Comments on: Another Brilliant Motorist http://cyclocosm.com/2008/05/another-brilliant-motorist/ Pro Cycling News, Commentary and Special Features Mon, 08 Sep 2008 09:44:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1 By: Tim http://cyclocosm.com/2008/05/another-brilliant-motorist/#comment-6904 Tim Tue, 06 May 2008 01:39:36 +0000 http://cyclocosm.com/2008/05/another-brilliant-motorist/#comment-6904 Hi! Thanks for reading. This post has a gained a much bigger audience than I ever thought it would. Just to clarify, I don't own a car, although I used to. I'm a pedestrian first, a rider of public transit second, and an occasional driver (with a car-share program) last. I perfectly understand the anger that cyclists (and pedestrians and other drivers) feel towards drivers who break the laws/rules. But I think that cyclists should obey those laws/rules too, and give the drivers and pedestrians who also do a break. Hi! Thanks for reading. This post has a gained a much bigger audience than I ever thought it would.

Just to clarify, I don’t own a car, although I used to. I’m a pedestrian first, a rider of public transit second, and an occasional driver (with a car-share program) last. I perfectly understand the anger that cyclists (and pedestrians and other drivers) feel towards drivers who break the laws/rules. But I think that cyclists should obey those laws/rules too, and give the drivers and pedestrians who also do a break.

]]> By: Mike http://cyclocosm.com/2008/05/another-brilliant-motorist/#comment-6914 Mike Tue, 06 May 2008 17:50:08 +0000 http://cyclocosm.com/2008/05/another-brilliant-motorist/#comment-6914 laughable. i love it: the high and mighty driver idling away his paycheck in traffic is all upset about these scofflaw cyclist's rudely interrupting his commute by (gasp) moving up a spaces to the stop light. all in the name of a cleaner environment, reduced health-care cost (yep bet you didn't seethat one coming), cleaner living, and putting some money back in their own pockets, but the bikes are really what wrong with the city!!!???? this guy is what's wrong with our country: conceited to the point of blindness with his impatience for others, with a knack for looking the other way when it's him who causing the mess. I commute 150-180 miles per week to work and back here in boston, and try to be as courteous as possible with drivers, often giving them the "thank you" wave even when i had the right of way, and not weaving in and out of traffic, obeying stop lights/signs etc, but man can this guy split hairs like he's got an electron microscope. Does he really think that drivers don't break all those same laws everyday ten times more frequently? I can't wait for gas to be $5/ gallon :-) Mike Ps: cosmo are you racing this year with us or what? IBC. laughable. i love it: the high and mighty driver idling away his paycheck in traffic is all upset about these scofflaw cyclist’s rudely interrupting his commute by (gasp) moving up a spaces to the stop light. all in the name of a cleaner environment, reduced health-care cost (yep bet you didn’t seethat one coming), cleaner living, and putting some money back in their own pockets, but the bikes are really what wrong with the city!!!???? this guy is what’s wrong with our country: conceited to the point of blindness with his impatience for others, with a knack for looking the other way when it’s him who causing the mess. I commute 150-180 miles per week to work and back here in boston, and try to be as courteous as possible with drivers, often giving them the “thank you” wave even when i had the right of way, and not weaving in and out of traffic, obeying stop lights/signs etc, but man can this guy split hairs like he’s got an electron microscope. Does he really think that drivers don’t break all those same laws everyday ten times more frequently? I can’t wait for gas to be $5/ gallon :-)

Mike
Ps: cosmo are you racing this year with us or what? IBC.

]]> By: Dave http://cyclocosm.com/2008/05/another-brilliant-motorist/#comment-6949 Dave Tue, 13 May 2008 04:59:26 +0000 http://cyclocosm.com/2008/05/another-brilliant-motorist/#comment-6949 Guys like this make me sick. Yes, cyclists have a responsibility to respect the rules of the road but drivers as you said are 100x more destructive. If they would simply pay more attention on the road while driving MOST of the accidents that currently happen while driving would no longer be. I was hit last year by a car that decided to cut me off while trying to take a short cut through a parking lot because he didn't want to wait for a light to turn green and in February of this year my cousin was killed (she was only 20) by a driver who was not paying attention while she was walking!!!! You know what the driver got??? A $50 ticket because it was an "accident", did I mention that he had a suspended license?!?! I've been a commuter for a long time and yes I have done stupid things while on the bike and have almost paid for it big time...and I have learned 10x more from each time it has happened, so I won't put all the blame on drivers, I think that both cyclists and drivers need to become more patient and learn to respect each other but with that said if you're driving a vehicle that weighs 50x more than what a cyclist could put between their legs and can take out several lives instantly I suggest you start paying attention to what you're doing because every time you put yourself behind the wheel you are basically driving a big ass weapon around that has the potential to destroy many lives. I know if I ever hit ANYONE while driving my car I do not think I could learn to live with myself. Guys like this make me sick. Yes, cyclists have a responsibility to respect the rules of the road but drivers as you said are 100x more destructive. If they would simply pay more attention on the road while driving MOST of the accidents that currently happen while driving would no longer be. I was hit last year by a car that decided to cut me off while trying to take a short cut through a parking lot because he didn’t want to wait for a light to turn green and in February of this year my cousin was killed (she was only 20) by a driver who was not paying attention while she was walking!!!! You know what the driver got??? A $50 ticket because it was an “accident”, did I mention that he had a suspended license?!?! I’ve been a commuter for a long time and yes I have done stupid things while on the bike and have almost paid for it big time…and I have learned 10x more from each time it has happened, so I won’t put all the blame on drivers, I think that both cyclists and drivers need to become more patient and learn to respect each other but with that said if you’re driving a vehicle that weighs 50x more than what a cyclist could put between their legs and can take out several lives instantly I suggest you start paying attention to what you’re doing because every time you put yourself behind the wheel you are basically driving a big ass weapon around that has the potential to destroy many lives. I know if I ever hit ANYONE while driving my car I do not think I could learn to live with myself.

]]> By: Monroe http://cyclocosm.com/2008/05/another-brilliant-motorist/#comment-7524 Monroe Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:30:59 +0000 http://cyclocosm.com/2008/05/another-brilliant-motorist/#comment-7524 Here in Melbourne there is a lot of road cyclists. And a lot of animosity toward them. There's no doubt that cars are always going to be more harmful and hold far more potential for causing serious damage. My feeling is always that if your on a bike on your own and you take a risk - its your neck on the line. If you you do so in car its everyone around you and your passengers who are at risk. That said a pedestrian was killed here a couple of years back when a fast moving group ride ran a red. My own approach is to do what I can to redress the relationship between cyclists and drivers by just not giving them any thing to harp on about. I stop for all lights, obey all the rules. As soon as the motorists think every cyclist has no respect for the road rules then they have no respect for us - and thats when things get dangerous. Also - I'm pretty sure I got a bit more repect on the road while Cadel was riding the Tour this year. :) Here in Melbourne there is a lot of road cyclists. And a lot of animosity toward them.
There’s no doubt that cars are always going to be more harmful and hold far more potential for causing serious damage. My feeling is always that if your on a bike on your own and you take a risk - its your neck on the line. If you you do so in car its everyone around you and your passengers who are at risk.
That said a pedestrian was killed here a couple of years back when a fast moving group ride ran a red.
My own approach is to do what I can to redress the relationship between cyclists and drivers by just not giving them any thing to harp on about. I stop for all lights, obey all the rules. As soon as the motorists think every cyclist has no respect for the road rules then they have no respect for us - and thats when things get dangerous.
Also - I’m pretty sure I got a bit more repect on the road while Cadel was riding the Tour this year. :)

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