🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <laskaCz8uuz.97F@netcom.com>, Andrew Laska <laska@netcom.com> wrote:
>Donald L. Nash (D.Nash@utexas.edu) wrote:
>Statement: "Bikes should ride on the sidewalk when available. This is 
>safer." The study concluded that bicyclists using sidewalks were several 
>times more likely to be involved in accidents if using the sidewalk. the 
>study pretty much negated the statement.
  Well, I am certainly not one to argue with a "study" but there really are
tiems when it is safer to ride on a sidewalk just as there are times when it
is safer to ride on the street.  (I think most of the time it is safer on the
street though, but this is just my experience)  If the weather is wet, for 
instance, my bike tires aren't touching the roadway and I ride slowly on the
sidewalk.  I know how hard a bike can be to handle on a roadway and have my 
share of injuries like this.  It is certainly not safe to take the increased
chance of a fall with a speeding car impatiently following 2 feet behind you
honking at you and telling you to get of the road.  Also, sometimes the
roads are such that it is simply dangerous to be on them.  From time to time
I ride from campus to riverside.  I go down congress and cross the bridge. (I
take the sidewalk for mostly scenic reasons).  Then I ride the bike trail
on the south side till it comes up on riverside.  But on riverside, I would be 
a fool to ride by bike on the street.  (at least going uphill/east)  I tried it
for a bit and after nearly gettng run over a few time, I pulled up un the 
sidewalk and took a reduction in speed for the safety and maneuverability. 
The exception was in crossing the highway, where I integrated back into 
traffic because it is usually safer to cross with traffic than to cross at a
walk light on the highway.


  And lets not forget that many times, riding on the sidewalk is just 
more convenient.  It is not acceptable to expect bikes to always take the
convoluted paths designed for cars needs, not bikes needs.  Maybe I am selfish
here, but if I am riding my bike I am not going to ride 10 blocks out of my
way when I can simply take shortcut across sidewalk and be where I want to 
be.  This is especially relevant with more and more one way streets and as
streets become less friendly and more car oriented.  

  Oh one more - I often ride on the sidewalk when I am tired.  Sometimes I
am coming back from a long day in the lab or maybe from kung-fu or something
and just don't have the strength to keep up with traffic.  I usually try
to take the smaller roads where this is not a problem, but sometimes I need
to take a more car populated route and if it is safe, I ride on the sidewalk.
(by safe I mean no pedestrians and few spots where cars are likely to not 
notice you turning in or out of a sidewalk)  

  Anyways, I will respectfully disagree because there are times when the
sidewalk is a safer place to be and there are times when the sidewalk is the
only place to be.   I ride on the sidewalk when I need to and on the street
when I need to.  A good rider should be able to tell which is safer given
the conditions of a particular ride and shouldn't have the freedom to decide
which is better.  Perhaps an even better rider might never need the sidewalk,
but many of us do. :)
 
_______________________________________________________________________________
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."