BIKE: Relevant to recent discussions

[m.lee]

Let me preface this with... I tend to stop or slow down so much I might as well
be stopped at stopsigns and lights, but I suspect part of that is I like the
opportunity it provides me to stretch, take breather, drink water, and various
other things. Let me also say that on Shoal Creek, I have seen many bicyclist
unsafely zoom threw both stopsigns and lights and it annoys me. Not because
they broke the law, but because they were unsafe. They were not paying
attention which is also the problem with cars, inattentive drivers. Due to
inattentive drivers and bikes it doesn't matter if you follow the law because
your probably going to get hit. That is why, I try to be very attentive. While
driving or biking, I try to keep track of everything that is going on in front,
behind or to the sides of the road,it  is called defensive driving. I try to
bicycle the same way.

Now in other countries in the world,(China, Taiwan, Italy to name a few) those
with less laws actually have less accidents, I.E. with some anarchy on the
road. Why, because everyone is paying attention because they don't expect
anyone to behave well or to follow laws. We on the other hand seem to think
that everyone should follow laws and that on the most part that people will and
then get upset when they don't...

One incident in Italy, an old man with a cane walks out in a high speed traffic
circle one hand out expecting people to stop.  Everyone stops. I was in shock
and asked about this phenomena. The old man has been doing this for years. He
has reached a nice old age. Saw many other incidences like this... In America,
he would have died, either an inattentive driver would have gotten him or one
who has a sense of privlege on the road. In Taiwan in many streets your dodging
pedestrians, bicyclist scooters, cars en mass and extreme chaos... No dead
people and fewer accidents.

Now, I do think it is important to set a good example for cars and other bikes,
so if anyone is at the intersection, I try obey all the the laws, but if I
don't see or hear anyone, I may just slow down check the intersection and go
through depending on if I don't need to stretch or anything, and there are no
blind curbs and I know for sure that I will be able to see anyone speeding
before they hit me.

But in the end, I really don't think safety is really about traffic laws, it is
about paying attention and if you are paying attention and expecting that no
one else is paying attention, you can break a few traffic laws safely. You can
probably break a lot of traffic laws and reach a ripe old age. But if you don't
pay attention than you can follow all the traffic laws and still get hit
because of this mistaken belief that other people are paying attention.

Lack of bike funding due to not obeying traffic laws is a whole different
issue.

Biking around campus is different as well. I would like to point out that the
majority of kids these days often have their first daily biking experience at
college. So, where would they have learned how to bike in traffic? I didn't
even know that bikes were required to follow traffic laws until I started
commuting and became interested. I used to think that cars were required to
yield to peds and bikes. Not that I ever trusted them to...

Mlee








Quoting Fred Meredith <bikin-fred>:

> The following text was part of a post on another listserv a national 
> cycling advocacy list. I thought the author was very much on target 
> and the topic very relevant to last weeks discussion on traffic 
> lights/stop signs and whether cyclists needed to obey the law.
> 
> >
> >My personal problems with the behaviors enumerated previously, and
> >responded to by Stanley below, are as follows:
> >
> >Weaving/swerving - I have been crashed into by cyclists who are
> >unpredictable.  I *thought* I could predict the next graceful curve enough
> >to get by, but I was mistaken.
> >
> >Unpredictable rideouts - Folks leaving driveways or side streets without
> >looking, slowing, or being otherwise predictable are a noticeable problem.
> >
> >Light/sign running - I have had very near misses, while driving and
> >cycling, with cyclists who ignored traffic signals/controls while traveling
> >at approx. 10-15MPH.
> >
> >Wrong way riding - I often have unpredictable encounters, and have had a
> >couple crashes, with cyclists riding facing traffic.  I have also ended up
> >with a cyclist running into the right  front corner of my car as I prepared
> >for a right turn out of a side street.
> >
> >Unlit at night - I have had MANY close calls with unlit riders, who have
> >often been exhibiting other unpredictable behaviors at the same time.
> >
> >I ride in the metro Fort Lauderdale area, night and day, rain and shine,
> >and by far my worst set of problems comes from fellow cyclists who treat
> >traffic rules "situationally".  If you're looking for a justification for
> >following traffic rules, think of the obligation one has to society to not
> >endanger others or to not, by endangering oneself, become a burden on
> >society in general.
> >
> >Please don't try to defend behavior that is dangerous.
> >
> >Thanks,
> >Whitney
> >
> >
> >At 03:23 AM 4/29/04 -0700, Stanley wrote:
> >  >SB:
> >>The answer is that they aren't as concerned as you are
> >>with demonstrating approved cycling positioning,
> >>posture, or technique. Other cyclists may not be as
> >>concerned as you in being in the "correct" gear, or as
> >>concerned with taking the most efficient line through
> >>a curve or from point A to point B, or complying with
> >>the letter of unenforced traffic regulations (that
> >>often are situationally irrelevant). In some cases
> >>they may not regard safety in as high as regard as
> >>you; some people do not make avoidance of every risk,
> >>no matter what the significance, their paramount goal
> >>in life. They may not define "not look where they are
> >>going" the same way you do.
> >>
> >>The "answer" for adults and probably most older
> >>children's "problem" is that they may not have a
> >>problem.
> >>
> >>Your problem is failure to recognize that cyclists may
> >>know the "correct" techniques, but choose not to use
> >>them for reasons that don't jibe with your own cycling
> >>values.
> >>
> >  >Stanley
> 
> 
> Last names and email addresses removed since I did not ask their 
> permission to reprint some of their words.
> 
> Fred (a believer in predictability, especially when I am the most 
> vulnerable participant) Meredith
> -- 
> When in doubt ... ride your bike (or at least write about it).
> 
> Fred Meredith
> P.O. Box 100 (12702 Lowden Ln for UPS/FedEx)
> Manchaca, TX 78652
> 512/282-1987 (office/home)
> 512/282-7413 (fax)
> 512/636-7480 (wireless)
> More than you want to know at: http://2merediths.com
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