> I'll second Marty's sentiments - as I was almost picked off by a > shirtless rider on a beach cruiser who ran through a red light this > morning.
There is a subset of cyclists in Chicago who apparently believe it a birth right to ignore traffic controls of any kind. To date I've stayed away from the car / cyclist debate on the topic as I neither own a car nor disobey traffic signals riding my bike. Of late, however, I have had several near run ins with cyclists blithely ignoring stop signs, traffic lights and one way street direction markers. Most ignore me as I take all efforts necessary to avoid contact. Some smirk. A few offer a tart apology while continuing the illegal behavior. A real hazard. On Jul 15, 4:15 pm, Esteban <proto...@gmail.com> wrote: > I'll second Marty's sentiments - as I was almost picked off by a > shirtless rider on a beach cruiser who ran through a red light this > morning. > > All this being said, I can imagine on some tri forum someone writing: > "I was pushing hard on the PCH and some fred on an old fashioned > commuter was too busy enjoying the view and didn't even notice his > flapping seersucker shirt tail was nearly cut to shreds on my bladed > spokes!" > > On Jul 15, 1:17 pm, Marty <mgie...@mac.com> wrote: > > > > > Quite the opposite - but perhaps more dangerous - is the "la-de-da, > > happy-happy-joy-joy" trips on Maui. My wife and I threw caution to the > > wind and did the 10,000 foot drop off Haleakala a while back. Started > > out in freezing rain /dense fog on a couple marginally maintained > > Worksman bikes behind a pack of folks who may not have ridden a bike > > since Eisenhower was at the helm, or were missing an episode of Sponge > > Bob to join the adventure. Might have been good for some of them to > > work up a little rage to stay focused and keep a line but they were so > > Mahaloed by then that all I could do was drift further back to avoid > > the pile-up that so often happens on those rides. "You mean them bikes > > have brakes on the handles? I thought you just had to pedal > > backwerds". Of course, the vintage motorcycle helmets they passed out > > at the top were re-assuring, and made certain your center of gravity > > was at least five feet up. "You can wave at the busses coming up the > > hill - just don't hit 'em". We got down OK, but I guarantee I would > > not do it again. Sure, I would do it alone on a Riv in a heatbeat - it > > was a spectacular run - but the "stay close to the person in front of > > you and yell if you have to slam on the brakes" was not the kind of > > group ride I was ready for. Rage or no rage, I was ready for a Mai-tai > > after that ride. > > > Marty > > > On Jul 15, 3:49 pm, Steve Palincsar <palin...@his.com> wrote: > > > > On Wed, 2009-07-15 at 11:21 -0700, Aaron Thomas wrote: > > > > > I came up behind a woman crouched over the aero bars on a time trial > > > > bike. I maintained a distance of 6 feet or so, waiting for a break in > > > > the automobile traffic to our left in order to pass her. Before that > > > > happened, however, she looked back and yelled, "are you out for a free > > > > ride today, mister? Go do your own training ride!" > > > > > Perplexed, I asked her to repeat, which she did, this time peppering > > > > her phrases with a few F-bombs and an injunction to stay away from her > > > > because she doesn't even know me and doesn't want me drafting off her. > > > > > What? Drafting? Come again? I wasn't drafting, I explain, but rather > > > > was at least 6 feet behind and waiting for a safe moment to pass. And > > > > what does it matter if you don't know me? I don't get it. > > > > There are some mighty paranoid women out there. In the course of > > > commuting to work over the span of 29 years, on three or four occasions > > > I've been stuck behind women on a very narrow section of bike trail > > > along a stream that goes under the highway and railroad bridges, then > > > comes up onto the Mount Vernon bike trail. There are several sections > > > where I won't attempt to pass because the narrowness of the trail and > > > the lack of visibility make it extremely dangerous. They've screamed at > > > me, as this woman did at you; they've demanded that I pass; one acted > > > with a level of rage and hostility that might have been appropriate if > > > directed towards a would-be rapist. > > > > There's no knowing what's up with people like that. Perhaps it is fear, > > > as has been suggested. Maybe they've been assaulted on the bike trail. > > > It doesn't do for you to take it personally. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
