wrong-way sidewalk rider gets comeuppance

Ben Pfaff wrote:
writes:


Ben Pfaff wrote:


I enjoyed finally seeing someone get what
he deserved (in a way that didn't involve permanent injury or
death).

Jesus, what a self-righteous douche.


I understand how it could seem that way. But I get tired of
seeing idiots on bikes doing stupid things that make the rest of
us look bad. If a few of them hurt themselves in small ways,
maybe it'll encourage them to learn how to ride their bikes
properly.

I probably should have added that this street's lanes are plenty
wide enough for a bike and a car to occupy safely. Some of the
street's length is marked with a bike line, some of it is not,
but it is all plenty safe for biking.

Part of the problem, though, is that most motorists (IMHO) hold the
cyclist on the road in greater disregard than the cyclist on the
sidewalk (at least where I live, which has relatively congested roads
and relatively uncongested sidewalks in most places). So, from the pure
average-joe motorist perspective, it's the cyclist lawfully occupying
the road that they perceived to be "doing stupid things" and "making
cyclists look bad." And so, again, around here, you're more likely to
hear "get off the f'ing road" when you're on the road, than "get off the
f'ing sidewalk" if you're on the sidewalk. Doesn't make it right, but
those are the prevailing attitude. Hence, average joe cyclist (ignorant
of the actual safety risks involved) may very easily conclude that it's
better to be on the sidewalk where s/he doesn't get yelled at all the
time, than on the road where s/he does.

So, to wrap things up--I'd much rather see those drivers yelling "get
off the f'ing road" wrap their cars around a light pole, than a cyclist
doing their best to get from here to there in a hostile environment.

Ben Pfaff wrote:
I understand how it could seem that way. But I get tired of
seeing idiots on bikes doing stupid things that make the rest of
us look bad.

Then you're going to be very frustrated, all of the time. Best
to just worry about yourself, doubtless have enough work to do
there that obsessing about other riders is not going to be
justified. Anyway, one dude standing in the ocean
is not going to change the tide.

If a few of them hurt themselves in small ways,
maybe it'll encourage them to learn how to ride their bikes
properly.

Your own definition of proper riding is probably not the same
held by other very experienced riders. And
your definition of what is proper and what is not is probably
going to evolve as you gain more experience. It would
be a shame if you were so certain of your own righteous
ways that you could not allow for learning and growing
over time. You may come to realize some day that
a cyclist may be able to ride sidewalks safely, courteously
and effectively. Using pedestrian space is one of the
great advantages to riding a bike, so I bristle when I
sense folks damning all sidewalk riding and sidewalk
riding cyclists to the purgatory of 'improper cycling.'
Folks seem incredibly quick to do that on this forum,
even as they admit that yes, they too ride sidewalks
on occasion. Mote, eye, all that. When they do it, it's
fine, when someone else does it, they're an idiot who
deserves their 'just desserts.'

Furthermore, if you are really concerned about the
general public being ****ed off at all cyclists because of
the actions of a few, you should consider that the thing
that really, really, REALLY ****es people off more than
anything is a cyclist following the letter of the law,
especially when it comes to 'lane-taking' in front of
faster traffic. If more people practiced this 'proper'
form of cycling, we would all be legally relegated to
the sidewalks in no time. Think on it. If you get hit
some day while riding lawfully, half the world will
jump on usenet and write a happy post about how they
saw some asshole cyclist get his comeuppance for
riding in the street and blocking traffic.

Obviously there is a right way and a wrong way to
ride a sidewalk. Your friend hitting the pole, clearly,
wrong way. But it's just not cool to gloat over the
suffering of others, especially other bike riders.

Robert

'Physician, heal thyself!'

wrote:

Furthermore, if you are really concerned about the
general public being ****ed off at all cyclists because of
the actions of a few, you should consider that the thing
that really, really, REALLY ****es people off more than
anything is a cyclist following the letter of the law...

Hmm. Got data?

- Frank Krygowski

Rich wrote:

All most all your posts are critical. You're kind of a jerk.

Gotta agree with you there.

Great post!

R

In article ,
Tom Keats wrote:
In article ,
Ben Pfaff writes:

But I get tired of
seeing idiots on bikes doing stupid things that make the rest of
us look bad.

But they don't. If they make anybody look bad,
it's only themselves.

It's less of an issue of making cyclists look bad or not, but the
fact that wrong way cyclists and sidewalk cyclists who unpredictably
pop in and out of the road are a danger to other cyclists. Especially
at night, when the wrong way and unpredictable cyclists are the least
likely to be using lights.

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Timothy J. Lee
Unsolicited bulk or commercial email is not welcome.
No warranty of any kind is provided with this message.

Tom Keats wrote:
In article ,
Ben Pfaff writes:

But I get tired of
seeing idiots on bikes doing stupid things that make the rest of
us look bad.

But they don't. If they make anybody look bad,
it's only themselves. Same goes for idiots in
cars doing stupid things. If all drivers were
rated by their actions, nobody would be allowed
to drive.

Come on, Tom! *Of course* the actions of some cyclists reflect on all
cyclists just as the actions of some drivers reflect on all drivers.
Witness the casual condemnation of "fat ass SUV idiots" and "scud
jockeys" here. It's not right, it's not accurate, and it's not fair but
life isn't fair.

Regards,
Bob Hunt

5 Oct 2005 21:28:40 -0700,
. com, "Bob"
wrote:

Tom Keats wrote:
In article ,
Ben Pfaff writes:

But I get tired of
seeing idiots on bikes doing stupid things that make the rest of
us look bad.

But they don't. If they make anybody look bad,
it's only themselves. Same goes for idiots in
cars doing stupid things. If all drivers were
rated by their actions, nobody would be allowed
to drive.

Come on, Tom! *Of course* the actions of some cyclists reflect on all
cyclists just as the actions of some drivers reflect on all drivers.
Witness the casual condemnation of "fat ass SUV idiots" and "scud
jockeys" here. It's not right, it's not accurate, and it's not fair but
life isn't fair.

Bob, if you're not knotting drivers' knickers, they don't remember
you. When they do see you, they aren't going to attack you because of
the way I ride. If drivers are anxious around cyclists because of the
way others ride, it makes them more apt to exercise caution around
you. That's a good thing.

Let the Darwin contestants keep the cagers on their toes. Then, if
they notice you or I riding in a safe courteous vehicular manner,
they're doubly confused. That's a good thing too.

It's fair to say that any stunned scud jockey can kill me, regardless
of whether or not they'd intended to. So, they all rate the same
threat level on the road. Whereas, a WWC hood ornament might spoil
your lunch or scratch your paint.
--
zk

5 Oct 2005 19:49:02 -0700,
. com,
wrote:


wrote:

Furthermore, if you are really concerned about the
general public being ****ed off at all cyclists because of
the actions of a few, you should consider that the thing
that really, really, REALLY ****es people off more than
anything is a cyclist following the letter of the law...

Hmm. Got data?

What, three "really"s (one all caps) ain't good enough for you?

That's pretty picky, Frank; even for Usenet.
--
zk

wrote:
wrote:

Furthermore, if you are really concerned about the
general public being ****ed off at all cyclists because of
the actions of a few, you should consider that the thing
that really, really, REALLY ****es people off more than
anything is a cyclist following the letter of the law...

Hmm. Got data?

Oh yeah. Reams and reams of data. The amount of time
and resources that have been spent studying in the most
painstakingly careful fashion what exactly affects
drivers' attitudes toward cyclists is staggering. Simply
staggering. If you stacked up all those studies and
surveys they would reach from here to Dayton Ohio, and
back. The only thing that rivals this in its pure
staggering-ness is the amount of data that has been
produced on the relative danger of cycling compared to
other activities.

Seriously, think about it for a few seconds. The vast
majority of riders out there are what folks here would
label 'scofflaw' cyclists. The primary manifestation of
this scofflaw behavior is sidewalk riding and stop sign
running. And yet, somehow, the vast majority of these
scofflaws manage to get by and get along with their fellow
citizens on foot and in cars. Now, imagine if all those
scofflaws suddenly started riding exclusively by the
vehicular code. This would not result in some joyous
vehcular cycling utopia. That would last about ten
minutes, then the laws would be hastily changed to
keep those damn cyclists off the roads and out of the
way. The only way a guy like Wayne Pein can keep doing
what he does is because he is 'subsidized' essentially
by the greater number of riders out there who are
more courteous to their fellow citizens.

Robert

wrote:
The only way a guy like Wayne Pein can keep doing
what he does is because he is 'subsidized' essentially
by the greater number of riders out there who are
more courteous to their fellow citizens.

I don't get uptight about sidewalk/wrong-way/redlight-running cyclists,
but the number one complaint I hear from my motorist friends is all the
cyclists who dart out at intersections, across crosswalks, and from the
wrong way.

There's the occasional bemused comment about the odd cyclist they see
who takes the lane, but around here they seem to understand why it's
done.

RFM