[MCL1981]

This video is mildly related, since the MVT is right next to the channel, and it involves mad geese. I was kayaking in Boundary Channel near Columbia Island Marina on Saturday when I had a hostile encounter. I had the camera on the deck facing the bow. I wish I had it on my head mount.

Hostile soviet geese attack. Evasive maneuvers!!!

[MCL1981]

@dasgeh 18641 wrote:

Once, again, I will plead with MCL1981 to have respect with people who disagree with you. rcannon100 makes a good point, that complete makes sense in light of your entire post, but is most relevant to the line he* quoted. He didn’t attack you personally or even mention you aside from the quote. And he makes a valid and interesting point.

I am having respect. I don’t think asking this person not to partially quote me out of context and go on an off-topic rant is disrespectful. I think quoting one half of one sentence and then ranting about it off-topic, on the hand, IS disrespectful. If I had an annoyed tone in my response, that was the intent, it was called for, and I would do it again.

@dasgeh 18641 wrote:

I also don’t think there was anything in Mantadiver’s original post to indicate that he was being argumentative or disrepectful of the cops. The fact that she came away with a warning leads me to believe that the exchange was cordial. And she also makes a good point — buses violate far more laws than cyclists and they’re far more dangerous to others. I would hope that the NPP targets buses for enforcement at some point…

I agree completely, that isn’t what I was insinuating.

[MCL1981]

Yep, that’s the crazy lime green lunatic machine. Though I suppose that’s what they said about bikes when someone invented them too.

[MCL1981]

Had you read the rest of my post beyond the first sentence, you would realize what a waste of keystrokes that entire rant was. Please do not quote one half of one sentence from a three paragraph detailed post and then rant about how wrong it is. Believe me, I am well schooled in the concept of law enforcement abusing their powers. I could tell you stories of where I used to live for hours that will put your cycling encounters to shame. This thread is not and never has been about abusive police. Please don’t make it. It is about police doing their job, highlighting the need for changes in cyclist behavior or infrastructure.

As an aside, alleging that the police only sometimes are not abusing their power is completely absurd and insulting. If you want to have that losing debate with me, please do so by PM, not in this thread as it is completely off-topic.

[MCL1981]

@acc 18605 wrote:

5. That woman on the MVT who rides the portable elliptical machine (I am not making this up)

I saw one of those on the CCT last month. Had I not seen it with my own eyes, I would have questioned your sanity. I was pedaling the gradual uphill around 14mph. Then out of nowhere, this thing passes me like I’m standing still. It was turning a lot of heads. I’ve never seen anything like it before.

[MCL1981]

Everybody violates laws every day in some fashion. When the police stop you for it, it’s simply your turn to be the one that got caught today. Car, bike, pedestrian, sitting in your living room, whatever.

You can be a dick to the police officer, who is simply trying to do his job. Help expand and confirm the arrogant stereotype that cyclists have stuck to them. You’re not helping yourself and you’re making all the rest of us look bad. Those of us who aren’t arrogant jerks do not appreciate this behavior.

Or you can be nice about it. Maybe you’ll get a warning instead of a ticket. And you won’t make yourself and the rest of us look like complete assholes to the rest of the world. If you know the officer is wrong, try explaining what you know nicely. If he insists that you were wrong, that is what court is for.

When I was pulled over on my bike, I was nice about it. I explained why I did what I did, since it was for my own safety, and I didn’t try to debate the legality. We had a nice chat about the issues of the area and I didn’t even get an official warning. Wanna bet how it would have played out if I decided to act like a stereotypical arrogant cyclist?

[MCL1981]

I was thinking about hanging boat bumpers all over me and my bike.

[MCL1981]

I was told by other certain people on this forum that this member’s bad behavior doesn’t reflect badly on all of us and if it isn’t an official law, then they don’t care. So don’t expect the behavior to change when people have that kind of mindset.

[MCL1981]

I was pulled over (lights and siren pulled over, pretty funny) on Little Falls Parkway in Bethesda for that on Monday. Me of all people, the one who yells at people on here for breaking the law and being jerks. I legitimately thought the shoulder in this 1/4 mile piece of road was twice as wide for that reason. Rather than crossing 10 lanes of traffic, I just ride up the wrong way in the southbound double wide shoulder between bike paths. Apparently the letter of the law does not agree with this concept and crossing 10 lanes of speeding traffic is the preferred method….

I agreed with the police officer completely. We chatted for a while about various bike safety stuff in that area. No ticket, didn’t even take my information. I even thanked him for sitting at the crossing and keeping people in check. It really is mostly the peds and cyclists creating the hazard there, not the cars. But it is an example of the pavement markings not jiving with reality and creating a legal conflict.

[MCL1981]

For those that ride Penn, what is your opinion of the SEGWAY TOUR GROUPS monopolizing the bike lanes

[MCL1981]

@vvill 18321 wrote:

Ok so on my way home today I called *every* pass but at one point another guy on a road bike flew by me with zero warning. *shrug* There just doesn’t seem to be much consistency with calling passes. I also experimented between the bell and calling passes. The bell seemed to get more attention instantly but also startled people more. Except in one case where calling the pass startled someone enough to move to their left. I’m not convinced on this one.

You should ring the bell about 2-3 seconds before you reach the person you’re passing for exactly that reason. Ringing (or yelling) while right on top of the person will just scare the crap of them. It startles me when people do that too. Plus it’s just rude.

@CCrew 18349 wrote:

As to stereotypes, you’re doing a good job.

Yes, I am so stereotypical of people who try to be courteous and follow the rules on the trail for everyone’s proactive safety. Shame on me.

[MCL1981]

@CCrew 18345 wrote:

And ASSuming that every jogger can hear us when wearing earphones is nothing more than pure folly.

No I’m not assuming that at all. That’s not what I said. The number of people who do an do not hear it is completely irrelevant. I don’t think a loud back wheel counts as calling a pass. If you don’t want to speak, that is what a bell is for. You (and others) are protesting something you don’t like by intentionally ignoring your responsibility.

And people wonder where the arrogant self centered stereotype for cyclists comes from….

[MCL1981]

You guys that protest headphones by not calling your pass are part of the problem. You’re making it worse. You’re ASSuming the person with the headphones can not hear you and that is flat wrong. I doubt you’ll change your protest because I said so though. So when you crash in the name of protesting, make sure to include that in the report…

[MCL1981]

@Tim Kelley 18332 wrote:

Don’t worry. It could be worse!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]945[/ATTACH]

Ok. Yes. I would have to have a shotgun rack on my bike if I lived in FL.

[MCL1981]

It was really cool to see hundreds of people all up on roof tops. It was like in Independence Day, just without the alien attack.

[Author]

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