sigh of the times

riding into work yesterday, i saw a guy talking on a cell phone while
riding. i make a point of waving at fellow cyclists regardless of age or
cylo-rigging (spandex/corduroy, expensive/cheap, awesome/rad, you
know/concur?) but got no responce from said gentleman chatter/cycleur.
perhaps my befuddled look, or my army surplus pack and rolled up pant cuffs
spawned his scorn or maybe he was just distracted. i fear that the SUV
mindset is invading our ranks.
alfred klek

I really hate to admit this but I use a cell phone on a bike. I am on call
for maintenance and the bike is my primary transportation. I have to be
able to respond to calls from folks. Many times I have been headed home and
had a call that forced me to turn around and return to work to try and
correct the problem.
So yes carrying a cell phone is becoming a "sigh" of the times, at least in
my case.

Sorry
Jim K
Riding everyday.

"jkinney2" spake thusly on or about Thu, 2 Oct 2003
09:57:36 UTC

- I really hate to admit this but I use a cell phone on a bike. I am on call
- for maintenance and the bike is my primary transportation. I have to be
- able to respond to calls from folks. Many times I have been headed home and
- had a call that forced me to turn around and return to work to try and
- correct the problem.
- So yes carrying a cell phone is becoming a "sigh" of the times, at least in
- my case.
-

the problem is not so much having it as having it be a dangerous
distraction. I use my hands free set in the winter because its awkward to
use a phone at all with winter kit but in moderate weather I either pull
over to answer or let who ever is calling leave a message and get to it
when I can get off the road.

the sigh is not in the tool but in the way it is used.


--
I hurt before the ride so fibro gives me a head
start on the rest of the pack. silver lining?

On Thu, 02 Oct 2003 14:43:23 -0000, Bran tapped this on a keyboard:

"jkinney2" spake thusly on or about Thu, 2 Oct 2003
09:57:36 UTC


the problem is not so much having it as having it be a dangerous
distraction. I use my hands free set in the winter because its awkward to
use a phone at all with winter kit but in moderate weather I either pull
over to answer or let who ever is calling leave a message and get to it
when I can get off the road.

the sigh is not in the tool but in the way it is used.

I always have mine with me (in my pack). It is a great tool to have in
moments of trouble. But I never answer it while riding. In fact, I
set it to silent mode. I figure that if it is so important, they will
call again.

--

QUIPd 1.02: (570 of 654)
- ++?????++ Out of Cheese Error. Redo From Start.
- -(Terry Pratchett, Interesting Times)
##2119 #'Mandrake Linux.'

"Johann S." spake thusly on or about Thu, 2 Oct
2003 19:02:57 UTC

- the sigh is not in the tool but in the way it is used.
-
- I always have mine with me (in my pack). It is a great tool to have in
- moments of trouble. But I never answer it while riding. In fact, I
- set it to silent mode. I figure that if it is so important, they will
- call again.
-
I need to know if mine rings; only the folks that are going to call are my
son or calling about him.


--
I hurt before the ride so fibro gives me a head
start on the rest of the pack. silver lining?

jkinney2 wrote:
I really hate to admit this but I use a cell phone on a bike. I am
on call for maintenance and the bike is my primary transportation. I
have to be able to respond to calls from folks.

Yeah, I am oncall for I.S. tech support for a hospital and often have to
call in while on a ride but I ALWAYS pull over and stop to respond to a
page. Its amazing how often the page comes through halfway up a steep
climb! Riding a bike is dangerous enough without adding more risk factors.

Tim McTeague

I always have my cellphone with me, turned off, but available if I
need to make an emergency call.

I usually wave when I see another cyclist, most wave back, but a fair
number don't respond. Doesn't bother me. It might be nice if cycling
were taken so much for granted that special greetings between cyclists
would seem pointless. After all, when you're driving, do you wave to
all the other drivers? :-)

"Alfred Klek" wrote in message m...
riding into work yesterday, i saw a guy talking on a cell phone while
riding. i make a point of waving at fellow cyclists regardless of age or
cylo-rigging (spandex/corduroy, expensive/cheap, awesome/rad, you
know/concur?) but got no responce from said gentleman chatter/cycleur.
perhaps my befuddled look, or my army surplus pack and rolled up pant cuffs
spawned his scorn or maybe he was just distracted. i fear that the SUV
mindset is invading our ranks.
alfred klek

Kaputnik wrote:
.. It might be nice if cycling
were taken so much for granted that special greetings between cyclists
would seem pointless. After all, when you're driving, do you wave to
all the other drivers? :-)

I started serious cycling in the late 70s and was truly pleased to meet a
fellow cyclist on the road. Back then it seemed that every rider greeted
one another. I'm not really a people person but am a firm beliver in good
manners. When I added running to my activities I was amazed to find that
runners rarely waved. Over the years road cyclists became more "serious"
and the waves declined. When I got my first mt. bike in '84 I was happy to
find that most mt. bikers greeted one another and actually stopped to chat.
I suppose when the group is fairly small you just like to see that someone
else shares your passion when so many want you off the road/trail. I must
admit I get a bit irritated when I don't even get the basic cyclist wave,
fingers of the left hand extended downward, when I say "good morning" to a
passing cyclist. Drivers, on the other hand, drive mostly just to get from
point A to point B. Something everyone has to do, so the feeling is not the
same. However, I have seen that two drivers of the same unique vehicle will
wave to one another. So I guess we are all seeking some kind of kinship.

Tim McTeague

On 2 Oct 2003 23:30:02 -0700, (Kaputnik)
wrote:

After all, when you're driving, do you wave to all the other drivers? :-)

Oh, of course -- but I rarely use all five fingers.

Please always use all five fingers.

Let 'em read between the lines if they're smart enough. If they're not
smart enough to read between the lines then they are dumb enough to see the
one-finger wave as assault/'hate speech' (that it maybe depending on your
state's laws) and respond inappropriately.


"Zippy the Pinhead" wrote in message
s.com...
On 2 Oct 2003 23:30:02 -0700, (Kaputnik)
wrote:

After all, when you're driving, do you wave to all the other drivers?
:-)

Oh, of course -- but I rarely use all five fingers.