Taking the lane

Frank Krygowski writes:

On Saturday, July 13, 2013 6:45:36 PM UTC-4, JoeRiel wrote:
J

I recall trying, and failing, to block cars from passing at the top of a

nearby downhill. Old Pomerado Rd. Only a mile long, with an average

grade of 8%, but it had a couple of hairpins and I could easily, if

foolishly, pass most cars descending. Progress and bulldozers, alas,

have straightened its curves. Now it's a boring hill, one I rarely

descend but like to climb at the end of a ride.

Oh yeah - also yesterday: Commencing the most fun downhill of the trip (just before crossing the river on the flooded road), we were approached from behind by a front end loader. I figured it would be no issue, since he won't be doing more than 20 mph, and we get to coast for about a mile, almost always faster than that.

Well, that was a fast front end loader! His bucket spanned more than the narrow lane (although there was no center line),


So how do you define "lane"?

... and my wife doesn't coast as fast as I do, but he still hung behind her, with no sign of impatience from him or from the two cars following him.


How far behind her? Jeez, a "fast front end loader" coming downhill?
Those things can't be easy to stop if she like fell over or something.

Impatience is not something you usually see from heavy equipment
operators going down the road; and as for the two cars behind...
they're following a front end loader, for chrisake!

Finally, we got to the final part of the hill, where I usually hit 35 mph or so. I actually sat up to stay within sight of her, but we did drop the guy on that pitch. He and the cars behind got stopped at the road block that we talked our way past.


And the flagger took a swing at me with her stop-sign-on-a-stick :-)

On Sunday, July 14, 2013 12:56:52 AM UTC-4, Dan wrote:
Frank Krygowski writes:

Oh yeah - also yesterday: Commencing the most fun downhill of the trip (just before crossing the river on the flooded road), we were approached from behind by a front end loader. I figured it would be no issue, since he won't be doing more than 20 mph, and we get to coast for about a mile, almost always faster than that.



Well, that was a fast front end loader! His bucket spanned more than the narrow lane (although there was no center line),


So how do you define "lane"?

On a narrow road with no center line? Half the road width.

... and my wife doesn't coast as fast as I do, but he still hung behind her, with no sign of impatience from him or from the two cars following him.





How far behind her? Jeez, a "fast front end loader" coming downhill?

Those things can't be easy to stop if she like fell over or something.

Yeah. She's had one on-road fall in 40 years. Neither of us were worried, although I'm sure some people would be.

- Frank Krygowski

as a 5 yard pilote...if a large loader on fat tires heaves into view at speed...give him rooooooooom.

a lady flagger swung at you ? amazing.

Frank Krygowski writes:

On Sunday, July 14, 2013 12:56:52 AM UTC-4, Dan wrote:
Frank Krygowski writes:

Oh yeah - also yesterday: Commencing the most fun downhill of the trip (just before crossing the river on the flooded road), we were approached from behind by a front end loader. I figured it would be no issue, since he won't be doing more than 20 mph, and we get to coast for about a mile, almost always faster than that.



Well, that was a fast front end loader! His bucket spanned more than the narrow lane (although there was no center line),


So how do you define "lane"?

On a narrow road with no center line? Half the road width.


You'll pardon me and Hans for thinking that sounds pretty arbitrary.

... and my wife doesn't coast as fast as I do, but he still hung behind her, with no sign of impatience from him or from the two cars following him.





How far behind her? Jeez, a "fast front end loader" coming downhill?

Those things can't be easy to stop if she like fell over or something.

Yeah. She's had one on-road fall in 40 years. Neither of us were worried, although I'm sure some people would be.


Well then. as long as the odds seem to be with you... (By the same
token, statistically speaking the odds would seem to be mounting,
wouldn't they? Can you see, then, how individual experience trumps
statistical averages?)

datakoll writes:

a lady flagger swung at you ?

amazing.

I suspect she had other issues (don't we all).

Dan writes:

Frank Krygowski writes:

On Sunday, July 14, 2013 12:56:52 AM UTC-4, Dan wrote:
Frank Krygowski writes:

Oh yeah - also yesterday: Commencing the most fun downhill of the trip (just before crossing the river on the flooded road), we were approached from behind by a front end loader. I figured it would be no issue, since he won't be doing more than 20 mph, and we get to coast for about a mile, almost always faster than that.



Well, that was a fast front end loader! His bucket spanned more than the narrow lane (although there was no center line),


So how do you define "lane"?

On a narrow road with no center line? Half the road width.


You'll pardon me and Hans for thinking that sounds pretty arbitrary.

... and my wife doesn't coast as fast as I do, but he still hung behind her, with no sign of impatience from him or from the two cars following him.





How far behind her? Jeez, a "fast front end loader" coming downhill?

Those things can't be easy to stop if she like fell over or something.

Yeah. She's had one on-road fall in 40 years. Neither of us were worried, although I'm sure some people would be.


Well then. as long as the odds seem to be with you... (By the same
token, statistically speaking the odds would seem to be mounting,
wouldn't they? Can you see, then, how individual experience trumps
statistical averages?)

Thinking a bit about individual vs. actuarial stats. As noted
recently, my own "death rate" is *infinitely* lower than any
whole population that has any fatalities. Anyone else's death
is purely anecdotal to me. Of course I may consider the
circumstances of that anecdote and change my behavior accordingly,
but the set's statistical "death rate" is still meaningless to me.

Once I die, my own death rate will be higher than any whole
population with surviving members; but I won't care, will I.

So have a ball with your statistical data, man. Maybe there are
some manufacturing machines somewhere that need calibrating.

A baby bluejay came hopping across the road yesterday. I saw it;
the cat saw it. The poor thing didn't stand a chance. I kept the
cat at bay as the adult bluejay pair squawked. I picked up the baby.
Now what? Obviously I'm supposed to climb up and put it back in the
nest, but I don't know where the nest is. I had put the cat inside
the house, so that helped the odds some. One adult bird was in the
apple tree in the middle of the (now) vacant lot across the road
(their nest must be in one of the trees over there, I think). I set
the baby down at the base of the apple tree and walked away. A bit
later, it hopped across the lot toward a safer area (further from the
road, available cover). On the way it flapped its wings a bit.
Things were looking up. Odds ever-changing.

On Sunday, July 14, 2013 11:35:28 AM UTC-4, Dan wrote:
Frank Krygowski writes:

She's had one on-road fall in 40 years. Neither of us were worried, although I'm sure some people would be.





Well then. as long as the odds seem to be with you... (By the same

token, statistically speaking the odds would seem to be mounting,

wouldn't they? ...

No, that's not the way that works, although it's a common fallacy. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_averages

- Frank Krygowski

On Sunday, July 14, 2013 11:28:20 AM UTC-4, datakoll wrote:
a lady flagger swung at you ? amazing.

No, that was someone else's fiction. We talked to a road department employee who was using his truck to ban motor vehicles from a flooded road, and convinced him to let us try getting through. It was all very quick and easy - both the convincing, and the actual getting through.

- Frank Krygowski

Frank Krygowski writes:

On Sunday, July 14, 2013 11:28:20 AM UTC-4, datakoll wrote:
a lady flagger swung at you ? amazing.

No, that was someone else's fiction.

I promised; so no whinning this time - just clarification.

We talked to a road department employee who was using his truck to ban motor vehicles from a flooded road, and convinced him to let us try getting through. It was all very quick and easy - both the convincing, and the actual getting through.


I *think* he was referring to me, who *was* swung at (just missed
my helmet as I ducked and rode away).

(Was that whinning? I hope not. Probably kind of. I meant to
not reply at all when I crossed my heart.)

Now, if I said, "please try to keep up" and "see why it's a good
idea to quote the relevant context", *that* would probably be
whinning.

(Oops. My crossed heart's going to stop beating now. I'll try
again... )