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Wow Holy road rage batman (Read 1522 times)

    I gave up road cycling years ago because I came to believe it just wasn't worth the danger.  I agree with some of the comments on the NPR site -- while I was more than willing to do some things to help lessen my impact on auto traffic, like staying to the right of the lane, I eventually stopped doing this and blocked the whole lane when necessary to preserve my own safety.


    Too many drivers in general pretty much think their concerns are all that matters -- whether it's cyclists or other cars.  These are the same people that pull out in front of you, fly to the front of an ending land and stop up traffic by trying to squeeze in, etc.  It's only accentuated when cyclists are involved.

     Me, me, me; my time is more important. So important, in fact, that your life doesn't matter.

     

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    rectumdamnnearkilledem

       

      The article said he did.

       

      Ahhh...I didn't read that particular article on the story.  Glad he won't be behind the wheel of any weapons ever again.

      Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

      remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

           ~ Sarah Kay

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      rectumdamnnearkilledem

        I had a similar incident occur to me while riding my fixed gear. I was lucky enough to stop. When I came along side the person, they told me that I didn't belong in the road (called me a cracker too). The sad part is that people don't know the law. Many states have laws making it illegal to ride a bike on the sidewalk, and in my opinion they don't belong on the sidewalk. Someone riding at 20+ mph  definitely should be in the road. Also, it is unsafe for a cyclist to be on a sidewalk, since no one is looking for them crossing the road at that speed. Anyway, when I told someone I knew about this, they told me I was over reacting, since I said it was attempted murder.

         

        I got in a debate with a local woman who didn't like that cyclists made her have to slow down on the road from time-to-time and they belong on the "bike path."  I pointed out to her that the bike path is often domain of small kids meandering on bikes and on foot.  Does she really want my 250# beast of a husband (often riding with groups of 20-30 other cyclists) colliding at 20mph with her kids?  His cruising speed is typically 16+mph.  Nothing moving that fast belongs on the paved trail.

        Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

        remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

             ~ Sarah Kay


        Hey, nice marmot!

          Yeesh!  People are nuts.

           

          I used to ride a bike a lot when I was in grad school.  The school had one of those sprawling mid-west campuses located pretty much in the middle of nowhere.  In fact, I'm pretty sure bikes outnumbered cars.  But where I live now... no way.  I pretty much agree with spaniel, it's a large risk with minimal benefit.  Between the crazy people, those with road rage "issues", and the totally freakin' oblivious drivers, I'm not getting on the road in anything less than the steel cage of my car.  And even then, sometimes it's risky.  Hell, there are intersections around here I get nervous running through.  A red light is a suggestion for a car to stop, it will not force the car to stop.  "He had the right-of-way" is no kind of epitaph.

           

          It's a shame though since bike riding is a lot of fun.  Well, maybe if gas prices go back up, the bikes might start to outnumber the cars.

          Ben

           

          "The world is my country, science is my religion."-- Christiaan Huygens

            It's a quality of life issue for me. I like being able to cycle more or less everywhere I need to go on a day to day basis. I once had a list of things to do which included filling my wife's car with gas and was most of the way to the gas station before I realized I was on my bike....

             

            One of the benefits of moving from Berkeley to Santa Barbara was that my cycle to work is now a pleasant and relaxing 20 minute cycle rather than a stressful cycle that involved a roughly weekly  run in with a motorist (usually with the same excuse - 'I didn't see you.') Given that 90% of the culprits were people driving suv's or minivans with kids on board who would pull into a head in parking spot at the last minute I eventually evolved my response to 'If you didn't see me then you're probably going to kill a child one day.' A bit mean but maybe it got the point across to somebody.

             

            I'm no legal expert but it seems to me that justice was approximately served in this case. It's a good job the guy made it easy for the jury by essentially confessing to the cops. If he hadn't made the statements he did I wonder what the outcome would have been.

            John

            Goal: Age grade over 80% on a certified course.
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            rectumdamnnearkilledem


              It's a shame though since bike riding is a lot of fun.  Well, maybe if gas prices go back up, the bikes might start to outnumber the cars.

               

              I think it's already happening, at least in some areas.  While I hate that our roads don't get plowed all that well, I do like living on the border of county upon county of fairly rural roads.  Makes a nice setting for running and biking.  There are some parts of the country where I don't think I'd want to run on the roads, much less bike.

              Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

              remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                   ~ Sarah Kay


              jfa

                   There are some parts of the country where I don't think I'd want to run on the roads, much less bike.

                 Welcome to my world. That's why I run only on the boardwalk and paved bike paths by me. In the winter it's not too bad because a lot of our shore towns are empty. But in the warmer months,look out!

                 

                 

                 

                 

                 

                 

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                rectumdamnnearkilledem

                   Welcome to my world. That's why I run only on the boardwalk and paved bike paths by me. In the winter it's not too bad because a lot of our shore towns are empty. But in the warmer months,look out!

                   

                  My brother's GF lives 2 miles from the center of Chicago.  Maybe 4 months ago an SUV hit a cyclist and sent him/her flying...into brother's GF, who was on-foot.  SUV took off.  I see people running and biking in that area every time I've visited.  Just the sight of them makes my blood pressure rise sympathetically.  I think I'd never be able to relax in that environment and it would really put a damper on my enjoyment of running and biking.

                  Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

                  remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                       ~ Sarah Kay

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