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Re: Driving Pet Peeves



In article <dooshDAJzDt.J35@netcom.com> doosh@netcom.com (Tom Holub) writes:
>From: doosh@netcom.com (Tom Holub)
>Subject: Re: Driving Pet Peeves
>Date: Thu, 22 Jun 1995 02:39:29 GMT

>In article <3sa1k8$g50@mrnews.mro.dec.com>,
>Bruce Augenstein  <Augenstein@mr4dec.enet.dec.com> wrote:

Tons of stuff that basically shows neither party can get a grip on the other 
party's viewpoint. 

Last paragraph from Tom........
>The basic stuff like the law, I already understand.  The basic stuff like
>the fact that motorists don't respect the law, or the cyclist's right to
>travel, I also understand.  What *you* fail to understand is that motorists
>are *wrong* to disrespect the law and the cyclist's right to travel.

Tom, any motorist who respects the law is a danger to his or her fellow 
drivers. Motorists know the speed laws are ridiculous, and drive accordingly. 
We have a tradition dating back to before the revolution that we'll openly 
disobey laws we consider unfair, or those that make no sense. There is no 
better example than our roadways, where most motorists drive at the speeds 
they feel safe at, and, to *be* safe, one should drive at the prevailing 
speeds. For you to say motorists are "*wrong*" (your emphasis) is only useful 
stuff if you're running for office. Any reasonable individual  who drives 
knows what is safe and what isn't. What is "safe" is generally 10 to 15 mph 
over the limit. If you go the limit, you're an obstruction, and it's plain to 
anybody out on the roadways that people going the speed limit are a menace to 
the other 99.9% of us.

It isn't that anybody objects to cyclists. We object to anyone who is an 
obstruction.

I am stating absolute facts as regards human nature and the motorist. Right or 
wrong isn't the issue. How people will react pretty much ten times out of ten 
*is* the issue.

As a cyclist, if you insist on equal rights to road use, you will get 
statistically killed, or cause someone else (typically a motorist) to be 
to be statistically killed.

Many cyclists quote the law under these circumstances, which is just so much 
silliness when we all know exactly what goes on out on the roads, why people 
get killed, and why speed differential is so much a part of this.

Bruce



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