Bicyclist & driver argue about red light

(Bill Z.) said:

The bicyclist's reaction is more an American thing than a cycling thing---lots of Americans get
very angry when someone tells them they've screwed up, even when they have in fact screwed up.

Yep. I remember I was riding in the bike lane (clearly marked been there for years) and the traffic
was stopped in the next lane due to construction. well the idiot without looking decides to turn
across my path from the other direction. we just touch before stopping. He claimed that it was not a
bike path and never was a bike path. My ride was ruined that day when the shakes set in it was a
close one.

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Steve Knight said:

(Bill Z.) said:

The bicyclist's reaction is more an American thing than a cycling thing---lots of Americans get
very angry when someone tells them they've screwed up, even when they have in fact screwed up.

Yep. I remember I was riding in the bike lane (clearly marked been there for years) and the
traffic was stopped in the next lane due to construction. well the idiot without looking decides
to turn across my path from the other direction. we just touch before stopping. He claimed that it
was not a bike path and never was a bike path. My ride was ruined that day when the shakes set in
it was a close one.

I took one of my favorite "inner city" rides today, on State Street in Salt Lake City. Now,
residents of NYC, DC, San Fran or LA wouldn't recognize it as "downtown," but it's a business-filled
six-laner with 40-45 mph speeds.

I've done this road about 20 times in my life. It's a wide street, generally speaking, with useful
shoulders most of the way, but has VERY frequent driveways leading to strip malls and office
buildings. If you're fast, it's manageable. I was fast, because I avoided State Street on the upwind
side of my ride.

I've also been racing recently, to practice riding in a peloton. (Among other things, I guess.)

I noticed myself riding more aggressively. If I needed to pass someone stopped or slowed in the
turn-only shoulder lane, I whizzed by them on the left with about 2 feet to spare (it feels close).
And I let myself approach within a foot of the rear of cars accelerating away from me.

There were a half-dozen potentially risky situations, but like all of my city street rides (so far),
no near-misses. I think Utah drivers are overall not bad for bikes, really.

It seems to me that a little racing would improve one's skills in traffic.

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On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 23:40:02 -0600, Raptor <[email hidden]> from XMission

url='http://www.xmission.com/'http://www.xmission.com//url said:

There were a half-dozen potentially risky situations, but like all of my city street rides (so
far), no near-misses. I think Utah drivers are overall not bad for bikes, really.

It seems to me that a little racing would improve one's skills in traffic.

Grasshopper -- do NOT become complacent or over confident in traffic. That way lies a toe tag.

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12:53:06 AM 16 September 2003

Raptor said:

It seems to me that a little racing would improve one's skills in traffic.

or become a bike messenger (G)

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Kevan Smith /\/\ said:

On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 23:40:02 -0600, Raptor <[email hidden]> from XMission

url='http://www.xmission.com/'http://www.xmission.com//url said:

There were a half-dozen potentially risky situations, but like all of my city street rides (so
far), no near-misses. I think Utah drivers are overall not bad for bikes, really.

It seems to me that a little racing would improve one's skills in traffic.

Grasshopper -- do NOT become complacent or over confident in traffic. That way lies a toe tag.

The same advice applies to drivers of motorized vehicles as well. I have, on occasion, realized that
I couldn't remember actually driving for the last few miles...it becomes that automatic.

Doug

Kevan Smith said:

On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 23:40:02 -0600, Raptor <[email hidden]> from XMission

url='http://www.xmission.com/'http://www.xmission.com//url said:

There were a half-dozen potentially risky situations, but like all of my city street rides (so
far), no near-misses. I think Utah drivers are overall not bad for bikes, really.

It seems to me that a little racing would improve one's skills in traffic.

Grasshopper -- do NOT become complacent or over confident in traffic. That way lies a toe tag.

How do you think I recognized the half-dozen potentially risky situations? :-) It's the intellectual
and sensory buzz that makes riding in city traffic unique and "enjoyable."

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Lynn Wallace xmission.com~lawallOpen ↗ "I'm not proud. We really haven't done everything we
could to protect our customers. Our products just aren't engineered for security." --Microsoft VP in
charge of Windows OS Development, Brian Valentine.

"Raptor" <[email hidden]> a écrit dans le message de "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Kevan Smith said:

On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 23:40:02 -0600, Raptor <[email hidden]> from XMission xmission.comxmission.comOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

There were a half-dozen potentially risky situations, but like all of my city street rides (so
far), no near-misses. I think Utah drivers are overall not bad for bikes, really.

It seems to me that a little racing would improve one's skills in

traffic.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Grasshopper -- do NOT become complacent or over confident in traffic.

That way

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

lies a toe tag.

How do you think I recognized the half-dozen potentially risky situations? :-) It's the
intellectual and sensory buzz that makes riding in city traffic unique and "enjoyable."

I have to admit that when I get out of work I go like hell. For 15 to 90 minutes (depending if I
take the direct or scenic route home) my mind is completely clear of any thoughts having to do with
work or home or relationships or anything that is not an immediate threat to my life and
limb. It is a very cleansing, destressing focusing, meditative experience. Similar in technique but
very different in effect to taking a motorcyle on the same route.

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On Tue, 16 Sep 2003 13:36:18 -0600, Raptor <[email hidden]> from XMission

url='http://www.xmission.com/'http://www.xmission.com//url said:

Kevan Smith said:

On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 23:40:02 -0600, Raptor <[email hidden]> from XMission

url='http://www.xmission.com/'http://www.xmission.com//url said:

There were a half-dozen potentially risky situations, but like all of my city street rides (so
far), no near-misses. I think Utah drivers are overall not bad for bikes, really.

It seems to me that a little racing would improve one's skills in traffic.

Grasshopper -- do NOT become complacent or over confident in traffic. That way lies a toe tag.

How do you think I recognized the half-dozen potentially risky situations? :-) It's the
intellectual and sensory buzz that makes riding in city traffic unique and "enjoyable."

I agree. But it's easy to trance out on a familiar route. There lies danger.

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6:48:14 PM 16 September 2003