🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <D.Nash-1511941335110001@bubba.ots.utexas.edu>,
Donald L. Nash <D.Nash@utexas.edu> wrote:
>In article <3a08l7$72e@hermes.unt.edu>, msluyter@ponder.csci.unt.edu
>(Michael Sluyter) wrote:
>>You have it backwards.  It's the *cars* that get in the way of the *bikes*.
>This is so silly I'm not going to waste space by refuting it.  Anyone who
>thinks a car going 30 mph can get in the way of a bike going 10-15 mph is
>beyond reasoning.
  Actually, it is not silly to anyone who rides a bike.  Of course, I assume
the orgiinal poster was being a bit humorous in writing this, but it is 
nonetheless true.  Cars often get in my way while I am riding.  Often 
time the traffic is so thick that I cannot maintain a good speed.  
This is true of every vehicle.  IN general, cars often show little regard 
for a bike by , for example, pulling in front and stopping quickly forcing
the bike to stop rather than slowing a bit and letting the bike ahead and then
changing lanes and turning into a driveway.  Anyone who thinks that cars 
cannot get in the way of bikes is being very auto-centric and is "beyond
reasoning" - to use your words.


  The most important thing (to me at least and I assume most bikers who ride
non-trivial distances) is to maintain a constant pace without having to slow
or speed-up unnecessarily.  Cars interfere with this as do traffic lights
and stop signs.  These interruptions are necessary to keep order on the road, 
but they do make biking much more difficult.  The roads were made for cars
and cars have no problem to accelerate or decelerate 1000 times - except the
patience of the driver.  But, it takes a lot of energy to go from a stopped
position to full biking speed.   If it is not necessary for me to stop,
from time to time I won't.  If a care is stopped and is waiting for 10 
minutes for that rare parking space, I have no qualms about speeding to the 
side and passing them.  (this is jsut to say that the road and the rules
of the road were made with cars in mind, not bikes.  And in special 
circumstances it is completely appropriate for a bike to exercise special 
priveledge)




______________________________________________________________________________
orb@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu              "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
                                     I chose to climb the nearest tree.
                                     And that has made all the difference."