about f'ing time (bike rule enforcement)

In chi.general max wrote:
Chicago is ramping up RotR and equipment enforcement on cyclists
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/l...ckdown-webaug2
2,0,3716423.story

Based on a survey in the Logan Square neighborhood between 9 and 11
tonight, about 90% of the cyclists in Chicago don't have any kind of
lighting at all, and damn few (less than 50%) even have reflectors.
Out rage us.

I estimate traffic control compliance much better, at about 80% for
lights, but only about 2% for stop signs.

Cycling's guardian angels have been earning phat overtime checks in
Chicago. I'm truly truly astonished there aren't a great many more
car-bike accidents than there are, and i think, frankly, that a great
deal of the credit goes to car drivers.

Well, a great deal of credit might also go to cyclists for avoiding cars...

I have 2 white lights mounted forward and two red lights facing back. One
blinky in each direction and one solid light in each direction. I wear bright
colored cycling tops (shorts are black) and a bright colored helmet.

I have lots of close calls with cars that apparently look right past me (I
ride on a busy street and either the cars come to stop signs and don't see
me or they don't realize how fast I'm going and pull out in front of me).

I spend a good deal of time avoiding other cars, both east and west of
Pulaski...

--
John Nelson
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Area Paddling/Fishing Page
http://www.chicagopaddling.org http://www.chicagofishing.org
(A Non-Commercial Web Site: No Sponsors, No Paid Ads and Nothing to Sell)

In chi.general Peter Cole wrote:
snip
Ghost bikes are hardly like Nobel prizes or Congressional Medals of
Honor, there's no committee. Anybody can paint a bike white & chain it
to a street post.

So is there a law that covers abandon bikes... if a car is left in the same
spot for 7 days you call the city, they tag it and if it doesn't move in
another 7 they tow it...

--
John Nelson
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Area Paddling/Fishing Page
http://www.chicagopaddling.org http://www.chicagofishing.org
(A Non-Commercial Web Site: No Sponsors, No Paid Ads and Nothing to Sell)

On Aug 25, 12:58*pm, Chicago Paddling-Fishing wrote:
In chi.general max wrote:

Chicago is ramping up RotR and equipment enforcement on cyclists
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/l...ckdown-webaug2
2,0,3716423.story
Based on a survey in the Logan Square neighborhood between 9 and 11
tonight, about 90% of the cyclists in Chicago don't have any kind of
lighting at all, and damn few (less than 50%) even have reflectors. *
Out rage us. * *
I estimate traffic control compliance much better, at about 80% for
lights, *but only about 2% for stop signs. *
Cycling's guardian angels have been earning phat overtime checks in
Chicago. *I'm truly truly astonished there aren't a great many more
car-bike accidents than there are, and i think, frankly, that a great
deal of the credit goes to car drivers.

Well, a great deal of credit might also go to cyclists for avoiding cars....

I have 2 white lights mounted forward and two red lights facing back. One
blinky in each direction and one solid light in each direction. I wear bright
colored cycling tops (shorts are black) and a bright colored helmet. *

I have lots of close calls with cars that apparently look right past me (I
ride on a busy street and either the cars come to stop signs and don't see
me or they don't realize how fast I'm going and pull out in front of me).

I spend a good deal of time avoiding other cars, both east and west of
Pulaski...

--
John Nelson
---------------------------------------------------------------------------*--
* * * * * * * * * * * Chicago Area Paddling/Fishing Page
* * * *http://www.chicagopaddling.org*http:...gofishing..org
*(A Non-Commercial Web Site: No Sponsors, No Paid Ads and Nothing to Sell)

What's with the front strobes? A lot of wrong way riders in my area
have those, it's extremely annoying when they're oncoming. A red
blinkie isn't bad, but the bright white ones are horrible. Flashing
white lights in your face isn't the best thing for vision, which is
kind of necessary to keep from driving your vehicle into things. My
headlight has a strobe mode, but I don't see myself using it unless I
need some sort of emergency beacon some day, and since it's on the
road bike that's unlikely.

On 2008-08-25, Chicago Paddling-Fishing wrote:


I have 2 white lights mounted forward and two red lights facing back. One
blinky in each direction and one solid light in each direction. I wear bright
colored cycling tops (shorts are black) and a bright colored helmet.

I have lots of close calls with cars that apparently look right past me (I
ride on a busy street and either the cars come to stop signs and don't see
me or they don't realize how fast I'm going and pull out in front of me).

MFFY + they seem to think all bicycle riders are going 5mph.

Geoff Gass wrote:
Peter Cole wrote:
I don't see the point in stating the obvious. The rider essentially
received a death sentence for a $25 misdemeanor. The sentence was
delivered by fate, not by society or the driver who hit him. In any
case, he has over paid his debt to society, I see no point in insulting
his friends and family.

Saying that running a red light is merely a misdemeanor is grossly
understating the safety aspect. It's merely a misdemeanor when you tag
onto the end. It's another thing entirely when you just charge through
a red when traffic's already going the other way.

It's still a misdemeanor. A $25 fine I believe in Chicago. People aren't
that stupid, the punishment fits the crime, that's a basic legal
principle. Trying to portray the alleycats as some sort of major
criminals is just silly. If you think red light running should be a
capital offense then you're way out there.

In chi.general wrote:
On Aug 25, 12:58?pm, Chicago Paddling-Fishing wrote:
In chi.general max wrote:

Chicago is ramping up RotR and equipment enforcement on cyclists
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/l...ckdown-webaug2
2,0,3716423.story
Based on a survey in the Logan Square neighborhood between 9 and 11
tonight, about 90% of the cyclists in Chicago don't have any kind of
lighting at all, and damn few (less than 50%) even have reflectors. ?
Out rage us. ? ?
I estimate traffic control compliance much better, at about 80% for
lights, ?but only about 2% for stop signs. ?
Cycling's guardian angels have been earning phat overtime checks in
Chicago. ?I'm truly truly astonished there aren't a great many more
car-bike accidents than there are, and i think, frankly, that a great
deal of the credit goes to car drivers.

Well, a great deal of credit might also go to cyclists for avoiding cars...

I have 2 white lights mounted forward and two red lights facing back. One
blinky in each direction and one solid light in each direction. I wear bright
colored cycling tops (shorts are black) and a bright colored helmet. ?

I have lots of close calls with cars that apparently look right past me (I
ride on a busy street and either the cars come to stop signs and don't see
me or they don't realize how fast I'm going and pull out in front of me).

I spend a good deal of time avoiding other cars, both east and west of
Pulaski...

--
John Nelson
---------------------------------------------------------------------------?--
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Chicago Area Paddling/Fishing Page
? ? ? ?http://www.chicagopaddling.org?http:...agofishing.org
?(A Non-Commercial Web Site: No Sponsors, No Paid Ads and Nothing to Sell)

What's with the front strobes? A lot of wrong way riders in my area
have those, it's extremely annoying when they're oncoming. A red

I agree that the white blinky light are annoying, and I bike. The head
mounted lights that obscure you from seeing where somebody is really
looking suck too.

Chicago Paddling-Fishing wrote:
In chi.general Peter Cole wrote:
snip
Ghost bikes are hardly like Nobel prizes or Congressional Medals of
Honor, there's no committee. Anybody can paint a bike white & chain it
to a street post.

So is there a law that covers abandon bikes... if a car is left in the same
spot for 7 days you call the city, they tag it and if it doesn't move in
another 7 they tow it...


If you go to the trouble to read up on it you'll see that sometimes
bikes are removed almost immediately, sometimes they linger for years,
about what you'd expect. These are not official monuments.

wrote:
On Aug 25, 5:30 am, Peter Cole wrote:
wrote:
On Aug 24, 3:26 pm, Peter Cole wrote:
Leo Lichtman wrote:
"Peter Cole" wrote: (clip) I can't imagine any life that hasn't included
some really stupid
moments, they're usually not fatal, thankfully. This guy had the
misfortune of paying the ultimate price. Apparently that wasn't enough for
you?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
With all due respect, Peter, I take a slightly different view. He did not
learn from this experience. The comments being offered cannot help him and
cannot hurt him further. But the rest of us should learn to avoid such
"really stupid moments." The comments are directed at helping the rest of
us stay alive.
If it was your son would you want to see "DUMBASS" on a ghost bike?
How about "He was dead wrong"?
I don't see the point in stating the obvious. The rider essentially
received a death sentence for a $25 misdemeanor. The sentence was
delivered by fate, not by society or the driver who hit him. In any
case, he has over paid his debt to society, I see no point in insulting
his friends and family.

His friends and family created a memorial at the place of his death. A
memorial in such a public place is meant to make the passersby think.
If the circumstances of his death are not explained, the implication
is that he was the innocent victim of a crazed motorist, when instead
he was the victim of his own bad judgment. Leaving this out makes the
memorial dishonest. Explaining the circumstances would make the
memorial educational for cyclists. The ghost bike would be like the
smashed-up car exhibits MADD hauls from high school to high school to
encourage prom-goers and new graduates not to drink and drive.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_Bikes:

"Ghost Bikes are memorials to cyclists who are killed or injured while
on the street, primarily erected by other cyclists.[1] While the purpose
is to memorialize the rider, it also serves as a striking reminder to
both cyclists and drivers to conduct themselves carefully on the
road.[2] Ghost bikes are painted white and locked to an object such as a
street lamp or stop sign, near the site where the cyclist was killed."

http://www.ghostbikes.org/:

"Ghost Bikes are small and somber memorials for bicyclists who are
killed or hit on the street. A bicycle is painted all white and locked
to a street sign near the crash site, accompanied by a small plaque.
They serve as reminders of the tragedy that took place on an otherwise
anonymous street corner, and as quiet statements in support of cyclists'
right to safe travel."


If the memorial were just for the friends and family, they could have
incorporated a bike in his grave stone. Instead they chose to inflict
it on the public.

It's a transient thing. I don't get all the bunched panties. If the
"public" doesn't like it, they'll remove it -- they usually are removed
from what I gather. If it offends you so much go paint it red.

In chi.general wrote:
On Aug 25, 12:58?pm, Chicago Paddling-Fishing wrote:
In chi.general max wrote:

Chicago is ramping up RotR and equipment enforcement on cyclists
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/l...ckdown-webaug2
2,0,3716423.story
Based on a survey in the Logan Square neighborhood between 9 and 11
tonight, about 90% of the cyclists in Chicago don't have any kind of
lighting at all, and damn few (less than 50%) even have reflectors. ?
Out rage us. ? ?
I estimate traffic control compliance much better, at about 80% for
lights, ?but only about 2% for stop signs. ?
Cycling's guardian angels have been earning phat overtime checks in
Chicago. ?I'm truly truly astonished there aren't a great many more
car-bike accidents than there are, and i think, frankly, that a great
deal of the credit goes to car drivers.

Well, a great deal of credit might also go to cyclists for avoiding cars...

I have 2 white lights mounted forward and two red lights facing back. One
blinky in each direction and one solid light in each direction. I wear bright
colored cycling tops (shorts are black) and a bright colored helmet. ?

I have lots of close calls with cars that apparently look right past me (I
ride on a busy street and either the cars come to stop signs and don't see
me or they don't realize how fast I'm going and pull out in front of me).

I spend a good deal of time avoiding other cars, both east and west of
Pulaski...

snip sig

What's with the front strobes? A lot of wrong way riders in my area
have those, it's extremely annoying when they're oncoming. A red
blinkie isn't bad, but the bright white ones are horrible. Flashing
white lights in your face isn't the best thing for vision, which is
kind of necessary to keep from driving your vehicle into things. My
headlight has a strobe mode, but I don't see myself using it unless I
need some sort of emergency beacon some day, and since it's on the
road bike that's unlikely.

The intensity of bike lights isn't that great compared to bright amber
overhead lights we have on Chicago streets. In a burb they are great, but
you need something to catch the attention of cars when it's quite bright
on a major street with so many overhead lights. I added the second lights
(the blinkys) in each direction after many close calls however they don't
seem to have reduced the number...

What I might need is that flashlight they were selling at Costco a while
back, sort of looked like the search becon off a tug boat... while it
might be blinding for many, they probably wouldn't pull out in front of me
fearing I was a semi... (I'm not planning on getting it... one has to
pay attention when riding at night, just because you're on a main street
doesn't mean cars on side streets will respect your right-of-way...)

--
John Nelson
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Area Paddling/Fishing Page
http://www.chicagopaddling.org http://www.chicagofishing.org
(A Non-Commercial Web Site: No Sponsors, No Paid Ads and Nothing to Sell)

barbie gee wrote:


On Mon, 25 Aug 2008, Peter Cole wrote:

They didn't say who put up the bike for Matthew Manger-Lynch, but in
the latest Chicago fatality mentioned, Tyler Fabeck, the article says
it was friends and family:

"Starting with a junked frame, several friends and Tyler's brother
Jason took turns stripping the handlebars, welding on wheels and
pedals and spray-painting the final, assembled product."

I don't get all the nastiness.


not nasty, just annoyed, at least for me.

You have a very low threshold for annoyance.