Thread: Scofflaws
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Old April 15th 19, 09:50 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Frank Krygowski[_4_]
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Default Scofflaws

On 4/15/2019 5:26 PM, John B. wrote:
On Mon, 15 Apr 2019 14:06:55 +1000, James
wrote:

This morning I was riding to meet a friend. I was going to be a little
late, which isn't unusual for me. I made a left turn from a highway on
to another rural road that is also 100 km/h speed limit and quite busy
too. Maybe 100m from the turn is a rail crossing. I noticed a car
behind me as I approached the crossing. The driver wasn't going much
faster than me at that stage. About 30m from the crossing the lights
started flashing and bells were ringing. A train was approaching and
there are no boom gates at this crossing.

I applied the brakes and gently rolled to a stop. The driver in the car
following me accelerated, past me, and drove illegally through the crossing.

I wasn't bothered, but I did wonder why the rush considering the ease of
stopping.


There are a lot of people like that, "gotta pass, gotta pass", for no
good reason that I can think of except that it might be the driver's
way to assert himself, to prove that he's "the biggest dick on the
block".


In some other bike forum, a guy has come up with the concept of a
"traffic eternity." I think it may be something like ten seconds.

For example, upon coming upon a bicyclist avoiding the door zone: "That
damned bicyclist was riding in the middle of the lane! I had to wait for
two traffic eternities before I could pass him!"

As for getting there quicker... maybe. I've ridden with folks that
constantly drive above the speed limit and their times on a , say 200
km trip, is only minutes quicker than mine, driving at the specified
speed limit.


One very busy four+ lane road near me runs for miles through a major
shopping district, with many intersections, driveways, traffic lights,
turn lanes, etc. It's not uncommon to see people tailgating, cutting
left and right, accelerating fiercely and speeding to get home to Oprah
TV a bit sooner.

But most of them never seem to look more than 100 yards ahead. When
driving, I enjoy using my knowledge of the traffic patterns to out-run
them, as it were, while driving sensibly.

It's most fun when I get to toot my horn and wave goodbye when passing
them. I did that last week with a woman who had blared her horn then cut
me off so she could zoom past. She picked the wrong lane at a couple red
lights, while I made better choices.

--
- Frank Krygowski
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