BIKE: How to break the law?

[Michael Bluejay]

On Apr 26, 2004, at 8:33 AM, Mike Dahmus wrote:

> Most people who are actually good at something merely consider 
> themselves to be adequate, but rarely overrate themselves. However, a 
> substantial majority of people who are actually quite bad at a task 
> will rate themselves very highly.

Yes, but I have nearly 20 years of experience to back me up.  If what I 
were doing on a daily basis were really dangerous then I would be dead 
or at least injured by now, right?  If you can do something every day 
for 20 years with no consequences then the obvious conclusion is it's 
*really not that dangerous*.

As far as my own judgement about the situation, I'm not so stupid that 
I would fail to notice close calls -- if they ever happened.  And they 
don't, because that's not the way I run stop signs and red lights.


> You're asking us to trust you. You may even be worthy of our trust. 
> But that's not the way the law works; nor should it. What you're 
> asking for is anarchy.

Yeah, except you're not interested in applying this law-worship as 
rigidly to motorists, since in your recent post you excused them since 
they break the law in a kinder, gentler way then cyclists.  Either the 
law is absolute or it's not, you can't have it both ways.


> Credibility is not earned by being a foaming-at-the-mouth zealot ....

I agree.

> The following people use their bike 100% of the time, or close to it: 
> Patrick, Michael Bluejay.
>
> Who is more qualified to comment on interactions between the modes?

Uh, excuse me, just because I ride a bike 100% of the time now doesn't 
mean I was always that way.  I had a license and drove for five years a 
long time ago.  I simply gave it up.

But even if I hadn't, it's kind of silly to suggest that I'm unable to 
tell whether cars almost hit me when I run stop signs simply because I 
don't drive myself.

-MBJ-