Why America can have better bicycling than Europe

On Aug 4, 6:17 pm, Kenneth O'Brien wrote:
The 99% of the American people who do NOT dare ride a bike on the road
probably agrees with me.

I'm actually overstating the number, since the share of commuters by
bike is 0.4%.

Look that over. You just mixed two different things. 1) Americans who don't dare ride a bike on the roadway and 2) commuting share by bike. You do realize that is two entirely different things, yes? And you realize if you jump around like that you can't make any kind of sensible point, yes?

I do not care about training cyclists looking for fun, performance or
whatever on a bike. They don't care about others either. That's a
hobby. The revolution is for the SUB (Sport Utility Bike).



But you should never trust the sheep to be right, such as in the case
of religion or Chavez in Venezuela.

Sorry. You lost me on that one. Point?

Ken

People are happy with whatever you throw at them. Case in point is the
fancy MIXED PATH around here that has sucked up so much money and yet
it only goes for a mile. People are happy with it. I cite the dangers
of mixing cyclists, dogs and kids, blinding lights, etc, and they
still reply the same mantra: "People are happy with it."

On Aug 4, 6:20 pm, Kenneth O'Brien wrote:
See, that's a mistake. In the jungle you must keep your eyes open for
every possible predator, including those coming from above. (Say a
bottle thrown from an overpass).

Serge and Mr. Hunt, please note this. This helps make my point.

I think there is only a very minor difference between your style of riding that continually wastes attention and mental evaluation to things behind you, with His Highness's need to continually scan for things falling from the sky above.

Ken

You are wrong. I'm just laying before you the greatest model for
survival under any conditions: THE JUNGLE. I forgot to mention the
dangers from below, the potholes that make you fall while you pay too
much attention to the beasts behind the wheel.

Actually 100% of your energy should be concentrated on riding the
bike, not watching your back.

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE

http://webspawner.com/users/donquijote1

On Aug 4, 7:05 pm, Kenneth O'Brien wrote:
On Aug 4, 2010, at 2:35 PM, Willie Hunt wrote:

You justify your “one sized fits all” argument

Actually you have that exactly backwards. My way of looking at it incorporates the varying capabilities of the public.

Few to no drivers have the Kreskin/Uri Gellar-like mental/psychic powers to can first: divine that someone approaching behind is either a homicidal maniac or so outrageously incompetent that they have missed seeing a predictable visible bicyclist in the road ahead along a roadway leg; then second: can Obiwan-Kenobi-predict exactly which last instant emergency response will avoid this menace; and finally: can Maverick/Goose/Top-Gun perform that maneuver in the blink of an eye.

Because the full population of drivers includes a wide spread, I want to build into the system - and build into education about the system - the margin represented by everybody devoting all their attention forward whenever they can. I don't want everybody doing 360 degree continual scans (or as His Highness would have it, maybe - 4pi steradian continual scans [since I suspect he might want me to continually scan for volcanic eruptions at my feet as well as bottles from above.]) I don't want folks in the full population of drivers/bicyclists tricked into thinking they are Kreskin, Uri Gellar, Obiwan Kenobi or Maverick. I want them to recognize that often, they are just Gus... not very bright... not at the top of their (or most anybody else's) physical game... and they need all the margin we can give them - Meaning devoting their attention where it is needed when it is needed only.

But I do know that “wasted mental
processing” is not a waste for me, nor does it stress me out. In fact
the opposite is true. If I do not watch what’s going on behind me
then I get stressed out.

There is a difference between the bliss of injecting heroin, and not stressing/fatiguing your your physical capabilities - especially during a task in a potentially dangerous system that needs you neither stressed/fatigued nor blissed out on an opiate.

I recognize it is hard to get past the idea that you have little or no power to protect yourself from the homicidal maniac or the truly grossly incompetent. But I recommend you and Serge get past the illusion you can control such a thing. recognizing this is liberating and likely will help your (and everybody else's, because you are not wasting your attention where it is not needed, and you therefore represent less of a hazard for the rest of us) safety level.

I suspect your lack of respect for the " targeted/focused attention where it is needed when it is needed" idea goes a long way towards explaining why you don't understand you do your students a great injustice when you refuse to educate them that bikelanes are a bad idea.

Ken

The problem is cyclists are the easiest target for road rage. And
there's a lot of it out there. Luckily most of the time it doesn't
lead to a bloody incident, but just to spoiling the day for the
cyclist.

(I quote)

Ranking No. 1 was Orlando, Fla., of all places.

"Yes, Orlando, home of the Magic Kingdom and mandated happiness," the
Men's Health article on the survey said. "Who knows? Maybe living in
Goofyville wears thin after 35 years."

Following Orlando were St. Petersburg, Fla.; Detroit; Baltimore;
Nashville; Wilmington, Del.; Miami; Memphis; Jacksonville; and St.
Louis.

But what about Los Angeles with its freeway traffic jams and high-
pressure lifestyles? They're way down at No. 36.

And how about New York City, where the rush is constant, the crowds
are crushing, and the high rents, small spaces and busy schedules can
make for plenty of stress? The Big Apple isn't even in the top 50.
They come in at No. 57.

http://cbs2chicago.com/watercooler/c...2.1834103.html

***

NYC which is known as the "asphalt jungle" is down at #50. The Deep
Jungle is elsewhere.

I think we should bring the National Guard out (or back from Iraq and
Afghanistan).

On Aug 5, 7:59 am, Kenneth O'Brien wrote:
On Aug 5, 2010, at 10:22 AM, "His Highness the TibetanMonkey, Creator of the Movement of wrote:





On Aug 4, 6:17 pm, Kenneth O'Brien wrote:
The 99% of the American people who do NOT dare ride a bike on the road
probably agrees with me.

I'm actually overstating the number, since the share of commuters by
bike is 0.4%.

Look that over. You just mixed two different things. 1) Americans who don't dare ride a bike on the roadway and 2) commuting share by bike. You do realize that is two entirely different things, yes? And you realize if you jump around like that you can't make any kind of sensible point, yes?

I do not care about training cyclists looking for fun, performance or
whatever on a bike. They don't care about others either. That's a
hobby. The revolution is for the SUB (Sport Utility Bike)

OK. But the commuting share isn't at whatever it is because 1 minus that number fraction of the public wouldn't DARE ride their bike on the road. There is a million and one things that add up to commute share.

Ken

Yeah, but the big factor is F-E-A-R.

I had job just TWO miles away, and I just hesitated to do it. I also
hesitate to do that distance in any other direction.

The big hope is the new Velib program coming to Miami Beach, and
rescuing the reputation of the cyclist. H-O-P-E-F-U-L-L-Y.

Around here, people just ride crappy bikes on the sidewalk, and the
occasional pro cyclists darting by on weekends.

On 8/5/10 1:12 PM, His Highness the TibetanMonkey, Creator of the
Movement of Tantra-Hammock wrote:
I had job just TWO miles away, and I just hesitated to do it. I also
hesitate to do that distance in any other direction.

I've followed your writing, and you've made it plain that while you like
the idea of bicycling you are really a pussy when it comes to riding
one. Grow some nuts, son. If you're scared, take a vehicular cycling course.

On Aug 5, 11:31*am, Kevan Smith wrote:
On 8/5/10 1:12 PM, His Highness the TibetanMonkey, Creator of the

Movement of Tantra-Hammock wrote:
I had job just TWO miles away, and I just hesitated to do it. I also
hesitate to do that distance in any other direction.

I've followed your writing, and you've made it plain that while you like
the idea of bicycling you are really a pussy when it comes to riding
one. Grow some nuts, son. If you're scared, take a vehicular cycling course.

IF I MUST DIE, I just want to die for a cause, not like a dog and then
be left to bleed by a hit and run driver. That's the way it usually
happens around here.

But we should concentrate on ENFORCING LAWS AND TAMING TRAFFIC, I
think.

On 8/5/10 1:58 PM, His Highness the TibetanMonkey, Creator of the
Movement of Tantra-Hammock wrote:
But we should concentrate on ENFORCING LAWS AND TAMING TRAFFIC, I
think.

I think 'we' should RIDE BIKE.

But you are chicken.

On Aug 5, 1:01*pm, Kevan Smith wrote:
On 8/5/10 1:58 PM, His Highness the TibetanMonkey, Creator of the

Movement of Tantra-Hammock wrote:
But we should concentrate on ENFORCING LAWS AND TAMING TRAFFIC, I
think.

I think 'we' should RIDE BIKE.

But you are chicken.

YOU are more chicken. You admit submission before the "alpha male" in
SUVs and take all the crap from them. You don't even have the will to
fight --in a smart way.

On 8/5/10 5:25 PM, His Highness the TibetanMonkey, Creator of the
Movement of Tantra-Hammock wrote:
YOU are more chicken. You admit submission before the "alpha male" in
SUVs and take all the crap from them. You don't even have the will to
fight --in a smart way.

How would you know? You've never seen me ride bike. You, however, post
that you DON'T ride bike. Why do you even post to the bike newsgroups?

On Aug 5, 3:35*pm, Kevan Smith wrote:
On 8/5/10 5:25 PM, His Highness the TibetanMonkey, Creator of the

Movement of Tantra-Hammock wrote:
YOU are more chicken. You admit submission before the "alpha male" in
SUVs and take all the crap from them. You don't even have the will to
fight --in a smart way.

How would you know? You've never seen me ride bike. You, however, post
that you DON'T ride bike. Why do you even post to the bike newsgroups?

I rode last year. Hopefully I will ride again Sept.15th if conditions
improve.

This is about claiming our SPACE, not providing another anonymous
victim for the grinding machine.