XPost: nyc.announce, nyc.general, nyc.politics 
 XPost: nyc.transit 
 From: ob110ob@att.net 
  
 On 10 Sep 2006 06:45:15 -0700, "Peter T. Daniels" 
  wrote: 
  
 > 
 >Phil wrote: 
 >> On 8 Sep 2006 20:06:12 -0700, "Peter T. Daniels" 
 >>  wrote: 
 >> 
 >> > 
 >> >Phil wrote: 
 >> >> On 8 Sep 2006 14:53:49 -0700, "Peter T. Daniels" 
 >> >>  wrote: 
 >> >> 
 >> >> > 
 >> >> >Obwon wrote: 
 >> >> >> On 7 Sep 2006 10:38:33 -0700, "Peter T. Daniels" 
 >> >> >>  wrote: 
 >> >> >> 
 >> >> >> > 
 >> >> >> >Obwon wrote: 
 >> >> >> > 
 >> >> >> >> You wouldn't know it from talking to drivers, eh? 
 >> >> >> >> "Road Rage", ring any bells?  Just the other day 
 >> >> >> >> I pulled my bike into an empty parking space and 
 >> >> >> >> prepared to dismount,  intending to go into a store 
 >> >> >> >> just beyond the sidewalk there.  As I made to dismount, 
 >> >> >> >> a van pulls up,  heads into the empty space,  and the 
 >> >> >> >> driver immediately goes into hysterics,  throws an arm-waving, 
 >> >> >> >> face distorting,  throat gurgleing fit,  because I'm blocking 
 >> >> >> >> his way.  What in the world was his problem that he couldn't 
 >> >> >> >> wait,  for even the few seconds it took me to get off the bike 
 >> >> >> >> and haul it onto the sidewalk where I could lock it to a lamp 
 post??? 
 >> >> >> > 
 >> >> >> >Placing a bike (or a motorcycle) in a parking space is always 
 >> >> >> >inappropriate. How could he tell from your behavior that you 
 weren't 
 >> >> >> >fixin' to leave it there? 
 >> >> >> 
 >> >> >> Because it was a bicycle,  no motor,  just pedals, which he 
 >> >> >> could obviously see.   So he would know that I wasn't going 
 >> >> >> to leave it there,  I was heading for the sidewalk to lock it to 
 >> >> >> the meter. 
 >> >> > 
 >> >> >Then why not ride to the curb? or up onto the sidewalk? Whether to 
 take 
 >> >> >a parking space is a split-second decision, and your obstruction could 
 >> >> >have had him driving around the neighborhood for half an hour. You 
 said 
 >> >> >you were "preparing to dismount" (whatever that means) in a parking 
 >> >> >space. 
 >> >> > 
 >> >> >Bicyclists are probably the most thoughtless road-users in the city. 
 >> >> >Just once, unfortunately, I watched a traffic(?) cop pull over cyclist 
 >> >> >after cyclist that ran straight through a red light on (probably) 
 >> >> >Seventh Ave. in the 20s. 
 >> >> 
 >> >> First you tell him to ride up on the sidewalk.  Then you comment how 
 >> >> cyclists are thoughtless?  Do anyone see the irony with this? 
 >> > 
 >> >I didn't tell him to ride on the sidewalk. I told him to ride up onto 
 >> >the sidewalk in order to "dismount." (What is he, a gymnast?) 
 >> 
 >> You asked him why not ride onto the sidewalk?  Aside from the fact 
 >> that it's dangerous, it's illegal. 
 > 
 >If it's illegal to park on the sidewalk, howcome there are no tickets 
 >for it? 
  
 First of all...   You ride into a parking space and get off 
 the bike,  away from the flow of traffic.  It takes only 
 a moment to dismount and walk the bike up onto 
 the sidewalk.  The driver could easily have paused 
 the few seconds it took.  Secondly,  it's now illegal 
 to ride a bike on the sidewalk -- 100 dollar fine and/or 
 20 days in JAIL,  do you really want to risk it? 
  
 You don't dismount in traffic,  you could get clipped 
 lifting your leg over the bike,  or clothing could, 
 unaccountable snag (gremlins anyone?),  you could 
 lose your balance and fall into traffic.  It wouldn't 
 be the first time an accident happened now would it? 
 Guess who'd get the worst of it? 
  
 As far as stopping for lights,  its very,  very tiring to 
 have to re-accelerate a bicycle every few blocks, 
 it becomes especially difficult if you're tired from a 
 long ride,  or coming home from work.   So,  I can't 
 blame some,  if the way is clear,  from keeping up 
 their momentum.  The rules of the road used to leave 
 such matters up to the riders judgement.  Unlike car 
 drivers whose bad judgement the law traditionally 
 excuses, eh? 
  
 Compare twenty days in jail for riding on the sidewalk, 
 with a "move along",  for accidentally killing a person 
 driving a car!  20 days in jail would make more sense 
 for a person who had accidentally killed someone, eh? 
 As opposed to someone who rode on the sidewalk and 
 killed no one.   Besides,  only about 2 (read it TWO) people 
 in the entire 20th CENTURY were killed by bikes on the 
 sidewalk.  How many people were killed by cars on 
 the sidewalk in that same century? 
  
 Obwon 
  
 Obwon 
  
 --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05 
  * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)