the same old twisted logic...

as I stepped out for lunch one of my co-workers made a comment about the cyclists on the sidewalk

he questioned whether or not it was legal for the cyclist to ride on the sidewalks

I told him that it is my understanding that it is illegal for a bicycle to ride on the sidewalk in the business district of washington dc
then I pointed to street and reminded him that it is also illegal for a car to go over 25 MPH on the city streets unless the street is marked otherwise

he laugh, smiled, agreed, and understood

that is the logic I get entangled in with the car drivers as they swarm around me

the car drivers are so quick to see the bicycle blow through the stop sign
when they slow and go... failing to stop themselves

the laws of the road do apply to the bicyclist
but... the laws of the road also apply to the car driver
it seems to make sense to me that the cars are creating the chaos
if the cars could step into order
then the pedestrians and cyclists will follow

for the pedestrian crossing in the crosswalk is no more safe than crossing mid-block
as for the bicycle on the sidewalk for one city block... well... it is just going to happen
it is far less of an infraction that what is happening with the cars

if the cars were bending the law within an accepted parameter
things would be different
but the cars are breaking the law to a level of dangerous chaos
we need to reel things in
hit the RESET BUTTON
START OVER
get things back to the DEFAULTS

once the car drivers learn to behave everything else will fall into place

a little more show and tell...

I can be within the limits of the law and the cars around me can be aggravated (and aggravating)

early last week I had a line of cars backed up behind me on Beach Drive in Rock Creek Park
there were several opportunities for the car immediately behind me to pass
but they decided to stay lined up behind me... which is fine
a car several cars back honked their horn
it was not clear who that horn was directed at.... me or the car not making the pass
perhaps they were honking at both

eventually the car behind me passed
then the car behind him
and then the car that had honked several cars back was on my tail
when I went to turn off Beach the car behind me honked
I was turning while the car was headed straight
I could tell that he wanted to finish a thought he had not started
so I stalled before I climbed that last hill home
the car driver shared his thoughts with me

we each yelled the arguement that had built in each of our heads when the cars had been blocked by my used of the road just minutes prior

I shared the notion of the speed limit being 25 MPH
the response to that was that I was not going 25 MPH
that was not my point
the point is that there is a speed limit
my speed was ranging between 19-23 MPH
this driver was seeking to go 35-45 MPH
my actions within the legal limits
his clearly a breaking of the law
yet he was not listening
he thought he was right
he had no desire to hear my side of the story
I know his side of the story... I have heard his side of the story... I own a car I understand his side of the story
I am enlightened
he is an asshole
if I had a laser gun to make him and others like him evaporate
I would
but I don't... so I am forced to deal with it

an article about Bike Path Segregating the Cars and the Bikes