Bicyclist & driver argue about red light



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Bill Z.

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A few days ago, I heard the following exchange between the passenger in a car and a bicyclist.

Passenger: "You just ran a red light."

Bicyclist: "F___ you" <repeated multiple times very
loudly>.

I was in a parking lot near a bank, about 30 feet from the road, and was not in a position to see if
the red light was in fact run. Also, the passenger, while she did not sound angry, was speaking in a
voice loud enough for me to be able to hear her from some distance off. The same is true of the
bicyclist.

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.

Bill

--
My real name backwards: nemuaZ lliB
 
On Tue, 16 Sep 2003 01:01:56 GMT, [email protected] (Bill Z.) wrote:

>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.

--
Knight-Toolworks & Custom Planes Custom made wooden planes at reasonable prices See
http://www.knight-toolworks.com For prices and ordering instructions.
 
Steve Knight wrote:
> On Tue, 16 Sep 2003 01:01:56 GMT, [email protected] (Bill Z.) wrote:
>
>
>>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.

--
--
Lynn Wallace http://www.xmission.com/~lawall "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.
 
On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 23:40:02 -0600, Raptor <[email protected]> from XMission
http://www.xmission.com/ wrote:

>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.

--
http://home.sport.rr.com/cuthulu/ human rights = peace Well, O.K. I'll compromise with my principles
because of EXISTENTIAL DESPAIR!
12:53:06 AM 16 September 2003
 
On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 23:40:02 -0600, Raptor <[email protected]> wrote:

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

or become a bike messenger (G)

--
Knight-Toolworks & Custom Planes Custom made wooden planes at reasonable prices See
http://www.knight-toolworks.com For prices and ordering instructions.
 
On Tue, 16 Sep 2003 00:53:11 -0500, Kevan Smith <[email protected]/\/\> wrote:

>On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 23:40:02 -0600, Raptor <[email protected]> from XMission
>http://www.xmission.com/ wrote:
>
>>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 wrote:
> On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 23:40:02 -0600, Raptor <[email protected]> from XMission
> http://www.xmission.com/ wrote:
>
>
>>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."

--
--
Lynn Wallace http://www.xmission.com/~lawall "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 protected]> a écrit dans le message de news:[email protected]...
> Kevan Smith wrote:
> > On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 23:40:02 -0600, Raptor <[email protected]> from XMission http://www.xmission.com/
> > wrote:
> >
> >
> >>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 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 protected]> from XMission
http://www.xmission.com/ wrote:

>Kevan Smith wrote:
>> On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 23:40:02 -0600, Raptor <[email protected]> from XMission
>> http://www.xmission.com/ wrote:
>>
>>
>>>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.

--
http://home.sport.rr.com/cuthulu/ human rights = peace a sometimes distilling pigeon distills a
lovely *****?!?
6:48:14 PM 16 September 2003
 
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