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#11
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only the strong (read SUVs and cars) survive
Eric Vey wrote:
Jack May wrote: "donquijote1954" wrote in message ... On Apr 14, 5:49 pm, h wrote: "ComandanteBanana" wrote in message ... Something funny happens though. The more you move to the right, the more they squeeze you. It's a power game, I believe, where only the strong (read SUVs and cars) survive. It's an evolution game where the smart survive. Trying to win the Darwin prize is not smart. When gas gets expensive enough, even Jack will be walking. His whole outlook will change. Right now, only "poor" people walk and get mown down by drivers, but wealth is relative. Especially when Jack's job is sent to someone in India who makes $10K US per year. -- Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia The weather is here, wish you were beautiful |
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#12
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only the strong (read SUVs and cars) survive
Bill Sornson wrote:
Pat wrote: If you can't keep up to road speed, get off the road or you'll get killed. Moronic POTW. OMG - I agree with Sorni! -- Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia The weather is here, wish you were beautiful |
#13
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only the strong (read SUVs and cars) survive
On Apr 14, 10:27*pm, wrote:
On Apr 14, 9:54 pm, Pat wrote: If you can't keep up to road speed, get off the road or you'll get killed. *If you can keep up with traffic, you wouldn't have the problems. It's not the bike that people dislike, it's the speed you're going. Get over the whole bike thing and look within. Pat (who?), Jack May, and "donquijote" all manage to be very wrong, although the first two come at it from a different direction than our "banana" boy. No, you won't get killed riding a bike, despite what Jack and Pat claim. *No, the world doesn't have to be transformed to make bicycling safe, despite donquijote's paranoid whining. All three of you need to learn a lot about the real data. The fatality rate from bicycling is infinitesmal. *There are roughly fifteen million miles ridden between bike fatalities. *People who cycle regularly have been shown to live longer than typical motorists. *Many researchers have found that the risk of cycling is less, per hour, than the risk of motoring, or less than the risk of walking near traffic. Pat, get over the self-centered motorist thing. *The roads are NOT intended for only the uses you prefer. *Slow down, share the road. The few seconds it takes you to get past a bicyclist will not change your life. *You're not going to use that time to save the world. Jack, the Darwin award should go to the bulk of the population that sits on fat asses in oversized vehicles and prepares for early heart attack. *It has nothing to do with people keeping themselves healthy by safe, healthy exercise. *Your remark on evolution shows a dismal lack of science understanding. *Quit posting from a position of ignorance. Donquijote/comandante banana, quit your obnoxious whining. *If you're too much of a wimp to ride without whining, leave us alone and do something else. To all three: *Sorry, I usually try not to be so harsh. *But massive ignorance becomes grating after a while. - Frank Krygowski You missed my point. I don't think that biking is particularly dangerous and I don't care if anyone does it. But donquijote constantly complains how dangerious it is and how he takes his life into his hands every time he gets on a bike because he thinks SUVs are aiming for him. I think that if he feels that way, or if cars are really endangering him, then HE is doing something wrong and he needs to look at it. In the example he gives, he is on a bridge and other bikers decide to walk or take precautionary measures but he decides not to and then complains how he almost go runned over. Well, he needs to look within. It ain't the bike that's causing his problems. I ride a motorcycle and I often say that if you ride like you're scared and hesitant, bad things will happen to you. If you ride with confidence and control (and you ride in a predictable manner), then you cut down on the odds of having something bad happening. I think the odds of something bad happening to the average biker is quite low. I think the odds of something bad happening to dq is pretty high, but it's his own doing. |
#14
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Where the cyclists in America belong: back alleys, gutters and sidewalks
In ,
ComandanteBanana tweaked the Babbage-Engine to tell us: That's where the cyclists in America belong: back alleys, gutters and sidewalks. Remind me again why BRITONS should care? -- Dave Larrington http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk If you want a bicycle, buy a bicycle. If you want something that folds, buy a deckchair. |
#15
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dinosaurs are not foreve
On Apr 14, 9:54 pm, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:06:42 -0700 (PDT), donquijote1954 wrote: Something funny happens though. The more you move to the right, the more they squeeze you. It's a power game, I believe, where only the strong (read SUVs and cars) survive. Evidently you have never heard the phrase "Right or Dead Right" Might want to ponder on that one for a bit. Yep, and I have changed my survival strategy accordingly. I have realized that America, despite her claims to democracy and Christianity, is now ruled by the Law of the Jungle. The world seems to know it now too. It's evident in her foreign policies that she's getting hungrier. And it's even more clear when you live inside and you notice that the top predators want to have an SUV to show their power and wealth --if not to impose their might... However dinosaurs are not forever. Actually, the hungrier they get, the quicker they exhaust the resources, and the quicker they disappear. But they were not known for having big brains either. Someone may ponder about that too. |
#16
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only the strong (read SUVs and cars) survive
On Apr 15, 12:33*am, Pat wrote:
On Apr 14, 10:27*pm, wrote: On Apr 14, 9:54 pm, Pat wrote: If you can't keep up to road speed, get off the road or you'll get killed. *If you can keep up with traffic, you wouldn't have the problems. It's not the bike that people dislike, it's the speed you're going. Get over the whole bike thing and look within. Pat (who?), Jack May, and "donquijote" all manage to be very wrong, although the first two come at it from a different direction than our "banana" boy. No, you won't get killed riding a bike, despite what Jack and Pat claim. *No, the world doesn't have to be transformed to make bicycling safe, despite donquijote's paranoid whining. All three of you need to learn a lot about the real data. The fatality rate from bicycling is infinitesmal. *There are roughly fifteen million miles ridden between bike fatalities. *People who cycle regularly have been shown to live longer than typical motorists. *Many researchers have found that the risk of cycling is less, per hour, than the risk of motoring, or less than the risk of walking near traffic. Pat, get over the self-centered motorist thing. *The roads are NOT intended for only the uses you prefer. *Slow down, share the road. The few seconds it takes you to get past a bicyclist will not change your life. *You're not going to use that time to save the world. Jack, the Darwin award should go to the bulk of the population that sits on fat asses in oversized vehicles and prepares for early heart attack. *It has nothing to do with people keeping themselves healthy by safe, healthy exercise. *Your remark on evolution shows a dismal lack of science understanding. *Quit posting from a position of ignorance. Donquijote/comandante banana, quit your obnoxious whining. *If you're too much of a wimp to ride without whining, leave us alone and do something else. To all three: *Sorry, I usually try not to be so harsh. *But massive ignorance becomes grating after a while. - Frank Krygowski You missed my point. *I don't think that biking is particularly dangerous and I don't care if anyone does it. *But donquijote constantly complains how dangerious it is and how he takes his life into his hands every time he gets on a bike because he thinks SUVs are aiming for him. *I think that if he feels that way, or if cars are really endangering him, then HE is doing something wrong and he needs to look at it. *In the example he gives, he is on a bridge and other bikers decide to walk or take precautionary measures but he decides not to and then complains how he almost go runned over. *Well, he needs to look within. *It ain't the bike that's causing his problems. I ride a motorcycle and I often say that if you ride like you're scared and hesitant, bad things will happen to you. *If you ride with confidence and control (and you ride in a predictable manner), then you cut down on the odds of having something bad happening. I think the odds of something bad happening to the average biker is quite low. *I think the odds of something bad happening to dq is pretty high, but it's his own doing.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Though you are usually dimwitted, you have made an interesting point. The SPEED DIFFERENTIAL puts me at odds with traffic, which I experience on the bicycle and not on a scooter or motorcycle. That's the reason I suggest LANE DISCIPLINE, where the right lane is kept at a 20MPH limit. Actually the whole road may move faster that way since the faster vehicles overtake on the left and don't have the need to zigzag and put others at risk. Priority #1 when the revolution comes. |
#17
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Where the cyclists in America belong: back alleys, gutters andsidewalks
On Apr 15, 3:48*am, "Dave Larrington"
wrote: , ComandanteBanana tweaked the Babbage-Engine to tell us: That's where the cyclists in America belong: back alleys, gutters and sidewalks. Remind me again why BRITONS should care? Man, we are like brothers! Our headaches are tied up to OIL, but bikes could at least be aspirine! Don't you have Britons dying over oil supplies? |
#18
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Where the cyclists in America belong: back alleys, gutters andsidewalks
ComandanteBanana wrote:
On Apr 15, 3:48 am, "Dave Larrington" wrote: , ComandanteBanana tweaked the Babbage-Engine to tell us: That's where the cyclists in America belong: back alleys, gutters and sidewalks. Remind me again why BRITONS should care? Man, we are like brothers! Our headaches are tied up to OIL, but bikes could at least be aspirine! Don't you have Britons dying over oil supplies? Not as many since they left Basra in September. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/mid...st/6975375.stm |
#19
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WE MUST GET ORGANIZED
On Apr 14, 10:27*pm, wrote:
On Apr 14, 9:54 pm, Pat wrote: If you can't keep up to road speed, get off the road or you'll get killed. *If you can keep up with traffic, you wouldn't have the problems. It's not the bike that people dislike, it's the speed you're going. Get over the whole bike thing and look within. Pat (who?), Jack May, and "donquijote" all manage to be very wrong, although the first two come at it from a different direction than our "banana" boy. DonQuijote and ComandanteBanana are the same thing. Only that when one account gets saturated I use the other. (I think I'm a little more clever under DonQuijote though. ComandanteBanana is more like a jungle leader, very appropriate for dealing with traffic.) No, you won't get killed riding a bike, despite what Jack and Pat claim. *No, the world doesn't have to be transformed to make bicycling safe, despite donquijote's paranoid whining. All three of you need to learn a lot about the real data. The fatality rate from bicycling is infinitesmal. *There are roughly fifteen million miles ridden between bike fatalities. *People who cycle regularly have been shown to live longer than typical motorists. *Many researchers have found that the risk of cycling is less, per hour, than the risk of motoring, or less than the risk of walking near traffic. Man, you need to go in the jungle more often... "Riding a bicycle in peak-hour traffic is at best harrowing, and at worst downright treacherous." The predators are everywhere... "Driving really seems to bring out the animal in us; put an otherwise considerate and socially adapted person in a metal cage and stick them into peak hour traffic and you'll see them shout, swear and punish other road users in ways they'd never dream of in a social situation." You are the bottom of the food chain... "Size is everything; trucks intimidate 4WDs, who muscle out compact cars. Commuting motorcyclists learn quickly to be hyper-vigilant around anything with 4 wheels - but even their lot can't compare to the vulnerability of bicycle riders, who travel much slower than the speed limit, are able to own very little road space, and typically wear only the bare minimum of protective gear." Hey, but you may learn to use some camouflage and pretend to be from the opposite gender... "Furthermore, Dr. Walker wore a long wig on some trials to see if perceived gender had any effect on overtaking distances. It certainly did - drivers gave him an average 14cm more room." It's fascinating to know how the power games are played in the jungle... "Perhaps, as the vehicle size data suggests, drivers simply see overtaking a cyclist as an opportunity to stamp their road authority on a weaker, more vulnerable competitor for tarmac space." COMPETITION IS NOT ALLOWED, says the lion. I'm NOT saying though that we should avoid the predators and become couch potatoes. What I'm saying is that WE MUST GET ORGANIZED if we want to come out from the back alleys, gutters and sidewalks. And it's all science... Bicycle helmets - a road safety hazard? May 14, 2007 A British scientist has proved that wearing a bicycle helmet actually exposes cyclists to further risk. Overtaking traffic passed helmeted cyclists with significantly less room than unhelmeted cyclists - and the bigger the vehicle, the closer the average passing distance was. As civilised as we pretend to be elsewhere, we consistently act like might is right on our roads. Road psychology is fascinating. Driving really seems to bring out the animal in us; put an otherwise considerate and socially adapted person in a metal cage and stick them into peak hour traffic and you'll see them shout, swear and punish other road users in ways they'd never dream of in a social situation. It's mankind at its prmitive worst; the thinnest point in our fragile veneer of civilisation, where the law of the jungle underpins our actions and social conventions go out the window. Size is everything; trucks intimidate 4WDs, who muscle out compact cars. Commuting motorcyclists learn quickly to be hyper-vigilant around anything with 4 wheels - but even their lot can't compare to the vulnerability of bicycle riders, who travel much slower than the speed limit, are able to own very little road space, and typically wear only the bare minimum of protective gear. Riding a bicycle in peak-hour traffic is at best harrowing, and at worst downright treacherous. While cyclists are able to feel in some control over what's happening in front of them, car drivers in the outermost lane tend to see them as an annoying chicane and overtake leaving a fraction of the space they'd give another car. And research from the University of Bath shows that where a cyclist is wearing protective clothing, drivers are likely to cut in even closer. Dr Ian Walker, a traffic psychologist from the University of Bath, used a bicycle fitted with a computer and an ultrasonic distance sensor to record data from over 2,500 overtaking motorists in Salisbury and Bristol last September. Dr Walker, who was struck by both a bus and a truck in the course of the experiment, spent half the time wearing a cycle helmet and half the time bare-headed. He was wearing the helmet both times he was struck. He found that drivers were as much as twice as likely to get particularly close to the bicycle when he was wearing the helmet. Across the board, drivers passed an average of 8.5 cm (3 1/3 inches) closer with the helmet than without. The research has been accepted for publication in the journal Accident Analysis & Prevention. Size of vehicle also played a role: the average car passed 1.33 metres away from the bicycle, the average white van was 10cm closer. The average truck was a further 9cm closer, and the average bus 4cm closer again - 23cm closer on average than a car. Furthermore, Dr. Walker wore a long wig on some trials to see if perceived gender had any effect on overtaking distances. It certainly did - drivers gave him an average 14cm more room. What are the implications? Perhaps when drivers see male riders suited up with all the correct gear they assume they'll be more predictable and able to get themselves out of trouble. Maybe there's some sort of chivalrous courtesy going on when female riders are left wider gaps. Perhaps, as the vehicle size data suggests, drivers simply see overtaking a cyclist as an opportunity to stamp their road authority on a weaker, more vulnerable competitor for tarmac space. Either way, the research throws a very interesting slant on the mandatory bicycle helmet laws found in many areas. While helmets are clearly an advantage in a fall, there's little to suggest they do much when the rider is hit by a car or truck. And if a helmeted cyclist experiences around 20% more close overtaking moves than his unhelmeted contemporary, does wearing a helmet actually make bicycle commuting more dangerous? A fascinating psychological study. Want to see a person's true character? Study them alone, in a car, in traffic. And prepare to be shocked. http://www.gizmag.com/go/7255/ |
#20
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WE MUST GET ORGANIZED
ComandanteBanana wrote:
Somebody IS organized. http://spokesnfolks.blogspot.com/200...sponsible.html Riders cheered the news last night that one of the toll lanes onto the Rickenbacker Causeway is soon to be kept open for bicycles only on weekdays and early weekend mornings. Jeff Cohen, of Miami-Dade Public Works, said the change will take place when current modifications of the toll gates are complete. About four dozen cyclists turned out for the bicycle town hall session in Coral Gables. We heard encouraging news about some South Dade streets that will be redone to include bike lanes (details later), and an update on the long series of bike-safety improvements on the Rickenbacker between Miami and Key Biscayne. Most of us were getting our first look at a path solution that will take westbound riders off the Rickenbacker smoothly onto Brickell Avenue without having to mix it up with cars and boat trailers in the flyover. There's more, but I'll have to report later. It's tax day, you know... |
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