mayorsamsullivan.ca/survey/index.php?sid=2

I thought you were joking. I went to the site on a lark. I cannot
believe that someone was stupid enough to include cyclists not wearing
helmets in a list of public disorder problems. That means that the
person who created the survey (or someone who influences the choices)
actually believes that not wearing a helmet is a sign of disorder! What
the heck is wrong with these people?

It's interesting. When I first stared back riding I wore a baseball cap and
would not have worn a helmet - I thought they were uncomfortable and gorky.

I wonder if drivers subconsciously consider helmet wearing as an admission
that cycling is inherently dangerous, a dunce cap, almost a punishment,
like using training wheels; a way of branding bicycles as 'toys' or
something.

Now I actually like wearing a helmet and if I forget mine as I walk out the
door, will stop and go back and get it. Modern helmets look pretty cool,
actually.

But for drivers it's as though they're thinking 'ok, you're already doing
something hazardous and getting in the way, the nerve not to wear a helmet
so that you'll bounce when we hit you.' ;-)

Quoted message said:

It smacks of the holier-than-though mentality I see among so many urban
planning students. Come to think of it, the worst of the lot I had to
deal with was from Vancouver....

If the survey wasn't active, I'd propose we skew the results a bit. If
I were the mayor, I would have a long conversation with the maker of
that survey. I just hope that the mayor didn't see/approve the survey
before it was posted.

-Buck

In article <[email hidden]>,

Buck said:

Tom Keats said:

Although I'd think that sort of stuff
is as at least as worthy of inclusion in the mayor's Public Disorder
online poll, as unh*lm*ted cyclists, defecating/urinating in the
streets (I guess some drivers might actually /cause/ that,)
jaywalking, littering, and open/public drug use:
http://mayorsamsullivan.ca/survey/index.php?sid=2

I thought you were joking. I went to the site on a lark. I cannot
believe that someone was stupid enough to include cyclists not wearing
helmets in a list of public disorder problems. That means that the
person who created the survey (or someone who influences the choices)
actually believes that not wearing a helmet is a sign of disorder! What
the heck is wrong with these people?

Here's another one for ya: there's a "pedestrian safety" blitz going
on here right now. Among the usual safety tips, the Authorities are
admonishing pedestrians to only use /marked/ crosswalks. But here,
every intersection is a crosswalk, and drivers (although most probably
don't know this) are legally obligated to respect them as such, whether
they're marked or not.

cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

On Fri, 10 Nov 2006 09:40:23 -0800, [email hidden] (Tom Keats)

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Buck said:

Tom Keats said:

Although I'd think that sort of stuff
is as at least as worthy of inclusion in the mayor's Public Disorder
online poll, as unh*lm*ted cyclists, defecating/urinating in the
streets (I guess some drivers might actually /cause/ that,)
jaywalking, littering, and open/public drug use:
http://mayorsamsullivan.ca/survey/index.php?sid=2

I thought you were joking. I went to the site on a lark. I cannot
believe that someone was stupid enough to include cyclists not wearing
helmets in a list of public disorder problems. That means that the
person who created the survey (or someone who influences the choices)
actually believes that not wearing a helmet is a sign of disorder! What
the heck is wrong with these people?

Here's another one for ya: there's a "pedestrian safety" blitz going
on here right now. Among the usual safety tips, the Authorities are
admonishing pedestrians to only use /marked/ crosswalks. But here,
every intersection is a crosswalk, and drivers (although most probably
don't know this) are legally obligated to respect them as such, whether
they're marked or not.

Most people who have money (and thus political influence) drive
motorcars much more than they walk or cycle.

They view pedestrians and cyclists as obstructions. Conciously or
unconciously, government droids will follow an anti-pedestrian and
anti-cyclist agenda, unless they are otherwise instructed.

It does us not help to have pro-helmet zealots ignoring/distorting the
facts and advocating MHL's. Some (many?) politicians are equally
stupid, and reading this thread could well try to introduce
legislation requiring trackstands be supplied with every cycle
purchased.

"If only one life is saved..."

Tom Keats said:

Here's another one for ya: there's a "pedestrian safety" blitz going
on here right now. Among the usual safety tips, the Authorities are
admonishing pedestrians to only use /marked/ crosswalks. But here,
every intersection is a crosswalk, and drivers (although most probably
don't know this) are legally obligated to respect them as such, whether
they're marked or not.

There's an unusual "T" intersection near my place where a two-way
street becomes 1-way on the north side, and most traffic esses around
from northbound to westward, or from eastward to southerly. There used
to be a painted crosswalk on the west side, and as far as I can tell
it's still a legal crosswalk though it wasn't painted after the last
paving. When I do use it (on foot) I get yelled at by drivers who have
to actually slow (assuming they *do* slow.)It makes me want to carry a
mace or something.

And no, it's not one street bending, it's Gladstone N/S and Peel E/W.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Most people who have money (and thus political influence) drive

motorcars much more than they walk or cycle.

They view pedestrians and cyclists as obstructions. Conciously or
unconciously, government droids will follow an anti-pedestrian and
anti-cyclist agenda, unless they are otherwise instructed.

Citation please!

Buck said:

Quoted message said:

http://mayorsamsullivan.ca/survey/index.php?sid=2

I thought you were joking. I went to the site on a lark. I cannot
believe that someone was stupid enough to include cyclists not wearing
helmets in a list of public disorder problems.

Nope, you get that from a lot of drivers. They figure you're a
scofflaw for not wearing a funny hat and like to include it when they
rail against cyclists for their other indescretions.

We're looking for a sticker to say, "I have to wear my helmet so you
can drive like an idiot."

Quoted message said:

That means that the
person who created the survey (or someone who influences the choices)
actually believes that not wearing a helmet is a sign of disorder! What
the heck is wrong with these people?

I've heard the Chief of Police is big on helmets possibly due to a
personal experience. Maybe he's brain damaged.

It's all part of the purge preparing for the 2010 Olypics.
--
zk

Zoot Katz said:

Buck said:

Quoted message said:

http://mayorsamsullivan.ca/survey/index.php?sid=2

I thought you were joking. I went to the site on a lark. I cannot
believe that someone was stupid enough to include cyclists not wearing
helmets in a list of public disorder problems.

Nope, you get that from a lot of drivers. They figure you're a
scofflaw for not wearing a funny hat and like to include it when they
rail against cyclists for their other indescretions.

We're looking for a sticker to say, "I have to wear my helmet so you
can drive like an idiot."

Quoted message said:

That means that the
person who created the survey (or someone who influences the choices)
actually believes that not wearing a helmet is a sign of disorder! What
the heck is wrong with these people?

I've heard the Chief of Police is big on helmets possibly due to a
personal experience. Maybe he's brain damaged.

It's all part of the purge preparing for the 2010 Olypics.

I went to the site and tried to leave feedback on that stupid bicycle
comment and got the "Not working yet" message. Now you guys know I won't
put up with that so I sent an e-mail to the mayor to complain both about
the bike comment and why they would put up a broken feedback section and
embarrass themselves as a city that can't even put up a simple page.
I expect an indignant response soon.
Bill Baka

Bill said:

I went to the site and tried to leave feedback on that stupid bicycle
comment and got the "Not working yet" message. Now you guys know I won't
put up with that so I sent an e-mail to the mayor to complain both about
the bike comment and why they would put up a broken feedback section and
embarrass themselves as a city that can't even put up a simple page.
I expect an indignant response soon.

They probably got a bunch of comments they didn't want to hear so,
being ostriches, closed the poll. It had been up for several weeks
already. Through its posting to various mailing lists it likely got
bombarded by cyclists commenting on the "public disorder" caused by
the scofflaw scud jockeys.

My unfavourable comments were directed toward the presence of SOV in
HOV lanes. Illegal turns where during rush hours they're prohibited
and drivers ignoring signs, dividers and barricades barring cars on
the traffic calmed streets. I mentioned that as a citizen I was
disgusted by the city's lack of enforcement and the resulting lack of
revenue to be gained by ticketing those egregious offenses.
--
zk

Zoot Katz said:

Bill said:

I went to the site and tried to leave feedback on that stupid bicycle
comment and got the "Not working yet" message. Now you guys know I won't
put up with that so I sent an e-mail to the mayor to complain both about
the bike comment and why they would put up a broken feedback section and
embarrass themselves as a city that can't even put up a simple page.
I expect an indignant response soon.

They probably got a bunch of comments they didn't want to hear so,
being ostriches, closed the poll. It had been up for several weeks
already. Through its posting to various mailing lists it likely got
bombarded by cyclists commenting on the "public disorder" caused by
the scofflaw scud jockeys.

My unfavourable comments were directed toward the presence of SOV in
HOV lanes. Illegal turns where during rush hours they're prohibited
and drivers ignoring signs, dividers and barricades barring cars on
the traffic calmed streets. I mentioned that as a citizen I was
disgusted by the city's lack of enforcement and the resulting lack of
revenue to be gained by ticketing those egregious offenses.

If we're talking B.C. it used to be pretty nice back in 1978 when I went
up that way. From what I have heard they have an immigrant problem now,
so maybe it isn't that nice any more. 28 years could make a big difference.
A guy I know in the wine country in California who owns a family run
motel had a drunk scud driver put a car through his residence house.
Turns out it was an illegal Mexican, drunk, no license, insurance, or
any thing else and the best they could do is arrest and deport the guy.
The owner was kind of amazed because the house is a good 35 feet off the
street and the driver would have had to make almost an intentional right
turn at 50 MPH to do that kind of damage. The car wound up almost
entirely in the living room. And that is where I used to bicycle every
day at work, thinking it was a safe little town.
Bill Baka

Bill said:

If we're talking B.C. it used to be pretty nice back in 1978 when I went
up that way. From what I have heard they have an immigrant problem now,
so maybe it isn't that nice any more. 28 years could make a big difference.

Yeah Bill, our immigrant "problem" is primarily Koreans and Chinese
coming here, buying up whole blocks and sending real estate prices
through the roof. Neither can they drive worth [censored].

There is also a problem with violence among Asian youth gangs but
they keep it to their own communities. Some will point to the
Honduran crack sellers around Main & Hastings but they're not
immigrants, they're illegal aliens or refugees awaiting a hearing
before deportation.
--
zk

gds said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Most people who have money (and thus political influence) drive

motorcars much more than they walk or cycle.

They view pedestrians and cyclists as obstructions. Conciously or
unconciously, government droids will follow an anti-pedestrian and
anti-cyclist agenda, unless they are otherwise instructed.

Citation please!

For that you need merely consult the legislation and regulations in
the many nations, states, provinces, and municipalities.

Quoted message said:

gds said:

Quoted message said:

> Most people who have money (and thus political influence) drive
motorcars much more than they walk or cycle.

They view pedestrians and cyclists as obstructions. Conciously or
unconciously, government droids will follow an anti-pedestrian and
anti-cyclist agenda, unless they are otherwise instructed.

Citation please!

For that you need merely consult the legislation and regulations in
the many nations, states, provinces, and municipalities.

It's not an evil conspiracy - it's mainly that spending the money on
cycling facilities tends to benefit a very small segment of the
population (one that usually doesn't try to exert a lot of influence
on the political process). On the other side of the coin, the bike
facilities and planning in the Phoenix, Arizona east valley are very
comprehensive and effective - no doubt out of proportion to the
influence of the users (though there are a fair number).

In the end, polititians tend to care only about what directly benefits
them - if they feel there is a political benefit to spending our money
on bicycle facilities, they'll do so.

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $795 ti frame