#1 Commuting/Routes » Dear motorist in the maroon Honda Element in Frost Bank Tower downtown » 2010-11-04 09:54:36

maastrichtian
Replies: 2

<In the off-chance that I can't locate your vehicle in the parking garage in order to deliver this message personally>

Sir:

We didn't get a chance to finish our conversation this morning.  You seem to have a lot of anger inside, so I wanted to offer you the opportunity to get it all out, so that we can reach a better understanding of each other, and perhaps avoid dangerous and unsightly confrontations in the future.

I wanted to point out that I was following all of the applicable laws regarding cyclists in our fair city.  If you feel that I was in error with regards to our right-of-way laws, or of our traffic laws that apply to cyclists, please let me know, and I will try to fix my error.  Please consult the following website for reference:

Safe passage around vulnerable road users:
http://www.amlegal.com/austin_nxt/gatew … JD_12-1-35
In particular, please note § 12-1-35, relevant sections copied below for your convenience:
§ 12-1-35  VULNERABLE ROAD USERS.
(a)     In this section, a Vulnerable Road User means:
(3)     a person operating equipment other than a motor vehicle, including, but not limited to, a bicycle, handcycle, horse-driven conveyance, or unprotected farm equipment; or
(b)     An operator of a motor vehicle passing a vulnerable road user operating on a highway or street shall:
(1)     vacate the lane in which the vulnerable road user is located if the highway has two or more marked lanes running in the same direction; or
(2)     pass the vulnerable road user at a safe distance.
(c)     For the purpose of Subsection (b)(2), when road conditions allow, safe distance is at least:
(1)     three feet if the operator's vehicle is a passenger car or light truck; or
(f)     An operator of a motor vehicle may not maneuver the vehicle in a manner that:
(1)     is intended to cause intimidation or harassment to a vulnerable road user; or
(2)     threatens a vulnerable road user.

Bicycle regulations:
http://www.amlegal.com/austin_nxt/gatew … hapter12-2

If, however, you prefer to continue to yell at me from your car, and perhaps endanger my life and the livelihood of my family, I will be riding my bike to work again tomorrow morning.  I make an easy target, what with the reflective clothing and lights, riding in the correct lane of traffic, stopping at all stop signs and lights, and signaling all stops and turns...

Please be careful out there.  There are a lot of crazy drivers in Austin.

#2 Re: Traffic Laws » Is cycling in the crosswalk legal outside downtown? » 2010-11-03 15:15:08

Interesting discussion, thanks.  I don't have an answer, but I will say that you guys seem to be much more disciplined than I.  I consider myself to be a very law-abiding, courteous bicyclist, but if there are no pedestrians around (there never are on my one crosswalk that I take), I just ride through it.  Slowly, carefully, and courteously, but I still ride through it.

However, I do suffer near-misses, and eventually I'm going to get hit, so I will probably select a new route tonight.  This will add at least a mile one-way to my commute, but whatever, it's worth it.

Ride safe!

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