riddle me this...why is it that everyone can do as they please... but when a bicycle breaks the law... people shout out at the?
STOP AT STOP SIGNS!
OFF THE SIDEWALK!
WRONG WAY!
THE SIGN SAYS NO BIKES!
in my travels on the bicycle it amuses me how people in their cars feel as if they have the right to give verbal instruction to those on the bike
these same people may honk at other cars or pedestrians
but for some reason they feel as if they have a right to give verbal instructions to those of us on the bike
why? please... riddle me this
no one wants a bike buzzing past them as they are about to drive through an intersection
no one wants to feel the breeze of a bicycle passing them as they move down the sidewalk
no on want to risk the head on collision with a bicycle heading the wrong way on a one way street
and no one wants to have their dog or child buzzed on the wooded trail by a mountain biker
but...
the funny part is these people do not realize that this situation can be flipped and flopped
the car drivers are doing all of this and worse each and every time they get behind the wheel....
most of them without even realizing it
control the car chaos and the bicycle will fit into the order
until then... the bicycle must fit in where it feels most safe
just as the pedestrian may cross where they please until it is more safe to cross in the crosswalk
the same goes for the cyclist
the cyclist must put themselves where they feel most safe
that place is not always to the right of moving traffic
right turning traffic is turning right whether or not the bicycle is there
everyone is bending or breaking the law to suit their personal needs
everyday car drivers make that turn where they know it reads.... NO TURN ON RED
everyday car drivers accelerate beyond the SPEED LIMIT... knowing that they are exceeding what has been stated as the maximum speed (should the sign read SPEED RECOMMENDATION?)
everyday cars slow and stop and double park in the NO STANDING ZONE to drop off or pick up their spouse or child
and
everyday people walk their dogs leashless in the woods where it is common knowledge that there is a leash law
why is it that these people can modify the law
but when a bicycle bends or breaks the law it is a capital offense?
measure the worst case scenario...
a bicycle runs a stop sign... they are more than likely going to get the worst of a collision
even if that collision is with a pedestrian
while when the car runs this same stop sign... well... the collision can be fatal to the victim outside of the car... while the driver has some blood on the hood and an insurance claim to file
it boggles the mind!
in the woods a dog will cause greater erosion than the bicycle
the bicycle stays on the trail
while the leashless dog roams
brushing against small plants stomping on growing seeds
chasing deer and squirrels
hmmm....
and these people are pointing the finger?
maybe they need to look in the mirror
I can not recall my bicycle ever taking off on its own to chase a deer, a squirrel, or worse yet bite a human!
the car driver needs to break the thought that the bigger car has more rights than those around them
this caste system where the pedestrian and cyclist are third class tickets needs to stop
it is unclear to me why each and every car driver feels like they are the king of Siam while those outside of the cars are peasants with no right to space and no right to life
so often I see a speeding car go buzzing down the road
honking the horn to clear the way of that jay walking pedestrian
why does speeding car trump jaywalking pedestrian?
because of size?
they are both in the wrong
perhaps the speeding car should just slow to accommodate the other person in front of them
why not?
everyone needs to look in the mirror
everyone needs to slow down
everyone needs to pull in the reigns
everyone needs to respect the rights of others
common sense and common courtesy
it is about respect
respect: self-respect- respect for others-and respect for the world around you
if people just took a look in the mirror and then looked at others as people just like themselves
well... this would be a step towards making the world a more civil place
I would love to see DC become a CIVIL CITY
but until people start to behave like people when driving their cars this is never going to happen
people act in ways behind the wheel that they would never behave like face to face
the car dehumanizes us
I would love to finish this thought
I would love to make it more cohesive
but I need to walk the dog and head into work
maybe I will go for a trail run!