Now before i launch into my rant for today, i will be the FIRST to admit, i have rolled my fair share of stop signs, yellow lights, and such. Hell, i rolled an orang-ish to pink-ish light on my way in today.
However, i have NEVER, EVER blatantly rolled into an intersection at full speed, not looking at traffic and busted through an intersection. EVER.
Its dumb. Period.
I have been hit by cars, i have been on rides and have seen riders i am with hit by cars, and seriously injured.
WHY WHY WHY would you intentionally put yourself in danger, and even worse, why would you put fellow cyclists in danger.... what do i mean you ask?
I have had a mantra for a long time that its guys like "that" ( that ride dangerously, run lights, piss off traffic) the get guys like 'me' hit. Because that car that has see cyclists dart out in front of them, block up traffic, or whatever, when they see a guy like me on the road, they can use their 2 ton deadly weapon to take out frustrations.
Now to be clear - i am NOT picking on any particular group of riders, commuters, hipsters on their fixie, messengers, racers, and so on, we all have rebels in our own clicks that will ride dangerously, and those that choose to ride safely. I have never been on a ride of any kind, or even a race of any kind, that the prize was so great, that it was worth risking my life for.
I have dropped myself on group rides that blew through red lights blatantly.
ITS NOT WORTH IT! if you are tougher because you can drop me because you blew a light, then fine, you are a better cyclist than i am, be sure you spike the ball when you get to the end zone.
Now i am certainly not safety patrol - 4 way with no traffic, roll it. Red light that i have stopped at and the is NO traffic, maybe roll it, depends on if i know how fast the light changes or not.
Stale green that's gonna go yellow, stand on it and get thru it before it turns orange, then pink , then red.
Be considerate to fellow cyclists on the road, ride safe, ride smart, and at this time of year, right with lights!
Peace out
Old Skool
Downers Grove - 1990
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3 comments:
Spot on dude. Just tonight, I was driving home and came across one of these talked of idiots. It was about 10:30 at night, obviously dark. I was in my car, approaching an intersection. I had a green light, nowhere near ready to become yellow and saw the aforementioned idiot approaching from the right. I wasn't going slow, and neither was he. No lights, nothin'. I hit the horn, and tried to get as close to hitting him as I could. Mission accomplished. I had to scare the shit out of him. I'd have shit myself had I been in his shoes. It's people like him that make it even tougher on people like us who actually obey traffic laws.
Once again, a good read Mr. Smott.
I feel your pain - but scaring the shit out of him doesnt solve the problem. Because now you became one of the idiot drivers we all hate, despite you trying to teach him a lesson, you reinforced the cyclists feelings of driviers are idiots.
I disagree that I became one of the drivers we all hate. People like that don't deserve to have respect of drivers. It was an isolated incident. They deserve not to be attacked, which I will never do. Had I been on a bike, I'd have given him a piece of my mind for putting himself, then me, in danger. Contrary to my actions last night, I give abundant room on the roads to cyclists, runners, etc to be courteous. I don't know...maybe I was wrong in some people's eyes, but I'd probably do it again.
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