HI all, this is the first time I will take part in the discussion. I am a new comer, from Europe, bike commuter at heart even in Albany, NY and during the winter. I sadly have been enjoying this discussion because this summarizes my everyday feelings when I feel like anyone could kill me anytime with his huge car. Some drivers around here show the most aggressive behavior I ever experienced on the road. I am part of the New York Bike coalition which has been advocating for more bike friendly roads and as a bike advocate I am trying, against my nature and my wish to save a bit of time, to ride following the road rules as well as possible. But too often, I feel like the simple fact that I am there on a busy road in the middle of the cars makes some of the drivers angry. I am the one risking my life and spending 15 minutes longer in my commute and some can't go over the fact that I make them waste 5 seconds ( very often much less). It is interesting for me to see this kind of behavior, this is sad to see how these people don't like to be reminded that there are other alternative to their cars that they barely can afford or that put them in debt. They may be simply lacking confidence in their choice and don't accept their lack of freedom, being jealous of people who show them other ways. As European I don't want to appear as simply anti American, my wife and my kids are Americans, but this is so consistent with the rest of the state of the US society, deeply polarized with dominated by emotions and not reason. I hope the next president will manage to bring back people together, I am sure I can live next to the angry pharmacist SUV driver in peace.
Hope this was not too much for a first. take care Julien On Wed, Oct 15, 2008 at 4:54 PM, chuck davis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Commenting is not going to make any diff to the guy! > > We wanna drop to his level or bring him up to "ours"? > > ..........we do have juan don't we? > > On Wed, Oct 15, 2008 at 12:28 PM, Mitch Harris <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > >> Not much evidence of rational thought there. >> >> Useful to read, though, because it does suggest how chaotic it can >> feel for drivers when they can't predict when or how cyclists will >> stop for lights and signs, or when their right of way at a stop will >> be taken by a cyclist. Not to seem sympathetic to a murderous A-hole, >> but cyclists who negotiate stop lights/signs/turns should try to see >> it a little from his point of view. This is not to say that this >> applies to riders who do a rolling stop through lights or signs when >> no car is there or when there is no question of taking another's right >> or way and no possibility of creating right of way confusion for >> drivers and other vehicle users. This is another issue that we've >> gone 15 rounds on in the boblist--whether strict adherence to stop >> lights and signs in absence of the above possibilities is still a >> necessary virtue. I'm ok with cyclists choosing either option, and >> only hope cyclists observe right of way carefully, considerately, and >> predictably. Anyway, that seems like a reasonable minimum that would >> help keep peace on the roads. >> >> Another reasonable minimum for me in these discussions on cyclist >> lawlessness is to acknowledge how little drivers observe and obey the >> law. I've said this before, and we've gone the rounds on this on-list >> too, and two wrongs don't make a right, etc. But this >> pharmacist/narcissist, who's probably dipping into his class III >> cabinet too often, is a perfect example of this blindness to reality, >> seeing only the lawlessness of cyclists and suddenly unable to see the >> drivers breaking laws all around him. The difference I think, is >> probably just that drivers are more predictable about right of way at >> lights and stop signs. >> >> But what also gives him away is his insistence that cyclists ride in >> the center of the lane. He clearly doesn't want this because his >> opening point is that he'll run over anyone who gets in front of him, >> which would include any cyclist who rides the middle of the lane. So >> why does he say this? Because he's full of petty resentment that >> cyclists can move ahead of him in gridlock by riding along the edge of >> a lane. Here's a simple sanity check for him: resent cyclists for >> making stop lights chaotic?--fine. Resent that cyclists for using >> small light maneuverable contraptions that move through gridlock with >> less restriction than multi-ton 6 foot wide 12 foot long steel >> boxes?--sad self-deception. >> >> BTW, is this the kind of comment that would be read and understood on >> his site? Or would this comment just be ignored there or misunderstood >> and contribute to noise? >> >> --Mitch >> >> On Tue, Oct 14, 2008 at 9:45 PM, David Estes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> wrote: >> > Class-act there. I hope you all leave comments. I did. Will see if it >> > gets posted after "moderation"... >> > >> > On Tue, Oct 14, 2008 at 1:58 PM, Keith (ne' trekman1420) < >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >> wrote: >> > >> >> >> >> Ran across a heated discussion of bike commuting here >> >> >> http://www.theangriestpharmacist.com/2008/10/13/share-the-road-piss-off/ >> >> > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Bicycle Lifestyle" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/bicyclelifestyle?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
