This ANTI-CYCLING Radio Piece really has me steamed....
first some ranting
then some back and forth from the folks at WAMU
sometimes I wish I had the right to issue traffic tickets
sometimes in my head I do issue those tickets
as I move about the congested streets I see a violation and with a blink of an eye I issue a ticket
but honestly.... I do not want to issue tickets
I want to see a change in behavior
what people do not realize is that this is a de-evolution
that the drivers of today are breeding the driver's of tomorrow
and the example of the parents is bad... real bad
cell phones....
well, those are the least of our worries
communication has moved to laptops, PDAs, and BLACKBERRIES
people are focused on an 8 point font rather than the road
if they are not on their BLACKBERRY then they are killing time watching DVDs or the paper...
come on.... this is not the time for multi-tasking... you are not doing such a good job that you can take focus off the task at hand.... DRIVING!
Stop Signs and Stop Lines....
this is something that is really basic....
people are failing to stop at Stop Signs
people are rolling through the Stop Line
then... there is no complete Stop and there is no time to evaluate whether or not the road is clear
if the light is red.... you are going to have to stop.... don't block the cross walk!
Speed
People drive way too fast
it is far too easy to drive fast
our cars are designed to go to the next gear
it is not comfortable for our cars to cruise at 25 MPH
people have lost perspective of speed
Parking/Double Parking
not sure about your home town
but here in DC it is common place for people to illegally park in the RUSH HOUR NO PARKING ZONE
then
also durning RUSH HOUR... people are double parked
this is why there is traffic.... cause someone is there everyday stopped in the left hand lane waiting for his or her's his or her to come out of the office
everyday the same people clog up traffic with drop off and pick up....
and not in a timely manner....
these people are camped out there
I think that the Death Penalty may be the best resolve for such an issue
once again people fail to realize.... laws were created because people could not behave
if people would just behave in a manner that is courteous to others than we would not need laws...
the golden rule could cover it all... you know... "do unto others...."
and for those that need some more clarification....
there are those "Ten Commandments"
you don't need to be Catholic to be able to name 5 or more of those rules
let me paraphrase the Ten Commandments for you.... don't mess with anyone else's shit.... don't mess with anyone else's woman.... don't kill anyone.... and be nice to your momma!
that is about it
Common Courtesy and Basic Respect....
how does this apply?
well...
junior learns to drive by watching dad and mom...
if dad and mom roll through the stop sign.... why would junior do any different?
same goes for speed...
same goes for attention paid to things other than driving....
it is called imprinting!
it is called leading through example!
saying.... "do as I say not as I do" simply does not work
I have typed enough
people are such assholes
here is some more back and forth between me an the Producer of WAMU's Metro Connection
from the mind of gwadzilla...
and the response from David Furst of WAMU
WABA should have a good answer to Marvin's questions....
why were the cyclists on the road and not the bike path on Mac Arthur?
easy....
they were going faster than it would be safe to travel on the bike path
and
because it is more safe on the road... for the cyclist and other trail
users
car drivers tend not to yeild to the user's of the bike path...
cars pull out of roads/alleys/and driveways over the bike paths... never
yeilding to what should be the expected trail user
and
the speed limit is 25 MPH
how much slower is the legal lower limit?
and on Broad Branch...
that road is a "bike route"
unexpected? he may want to pay attention to the signs
and it is marked as such
has he heard of commuters?
Marvin needs the education and training....
my last thought
is Marvin threatening cyclists that they better stay out of his way?
I truly do not believe that Marvin was threatening bicyclists. A hugehis responses may or may not be a simple "cut and psate"
number of listeners believe that he was, so at the very least the writing
could have been clearer. But I think the line where he said cyclists
better "beware" was meant as a warning to cyclists to be careful around the
OTHER drivers out there with road rage issues... and about the very real
dangers on the roads. I do not believe that he was issuing a personal
threat of physical violence to cyclists.
When he says "please, please, stay out of my way" at the end... I take this
as a plea - - not as a warning that he is planning to mow anybody down.
That's the way I see it, but again... the fact that the perception is out
there that Marvin was threatening cyclists with real phsical violence...
means the writing could have been clearer. I plan to chat with Marvin to
clarify that my perception is correct.
Thanks again,
David
either way...
this