Bikes (was: RE: [geeks] what is the world coming to...)

[Gregory Leblanc]

On Wed, 2002-04-10 at 08:32, Tom Borton wrote:
> > I always get pissed at bicycle riders who insist on using the street 
> > like a motor-vehicle but then decide they will use pedestrian traffic 
> > laws since it allows them to do whatever they want.
> 
> Umm, I don't know about other areas, but DC has this assinine law (I've
> been ticketed under it) that bicyclists *must* use the streets.  I'd
> rather peg person + bike + 15 MPH against a pedestrian than car + 40 MPH
> against said bike.

Erm, everywhere that I've ever lived (MA, NH, PA, OR, WA) has laws that
require bikes to be in the street under "normal circumstances".  There
are a few bridges where you're required to be on the sidewalk (biking on
steel grating is a REALLY bad idea).  In a few places downtown, you can
bike on the sidewalk (or so I assume, since that's where the bike cops
always ride).

I don't think that the risk of injury is any greater riding on the road
than riding on the sidewalk.  The difference is in who gets injured.  If
you hit a pedestrian while riding at 15mph, there's no way they're going
to come out of it without injuries. When I'm riding, I find that I'm at
much greater risk from storm drains and railroad tracks than I am from
drivers on the road.

> And road rage gets really ridiculous at times - I've had people open
> their doors to block me when riding because they don't like the fact
> that I can pass them in traffic - and I'm on the curb.  Fscking
> ridiculous.

I've never had anybody open their door, but lots of people crowd the
curb around here, especially if they're like 5 cars back from the
intersection, and planning to make a turn.  I just pass them anyway.
	Greg

-- 
Portland, Oregon, USA.