David Damerell <
[email protected]> wrote:
> Quoting Nobody Here <[email protected]>:
>>at a given distance. Of course it's inconceivable that I personally
>>am fully aware of the distance I pass cyclists under any number of
>>circumstances. That would be impossible, because someone, somehwere
>>has done some research showing that *on average* motorists pass helmeted
>>cyclists closer than unhelmented ones.
>
> If we find that is true on average and that most motorists feel, like you,
> that it is not true of them personally, then indeed most people who feel
> that are deluded and hence you are probably deluded.
Who said most motorists feel it's not true of them personally?
> You're just producing the equivalent of the standard "But *I* don't risk
> compensate" rant, right down to the "I think I know myself better" drivel.
Ok, so even though I acknowledge that there are factors that certainly
do influence my passing distance, it's entirely impossible that helmet
use is *not* one of them? Even though as I've pointed out quite clearly,
I thought, that I don't believe a helmet makes you or me any safer, so
it's unlikely that I'm "risk compensating" for someone wearing a helmet,
it's absolutely inconievable to you that I might be right? After all,
all that Ian's research found was that *on average* motorists passed
closer. Does that mean that *all* motorists passed closer? Indeed does
that preclude the possibility that *some* motorists might even pass less
close? Is it not possible that, as a cyclist and therefore in a class
of motorist that might be more aware of cyclists in general than the
great majority of motorists, it might make no difference to me whether
they're wearing a helmet or not?
Do you drive? Whn you pass a cyclist do you drive closer if they're
wearing a helmet? If so, why? Do you think, now that it's been pointed
out to you that on average motorists do that, you'll still be passing
helmeted cyclists closer than unhelmeted ones? Or do you think you'll
make a special effort in future to stay equally as far away from both?
By your logic, that'll be impossible, because some magic force will suck
you in to being 8.5cm closer to helmeted cyclist, even though you're
now aware of the possibility that you might be passing closer if they're
wearing a skid lid.
--
Nobby Anderson