Subject: Re: cycling hippes was Re: Driving Pet Peeves

From: "Steven Miale" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 19 Jun 1995 16:02:45 -0500

In article <[email-masked]>,
Michael L. Bohler <[email-masked]> wrote:
>> From: Kenneth B. Moore <[email-masked]>
>> We car drivers can tolerate bikers once in a
>> while on residential streets, but we don't like you on our main roads when
>> you're doing 15mph in a 45 mph zone.
>
>Tough shit Kenneth.  I don't care if you or your car driving friends
>don't like bicycle riders on YOUR roads.  They are within their 
>legal rights to ride there and your are legally bound to comply with
>the law by sharing road with them.  

As long as bicylists can get stopped for (1) blocking traffic by going too
slow (just like cars), (2) running a red light (just like cars), (3)
NOT passing a dozen cars waiting at an intersection (just like cars), etc.

Funny how some bicyclists always demand that cars give them respect but don't
want to obey the same laws the cars do.

Steve
-- 
Steven Miale  <http://www.cs.indiana.edu/hyplan/smiale.html>

---

From: "Kenneth B. Moore" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 20 Jun 1995 11:39:01 CDT

>the law by sharing road with them.
Fine fine fine. Whatever.  I refer you to what Tai posted.  There are plenty
of dorks on bikes who are inconsiderate along with dorks in cars who are
inconsiderate too.  Sure, you have all kinds of legal rights that let you
get out there with machinery much bigger and faster than you, and those dorks
on bikes (maybe you're one of those, maybe not, I'm not judging) are wandering
around on the street, or they're zipping along around a blind spot and are
annoying to other drivers.  This is what gives you a bad rap.  Like it or
not, once a driver sees a biker, he's thinking "Oh terrific, now I have to
slow down, make sure this idiot sees me so he doesn't swerve out mindlessly,
and I squish him like a bug."  The car driver is NOT thinking, "Oh, there's
a considerate citizen who's trying to save the earth, and I'll bet he is a
cautious, careful and skilled cyclist."  So, most drivers don't like you.
I only dislike the idiots who wander around like they have no motor
coordination or balance.  Yessir, those laws are wonderful on paper aren't
they?  But, lemme ask you what will those laws do for you if one of those car
dorks pegs you as a biker dork and decides to run you off the road?  Or worse,
doesn't make an attempt to yeild, and you get run over.  That would suck.
And they are out there.  I dislike bikers, but not enough to kill them.
So if you want to ride your bike, go ahead.  Hell, get all your biking buddies
out there and have yourselves a parade for all I care.  But when you come
up against some car who doesn't see you, or who doesn't care, you'll lose.
And all those rights you have wont matter when your skull is crushed, your
gray matter is baking against a hot oil pan, and your limbs are in braids.
I'm not the guy who'll aim for you to do that, but accidents happen.  You're
at risk, and you'll get hurt if someone (you or a car) makes a mistake.
I don't understand why anyone would laugh at those odds and ride in the street
with cars. Suit yourself.