Where the cyclists in America belong: back alleys, gutters andsidewalks

Just Saturday morning I was almost attacked for doing the right thing
on the Causeway to Hell (the name is due to the many incidents I had
there, this being the third one that day). The guy blew the horn as I
was riding the bike nicely, and I gave him the finger. I shouldn't
have, but he didn't have to harass me with the horn. He stopped,
insulted me, wanted to fight me, and spit at me before taking off. It
just happens that I'm supposed to walk the bike on the sidewalk across
its bridges! No more biking on that road, or any other road shared
with traffic. Predators like this will always be encouraged to
mistreat cyclists due to the lack of respect given to us. No more than
blacks that were forced to ride in the back of buses...

NOTE: For the reasons given above, I do NOT recommend that you give
the finger to anyone. Not because they don't deserve it, but because
the lion is waiting for any excuse to eat the monkey. Instead, I do
recommend you give them the finger in a nice civilized way. Something
like "You can eat my banana" on the back of the T-shirt will still
give them the finger, but with vaseline, so to speak.

That was my best route out... I've found instead an alley that takes me
into town. That's where the cyclists in America belong: back alleys,
gutters and sidewalks.

BIKE FOR PEACE
(T-shirts and more)
http://webspawner.com/users/bikeforpeace

You're just an amazing dumbass.

"ComandanteBanana" wrote in message
...
Just Saturday morning I was almost attacked for doing the right thing
on the Causeway to Hell (the name is due to the many incidents I had
there, this being the third one that day). The guy blew the horn as I
was riding the bike nicely, and I gave him the finger. I shouldn't
have, but he didn't have to harass me with the horn. He stopped,
insulted me, wanted to fight me, and spit at me before taking off. It
just happens that I'm supposed to walk the bike on the sidewalk across
its bridges! No more biking on that road, or any other road shared
with traffic. Predators like this will always be encouraged to
mistreat cyclists due to the lack of respect given to us. No more than
blacks that were forced to ride in the back of buses...

NOTE: For the reasons given above, I do NOT recommend that you give
the finger to anyone. Not because they don't deserve it, but because
the lion is waiting for any excuse to eat the monkey. Instead, I do
recommend you give them the finger in a nice civilized way. Something
like "You can eat my banana" on the back of the T-shirt will still
give them the finger, but with vaseline, so to speak.

That was my best route out... I've found instead an alley that takes me
into town. That's where the cyclists in America belong: back alleys,
gutters and sidewalks.

BIKE FOR PEACE
(T-shirts and more)
http://webspawner.com/users/bikeforpeace

On Apr 14, 4:58 pm, "Roger Zoul" wrote:
You're just an amazing dumbass.

"ComandanteBanana" wrote in message

...



Just Saturday morning I was almost attacked for doing the right thing
on the Causeway to Hell (the name is due to the many incidents I had
there, this being the third one that day). The guy blew the horn as I
was riding the bike nicely, and I gave him the finger. I shouldn't
have, but he didn't have to harass me with the horn. He stopped,
insulted me, wanted to fight me, and spit at me before taking off. It
just happens that I'm supposed to walk the bike on the sidewalk across
its bridges! No more biking on that road, or any other road shared
with traffic. Predators like this will always be encouraged to
mistreat cyclists due to the lack of respect given to us. No more than
blacks that were forced to ride in the back of buses...

NOTE: For the reasons given above, I do NOT recommend that you give
the finger to anyone. Not because they don't deserve it, but because
the lion is waiting for any excuse to eat the monkey. Instead, I do
recommend you give them the finger in a nice civilized way. Something
like "You can eat my banana" on the back of the T-shirt will still
give them the finger, but with vaseline, so to speak.

That was my best route out... I've found instead an alley that takes me
into town. That's where the cyclists in America belong: back alleys,
gutters and sidewalks.

BIKE FOR PEACE
(T-shirts and more)
http://webspawner.com/users/bikeforpeace- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Sorry to be such a pain in the ass. Just like Jesus was to Rome. He
rode a donkey to challenge the mighty empire. And then he was
crucified... And no more Jesus.

I think I'll take a break. No more confrontation with the beast for a
while. Too dangerous. Besides I don't believe in turning the other
cheek.

On Apr 14, 5:49 pm, h wrote:
"ComandanteBanana" wrote in message

...

Just Saturday morning I was almost attacked for doing the right thing
on the Causeway to Hell (the name is due to the many incidents I had
there, this being the third one that day). The guy blew the horn as I
was riding the bike nicely, and I gave him the finger. I shouldn't
have, but he didn't have to harass me with the horn. He stopped,
insulted me, wanted to fight me, and spit at me before taking off. It
just happens that I'm supposed to walk the bike on the sidewalk across
its bridges!

Ummm, if the rules say no riding on the bridge, then the lanes are probably
too narrow for cars to pass you safely. Are you seriously saying that you're
being treated like a second class citizen because you're expected to follow
the rules? Do you really think that you should be allowed to ride in the
road when cars cannot safely pass? If so, then you're begging to be hit, or
you think you should be allowed to inconvenience all the people in cars who
will be unable to pass you while on the bridge. I only ride on the bike
path, since all the roads here are FAR too busy. What's wrong with you?

Sorry, but you should have asked how many lanes there were and how
much traffic there was before you sided with Goliath...

There were two lanes each way, with only light traffic. Saturday
morning, remember? It's bicycle day out there, kind of.

But, YES, I'm stating cyclists in America are second class citizens.
Worse, it's not only their dignity, but their own survival that is
threaten.

I was first TAKING THE LANE (sitting wherever I want in the bus) and
the police waved me to move over. Other cyclists were either walking
their bikes or riding them on the sidewalk, meaning they were OK in
the eyes of the police. ("Do what you want, just don't bother cars.")

Second I was blasted by another vehicle while still taking the lane.
And then the third incident came when I moved to the right, but the
guy thought I didn't have the right to be there either.

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.

"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.

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.

On Apr 14, 7:09*pm, "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.

Since it's usually the case that the cylists are more fit than the
drivers, this is a rare case of "survival of the fattest over the
fittest."

I guess common in SOCIAL DARWINISM though.

On Apr 14, 6:10*pm, donquijote1954
wrote:
On Apr 14, 5:49 pm, h wrote:





"ComandanteBanana" wrote in message

...

Just Saturday morning I was almost attacked for doing the right thing
on the Causeway to Hell (the name is due to the many incidents I had
there, this being the third one that day). The guy blew the horn as I
was riding the bike nicely, and I gave him the finger. I shouldn't
have, but he didn't have to harass me with the horn. He stopped,
insulted me, wanted to fight me, and spit at me before taking off. It
just happens that I'm supposed to walk the bike on the sidewalk across
its bridges!

Ummm, if the rules say no riding on the bridge, then the lanes are probably
too narrow for cars to pass you safely. Are you seriously saying that you're
being treated like a second class citizen because you're expected to follow
the rules? Do you really think that you should be allowed to ride in the
road when cars cannot safely pass? If so, then you're begging to be hit, or
you think you should be allowed to inconvenience all the people in cars who
will be unable to pass you while on the bridge. I only ride on the bike
path, since all the roads here are FAR too busy. What's wrong with you?

Sorry, but you should have asked how many lanes there were and how
much traffic there was before you sided with Goliath...

There were two lanes each way, with only light traffic. Saturday
morning, remember? It's bicycle day out there, kind of.

But, YES, I'm stating cyclists in America are second class citizens.
Worse, it's not only their dignity, but their own survival that is
threaten.

I was first TAKING THE LANE (sitting wherever I want in the bus) and
the police waved me to move over. Other cyclists were either walking
their bikes or riding them on the sidewalk, meaning they were OK in
the eyes of the police. ("Do what you want, just don't bother cars.")

Second I was blasted by another vehicle while still taking the lane.
And then the third incident came when I moved to the right, but the
guy thought I didn't have the right to be there either.

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.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

As I've said before, if you get all of those problems, look within.
Others were walking for a reason -- what you were doing was unsafe.

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.

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

On Apr 14, 8:54*pm, Pat wrote:

As I've said before, if you get all of those problems, look within.
Others were walking for a reason -- what you were doing was unsafe.

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.-

I agree. My disapproving gesture of choice is "thumbs down", used
sparingly, for example, when an oncoming car passes another oncoming
car, and there's either no paved shoulder or only a very limited one.
It's never wise to use it when you're in the wrong.

I have some history of making sarcastic remarks to drivers who cut me
off and can hear me, e.g. "do you think that might makes right?" It's
not effective. One example: A garbage truck cut into the road right
in front of me. 1/4 mile ahead he turned into a street so I followed
him and as soon as he stopped, came up and yelled: "Do you think you
own the road or what." He just glared at me and said: " Get the
f**** out of my face." End of discussion "Please watch for
bicycles. Have a good day" has a better chance.

As a matter of general interest, how do you react when being reproved
for being in the wrong? (which happens to me from time to time, as I
have an imperfect record of waiting for stop lights and stopping at
stop signs.)

One time, on a recreation path that required leashing dogs, an
unleashed dog was in the way, so I yelled at him (the dog). His
mistress really went after me for upsetting her poor mutt. How much
sympathy do you think she got from me?