MCL1981
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MCL1981
Participant@Trollopian 22084 wrote:
When you are sharing the road, the right thing to do is slow down so that you could not cause injury in the event of a collision.
This is impractical and unreasonable. Hitting a pedestrian with a moving bicycle is going to knock both of you over regardless and both are going to get hurt. Assume a walking pace of 3mph. So you want everyone to slow down to 4mph to pass every pedestrian?? Sorry. Not happening. If someone is going to do something to cause a terrible accident, then there is nothing you, I, or anyone else can do about it.
MCL1981
Participant@Mark Blacknell 22071 wrote:
That is the middle of an interstate highway. Not quite the same as local roads through the middle of a neighborhood. Unless you suggest the government imminent domain everyone’s lawn and bulldoze storefronts. The practicality is just not there to double the infrastructure.
MCL1981
ParticipantYou would need more real estate and more money. Two things that do not exist. So I see this idea as a great non-starter.
MCL1981
ParticipantMCL1981
ParticipantI now plan to mount one of these to my front fork with an air compressor on a dynamo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG2I-rRx5-w
MCL1981
ParticipantNothing will be universal unfortunately. Except maybe staying home in bed. But given that the ding is louder, travels further (longer range), and does not have a questionable meaning, I think it is more effective than the short notice verbalization.
MCL1981
ParticipantDamned if you do, damned if you don’t. Had he not said anything and she just randomly pulled a Crazy Ivan, the cyclist would be vilified as reckless and selfish.
So once again, everyone should keep their mouths shut and
GET A BELLMCL1981
ParticipantWow, this is terrible. While this appears to be in no way the cyclist’s fault, I can’t imagine how devastating this must be for him. Akin to hitting someone with your car when they just darted out right in front of you. Nothing you can do, not your fault, and still “I killer her” is the only thing he can feel right now. Clearly devastating for the woman’s family as well. When was the last time someone was killed on a MUP, not at a road crossing or by medical condition?
I hate to even bring this up, but I’m sure I’m not the only one thinking it. There is a herd of attorneys converging on their home seeing dollar signs now. They’ll convince the grieving family that this cyclist is an evil doer that must be held accountable for not dematerializing before hitting her.
MCL1981
ParticipantThis is why I use a bell. It can be heard from MUCH further away. It does not require understanding or translation. It is a universal sound that means bicycle approaching. I can ding it with enough distance that even if some confused soul pulls a Crazy Ivan, I will have more than enough distance to weave or dump the brakes.
In order for someone to hear and understand you saying “on your left”, you have to be too close to them for it to be worth it anyway. And when they don’t hear or understand you, they will just do exactly what happened today. You’re essentially sneaking up on them and speaking. Of course they turn around say “huh?”.
From the sounds of it, the cyclist was not acting recklessly and was in fact being responsible. It is just a terrible accident that probably could not have been prevented (other than using a bell instead). The speed of the cyclist could have been 10, 15, or 20 and the result would have been the same. You can not stop a bike going down a hill in that short amount of time and even a low speed hit is going to knock down a 70yr old woman.
June 11, 2012 at 7:46 pm in reply to: The constitutional right of pedestrians to jaywalk anywhere, anytime? #942653MCL1981
Participant@jabberwocky 21774 wrote:
I’ve found that screaming “NO BRAKES! NO BRAKES!” as I come up on jaywalking pedestrians gets them to move out of the way quickly (or at least do something amusing). Dirt taught me that one.
Why does this not surprise me. Though I thought it was usually “OH MY GOD WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!”
Though this gives me an idea. Perhaps next time, I will just start wildly screaming like mad. Bonus points for confusing the absolute crap out of them.
June 11, 2012 at 1:56 pm in reply to: The constitutional right of pedestrians to jaywalk anywhere, anytime? #942563MCL1981
ParticipantI scared some more jaywalking peds on Penn this morning. I love it. When there is no traffic, peds usually cross against the don’t walk signal. I have no problem with this. I do it all the time too. If there are no cars in sight, I’m not going to stand there for nothing either. But for the love of god, OPEN YOUR EYES. How do these people not see my bike coming at them??? You can see the flashing lights from New Jersey. Planes follow me by accident. The president’s motorcade use me to clear a path. If you don’t see me coming at you, then you’re not going to see a small car either.
Anyway, as usual, I hold my course and speed. They are in my right of way, they’re going to move out of my way, not the other way around. The ones that don’t get are going to end up with a close encounter. I’ll never hit someone or cause harm. But coming to screeching stop in their face and scaring the shit out of them, absolutely. I don’t block your cross walk while I’m waiting for the light. So don’t block my road while jaywalking.
June 11, 2012 at 12:51 am in reply to: The constitutional right of pedestrians to jaywalk anywhere, anytime? #942526MCL1981
ParticipantRiding on Penn this evening, a crowd of about 12 morons decided to just stroll across all 6 lanes in mid block. They saw me cruising towards them at about 15mph. I made no indication of slowing down for them so they stopped in the middle of the road. The lead moron actually held up his hand like a traffic cop to signal me to stop and allow them to continue jaywalking across the street. I rode by the hand, shaking my head in disgust, and yelled “You’re jaywalking, I’m not stopping for you idiots”. They heard me, and mumbled something incompetent that I couldn’t hear. Others on the sidewalk laughed at them.
This made me happy for a number of reasons. One, I won, they lost. Two, I got to vent at them, and they heard me. Three, others laughed at them.
For those wondering, of course I was not planning to plow through them like bowling pins. My intention was come careening to a skidding stop right in their face. This would accomplish two and three above, in addition to scaring the crap of them. But since numbnuts decided to play self-appointed traffic cop, I decided to keep going.
MCL1981
ParticipantA 10% grade a monstrous hill.
On my usual rides, the front is never out 3rd (the big one). The back (8 gears), I never get below 4 even when coming to a stop. It’s a mountain bike so the gear ratios are lower than a road bike. I’ve found that the entire lower 50% of my gear range is totally useless and I never touch them.
June 10, 2012 at 3:14 am in reply to: The constitutional right of pedestrians to jaywalk anywhere, anytime? #942497MCL1981
ParticipantYes. People are jerks. Always have been. Always will be. This will not change and there is no way to stop it. No sense griping about that which will never change.
June 9, 2012 at 5:40 pm in reply to: MPD (DC Police) was cracking down on the Texting while Driving drivers #942485MCL1981
Participant… Until they leave, then it goes back to normal.
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