BikeArlington LIGHTS FOR BIKES! Details/Call For Volunteers

[culimerc]

Can I stop by Bike Arlington HQ to pick up spare blinkies etc to pass out on my travels?

[Tim Kelley]

@culimerc 68867 wrote:

Can I stop by Bike Arlington HQ to pick up spare blinkies etc to pass out on my travels?

Most likely. We want to do a few more giveaways, and after that we should have some leftovers that our ambassadors can pick up!

[DismalScientist]

BikeSnob says suggesting that pedestrians wear reflective clothing and carry lights at night is equivalent to “blaming the victim.” http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2013/11/turn-on-your-flashlight-let-it-shine.html

[GB]

I think that it’s fair to consider it “blaming the victim” if it’s after the accident. Does, “I didn’t even see you there” sound familiar?

But I also think it’s fair to politely notify peds that they are hard to see as you pass them on normal/accident free ride.

I do think we have to have to be very careful about having double standards with the way we expect drivers to treat us and they way we treat peds.

[ShawnoftheDread]

@DismalScientist 69157 wrote:

BikeSnob says suggesting that pedestrians wear reflective clothing and carry lights at night is equivalent to “blaming the victim.” http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2013/11/turn-on-your-flashlight-let-it-shine.html

BikeSnob says a lot of things.

And he’s talking about telling pedestrians to do those things on city sidewalks so they don’t get hit by cars ON THE SIDEWALK. So I agree with him on that point.

[consularrider]

@ShawnoftheDread 69160 wrote:

BikeSnob says a lot of things.

And he’s talking about telling pedestrians to do those things on city sidewalks so they don’t get hit by cars ON THE SIDEWALK. So I agree with him on that point.

Yeah, not exactly the same thing as being invisible on an unlit shared use path.

[DismalScientist]

@ShawnoftheDread 69160 wrote:

And he’s talking about telling pedestrians to do those things on city sidewalks so they don’t get hit by cars ON THE SIDEWALK.

It is not as if pedestrians don’t cross the street at anytime. It was the Streetsblog writer that inappropriately linked the ideas of lit pedestrians with not getting run over on the sidewalk. I doubt that whoever suggested that pedestrians be lit was talking about pedestrians solely on sidewalks.

Anyways, I was only trying to cause trouble…

I might point out that the Custis trail in Rosslyn IS a sidewalk.:rolleyes:

[mstone]

@DismalScientist 69157 wrote:

BikeSnob says suggesting that pedestrians wear reflective clothing and carry lights at night is equivalent to “blaming the victim.” http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2013/11/turn-on-your-flashlight-let-it-shine.html

I think there’s a substantive difference between an urban sidewalk and an unlit MUP.

[mstone]

@DismalScientist 69166 wrote:

It is not as if pedestrians don’t cross the street at anytime. It was the Snob that inappropriately linked the ideas of lit pedestrians with not getting run over on the sidewalk. I doubt that whoever suggested that pedestrians be lit was talking about pedestrians solely on sidewalks.

Context is important. NYC is currently seeing multiple pedestrians per week getting killed by cars running up on sidewalks, and the NYPD is (as usual) not even charging many of the drivers. But they did post this list “to improve the quality of life”–as opposed to, say, taking some action which might encourage motorists to not run over people on sidewalks.

[lordofthemark]

@DismalScientist 69166 wrote:

It is not as if pedestrians don’t cross the street at anytime.

Many cross at signal controlled crosswalks, where a driver should either be stopped, or, if making a right on red, should not be proceeding unless they are SURE there is no ped in the crosswalk.

Crossing at an unsignalled crosswalk (far too many such on major arterials in the suburbs, without even Hawklights) its not at all a bad idea to have reflective or at least bright clothing. But the police should still be focusing on changing driver behavior. Even in such places if drivers drove within the speed limit, were attempting to look out for pedestrians, and appropriately yielded when they did see one, that would improve pedestrian safety immensely.

BTW, if you have noticed the new ped icon signs on Hummer near LRT, that followed an email from me to FCDOT recently (they really want to put those signs out around the County, so if you know a place where there are a lot of peds that could use one, email them). I did not have the chutzpah to ask for a Hawklight.

[DismalScientist]

Google-fu demonstrates that the NYPD just reprinted the pedestrian suggestions from the New York City Department of Aging from April, 2013.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dfta/html/senior/pedestrian.shtml

I don’t think the NYPD was trying to be provocative, just lazy.

[consularrider]

@DismalScientist 69341 wrote:

Google-fu demonstrates that the NYPD just reprinted the pedestrian suggestions from the New York City Department of Aging from April, 2013.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dfta/html/senior/pedestrian.shtml

I don’t think the NYPD was trying to be provocative, just lazy.

Ok, so it’s only us old pharts that need to carry a flashlight? :p

[lordofthemark]

@consularrider 69344 wrote:

Ok, so it’s only us old pharts that need to carry a flashlight? :p

and at what age do i have to stop walking in the rain and snow? Somehow I dont think NYPD envisions my golden years the way I do

[mstone]

@DismalScientist 69341 wrote:

Google-fu demonstrates that the NYPD just reprinted the pedestrian suggestions from the New York City Department of Aging from April, 2013.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dfta/html/senior/pedestrian.shtml

I don’t think the NYPD was trying to be provocative, just lazy.

I think that’s really the problem: they’re too lazy to address the issue of motorists killing people.

[americancyclo]

@Tim Kelley 68935 wrote:

our ambassadors

Do I pre qualify for that or is there a class/test? Seen lots of candidates the past few days.

[Author]

Posts