Bicycles are not the problem ....as a whole, none of them go out on the road by themselves, but some of the people riding them are less than experienced.
We all know (or should know) the rules for driving a car apply to people "driving" a bicycle and yet ....
- do you see ALL bicyclists stopping for STOP signs?
- do you see them stopping or even slowing down for people in crosswalks?
I don't know about you, but I have a great desire to keep living and I know if I, as a bicyclist, have a run-in with a motor vehicle (no matter how small), I AM going to lose! Apparently not all people know this.
Just the thought of running into or being run into causes my body to throb.
I've had several dumb accidents while riding a bicycle .... like the first time I rode a bike with hand operated brakes. (Note: Bicycles have not always had these kind of brakes. Originally brakes were operated with your feet ... by pushing the pedals backwards, instead of forward.) I was pulling into my driveway - remembered my feet no longer stopped my bike and clamped hard on the left hand brake! The next thing that happened is I flew over the handle bars and saw the tail pipe of my car looming before my face. I was still grasping the handle bars of the bike. There must have been enough drag to pull me back just enough to keep the tail pipe from impaling my face; however, my legs were skinned - from my ankles to my knees.
This happened on a Sunday, so you know I looked positively professional when I went to work the next day. A week or so later, I realized I'd done something very bad to one knee.
Anyway, I digress .....
If I were riding on the open road (I only ride around my sub-division where there is a lot of grass to land on.) I would be sure to learn and practice the rules of the road.
Bicycles DON'T have the right of way automatically.
Bicycles ARE NOT supposed to be riding on the pedestrian walk way
Bicycles ARE NOT supposed to wind in and out of cars waiting at a traffic light
Remember an old saying when riding your bicycle - The life you save may be your own.
www.redgage.com/rene
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Driving today
Driving used to be fun. People followed the rules - usually - and were polite (for the most part).
I do realize I've gotten older, but now it appears that lawlessness is the order of the day. It's not unusual for people to:
- turn left when they have a RED arrow for their turning lane,
- go through red lights - slowly - not even bothering to speed up to "beat" the light,
- make turns from center lanes,
- eat (messy things), read newspapers, shave (normally men), put on make-up, get dressed (yes, I've seen this more than once) and almost anything else you can think of that should have been done at home BEFORE the car was started.
My all time favorite is the newspaper lady who must have been behind schedule because she was diligently folding her papers and inserting them in their clear plastic sleeves while driving.
The best part was she'd somehow attached the packet of sleeves to the driver side sunvisor, making it a simply process to insert each paper after it was folded. However, the sleeves were hanging directly in front of her face - while she was driving!
Can you picture this? She's driving. The sleeves are hanging down from sunvisior which is folded down. She's using one hand (sometimes two) to fold the papers that are apparently sitting in the passenger seat.
What is wrong with this picture?
I'm following her, along with a lot of other vehicles. We're all holding back, giving her a wide berth because she's wandering all over the two lane road. Finally she finishes her folding. She removes the sleeve packet off the visor and speeds off - probably to deliver the papers.
I realize the use of cell phones can be dangerous and that texting is even worse, but what about newspaper folding?
Then there is the total disregard for YIELD signs. Does anyone really know what yield means? One of the various meanings (never have said English is an easy language) is to surrender or relinguish.
In plain words, this means to STOP if there is 1) someone or something in the cross walk, or 2) a vehicle in the lane you would like to merge into.
Where I live, any intersection with a YIELD sign is one to watch out for, because no one stops or even looks.
Doesn't anyone have to follow rules anymore? Don't they test new drivers on what the rules of the road are? Aren't law enforcement officers supposed to give tickets to people who violate the rules of the road?
We've all done stupid things behind the wheel, but normally we are aware of what we've done. If we survive our stupidity we vow we'll be more careful and apply a little common sense and/or follow the rules.
However, now it appears that people no longer fear dying so they just don't care. Not caring about life or limb results in lawlessness on the road.
www.redgage.com/rene
I do realize I've gotten older, but now it appears that lawlessness is the order of the day. It's not unusual for people to:
- turn left when they have a RED arrow for their turning lane,
- go through red lights - slowly - not even bothering to speed up to "beat" the light,
- make turns from center lanes,
- eat (messy things), read newspapers, shave (normally men), put on make-up, get dressed (yes, I've seen this more than once) and almost anything else you can think of that should have been done at home BEFORE the car was started.
My all time favorite is the newspaper lady who must have been behind schedule because she was diligently folding her papers and inserting them in their clear plastic sleeves while driving.
The best part was she'd somehow attached the packet of sleeves to the driver side sunvisor, making it a simply process to insert each paper after it was folded. However, the sleeves were hanging directly in front of her face - while she was driving!
Can you picture this? She's driving. The sleeves are hanging down from sunvisior which is folded down. She's using one hand (sometimes two) to fold the papers that are apparently sitting in the passenger seat.
What is wrong with this picture?
I'm following her, along with a lot of other vehicles. We're all holding back, giving her a wide berth because she's wandering all over the two lane road. Finally she finishes her folding. She removes the sleeve packet off the visor and speeds off - probably to deliver the papers.
I realize the use of cell phones can be dangerous and that texting is even worse, but what about newspaper folding?
Then there is the total disregard for YIELD signs. Does anyone really know what yield means? One of the various meanings (never have said English is an easy language) is to surrender or relinguish.
In plain words, this means to STOP if there is 1) someone or something in the cross walk, or 2) a vehicle in the lane you would like to merge into.
Where I live, any intersection with a YIELD sign is one to watch out for, because no one stops or even looks.
Doesn't anyone have to follow rules anymore? Don't they test new drivers on what the rules of the road are? Aren't law enforcement officers supposed to give tickets to people who violate the rules of the road?
We've all done stupid things behind the wheel, but normally we are aware of what we've done. If we survive our stupidity we vow we'll be more careful and apply a little common sense and/or follow the rules.
However, now it appears that people no longer fear dying so they just don't care. Not caring about life or limb results in lawlessness on the road.
www.redgage.com/rene
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