laws that may need breaking.

[Bernie]

Claire Petersky wrote:

> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:<[email protected]>...
> > "Claire Petersky" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...> Me, I'd like to descend the hill and
> > > get a bit of momentum to climb up the other side of the next one. My husband thinks I'm nuts
> > > to yell a warning, when the path is so wide and I'll pass the pedo without difficulty. I
> > > usually call out "bicycle!" first, at a distance, and then "I'll pass you on your left!", and
> > > then finally, "thank you!" -- and no one seems perturbed at all that I'm passing him or her at
> > > 25 mph in this situation.
> >
> > At 25mph you are traveling 37 feet per second. You can't possibly have this kind of
> > communication with a walker at this speed unless you shouting at the top of your lungs.
>
> Indeed, I have a piercing voice that can cut through ambient noise like a hot awl through butter.
> Projection is not one of my difficulties. :-D!
>
> --Claire no sig this morning

Sounds like a typical mother. ;-} Bernie

 

[Frank Krygowski]

"Eric S. Sande" wrote:
>
> >Well, there are times that the pedestrians _are_ blocking the way.
>
> In traffic cycling the pedestrian ALWAYS has the right of way.
>
> It doesn't matter if they are jaywalking (frequent occurrence where I ride). If you hit one,
> you lose.

I understand that. Still, as described, there are times inconsiderate pedestrians DO block the way.

> >BTW, this is one reason I'm not a fan of spending transportation money on multi-use paths.
>
> They're great in the winter if they go someplace worthwhile, though.

Hmmm. Not around here. The one very short one I use on my way to work is unrideable if there's snow
on the ground, as it was a few days ago.

I can ride through fresh snow, and I can ride if cars (or snowplows) have cleared the snow away. But
I can't ride a surface that's formed of semi-melted-and-refrozen footprints. Its impossible to keep
the front wheel under me. (And believe me, I've got lots of experience riding in snow.)

> Trickle-down dominance is, IMHO, not the way to conceptualize facility use. I expect consideration
> from bigger and faster vehicles on the road, that is my right. I will in turn accord consideration
> to slower and more vulnerable facility users. How is that a difficult concept.

Five pedestrians walking abreast and completely blocking the path is exactly analogous to five
cyclists riding abreast and completely blocking a very wide traffic lane. If cyclists were doing
that for no good reason, I wouldn't defend them. Likewise, I won't defend the pedestrians I
described.

--
Frank Krygowski [email protected]

 

[Eric S. Sande]

>>They're great in the winter if they go someplace worthwhile, though.

>Hmmm. Not around here. The one very short one I use on my way to work is unrideable if there's snow
>on the ground, as it was a few days ago.

Good point. In my area we've had several mild winters in a row, I got used to it. This one is
different, and no they don't plow the MUPs here either.

>Its impossible to keep the front wheel under me. (And believe me, I've got lots of experience
>riding in snow.)

I thought I did too until this winter. I have the scars to prove it, too.

>Five pedestrians walking abreast and completely blocking the path is exactly analogous to five
>cyclists riding abreast and completely blocking a very wide traffic lane.

I'm not so sure about that, I'd say that you have to expect that a MUP is not a road. On the road
the rules are pretty clearly stated in the traffic code, but on a MUP they aren't. A MUP, to
non-cyclists, seems to be treated as a vehicle-free facility. But that doesn't exempt us from our
responsibilities.

I see MUPs as weird worlds where the worst of sidewalks and roads meet, with inadequate
understanding of shared resposibility being the key.

I've seen some bad accidents on them, too. DC has a lot of MUPs.

>If cyclists were doing that for no good reason, I wouldn't defend them. Likewise, I won't defend
>the pedestrians I described.

I wouldn't defend cyclists five abreast on a city street in rush hour, but an ambling couple of dog
walkers on a MUP is par for the course .

--

_______________________ALL AMIGA IN MY MIND_______________________ ------------------"Buddy Holly,
the Texas Elvis"------------------
__________306.350.357.38>>[email protected]__________

 

[Matt O'Toole]

"Eric S. Sande" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...

> >>They're great in the winter if they go someplace
worthwhile, though.

> >Hmmm. Not around here. The one very short one I use on
my way to work
> >is unrideable if there's snow on the ground, as it was a
few days ago.
>
> Good point. In my area we've had several mild winters in
a row, I
> got used to it. This one is different, and no they don't
plow the
> MUPs here either.

I don't even know if they plow the MUPs around here, one of which is a major transportation route
for some people. I think I'll have a look tomorrow -- it's either plowed, or it isn't!

Matt O.