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#101
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I am convinced bicycling is not safe
On Nov 19, 3:22*pm, Dane Buson wrote:
In rec.bicycles.misc Peter Clinch wrote: KingOfTheApes wrote: Of course, it woudn't be a revolution to create bike paths but to protect the weaker species of the capitalist jungle, ie, those who are unwilling or unable to drive SUVs. How many times does it have to be pointed out to you that unless you can get rid of junctions between roads and bike paths, and you can't, bike paths don't protect you from SUVs, or indeed any other traffic passing through junctions. *And the more bikes aren't part of their more general road experience the more dangerous those junctions will be. Bike paths have their place, can be useful and can certainly be pleasurable, but they're not much of an answer to cycling safety. I'd have to agree, and I'll trot out my personal bete noire. *I think one of the best ways to improve safety (in the U.S.) is to make getting and keeping a license a *little* harder and a *little* more expensive. As it is with $25 and a pulse, you can pretty much get a license. That and retesting *everyone* every five years. *If you can't be bothered to pay $50 instead of $25 (for example) and be tested on your ability to pilot a two ton piece of machinery at high velocity, you shouldn't be driving. That might drop the bottom 5% and improve bike *and* pedestrian safety. The same effect may be achievable by requiring a special license for SUVs, which after all are "trucks." Funny, they are trucks to go through the safety loopholes, but not to require a license. |
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#102
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I am convinced bicycling is not safe
On Nov 19, 12:37*pm, Peter Clinch wrote:
See, things are not as simple as "roads are good, bike paths/lanes are bad"... "Where I live now in Tigard, OR scored a 69, so it is an effort to walk as most stores are about 1.5 miles away, but it is a pleasure to bike as there are good paths and bike lanes. For example there's an Albertsons 2.08 miles away at the end of a multiuse path that crosses no streets, ends in their parking lot and with only 0.28miles of narrow two lane between by apt and the start of the path. In contrast, where I grew up in New Brunswick, NJ scored in the 80's as more stores are nearby, but has no bike lanes and lots more traffic. The walkable site is a good start but needs to account for road/ sidewalk conditions and traffic volume." http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...=487455&page=2 |
#103
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A March on Washington... on Bicycle?
What does the word "banana" tell you?
"BANANA? Yes, it appeals to the monkey within us, yearning for the simple life in the jungle. Well, perhaps it's a symbol of a better world to come in frugality and peace." As I was watching '2001: A Space Odyssey,' it perfectly made sense that the monkeys were first vegetarian (banana eaters) before acquiring the "knowledge" of killing and eating meat. So a Banana Revolution would appeal to that world in the treetops, rather than the technological advanced world depicted later in the movie. Then I sat down and wrote the deep thought above. What's our future, KILLING MONKEYS OR BANANA-PEACE-LOVING MONKEYS? 'Over images of an African desert, a caption reads "The Dawn of Man". A tribe of herbivore apes is foraging for food. One of them is attacked and killed by a leopard. They are driven from their water hole by another tribe. Defeated, they sleep overnight in a small exposed rock crater. Waking at sunrise, they find that a mysterious black, rectangular monolith has appeared in front of their shelter. They approach the monolith shrieking and jumping. Subsequently, one of the apes (Daniel Richter) realizes how to use a bone as both tool and a weapon while having mental flashbacks to the monolith, indicating that the monolith has 'taught' him this knowledge. The apes are now able to kill animals and eat meat. Next morning they wrest control of the water hole away from the other tribe, killing their leader in the process. Exultant in victory, the ape leader throws his bone into the air which switches via match cut to a shot of an orbital satellite millions of years in the future, circa 2000. This satellite and three more immediately following it are generally identified as orbiting nuclear weapons.' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001:_A...sey_%28film%29 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Banana Revolution (for vegetarian monkeys) http://webspawner.com/users/bananarevolution |
#104
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I am convinced bicycling is not safe
KingOfTheApes wrote:
Not on major streets. It depends whether you are talking about a bikeable place or just a "hole"... (and there's a lot of people living in it, see poll) http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=487455 For some values of "a lot". That's a statistically meaningless sample. Now the question is how many decades we will take to make drivers, who are used to the law of the jungle, more civilized? It takes time, but it can (and does) happen. For example, not too long ago in the UK "one for the road" was perfectly acceptable amongst the general population. Nowadays drink driving is a pretty major no-no for the general public. Though I suspect the most important driver of changing attitudes will be the price if fuel going up, as that puts more peple on bikes. Pete. -- Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/ |
#105
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You expect Obama to change America, or just waiting for Jesus?
On Nov 18, 8:53 pm, wrote:
Doug wrote: I was surprised that my old neighborhood in New Orleans was a “walker’s paradise” at 100%, Interesting. I put the address of the house I grew up in--just off the cemetery end of Canal St and got an 82% Cemeteries are safer to walk than most places in America. Main risk of walking in America is crime. But people who got enough money to live in gated communities can so pretty freely. |
#106
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I am convinced bicycling is not safe
On Nov 20, 8:09*am, Peter Clinch wrote:
KingOfTheApes wrote: Not on major streets. It depends whether you are talking about a bikeable place or just a "hole"... (and there's a lot of people living in it, see poll) http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=487455 For some values of "a lot". *That's a statistically meaningless sample. Now the question is how many decades we will take to make drivers, who are used to the law of the jungle, more civilized? It takes time, but it can (and does) happen. *For example, not too long ago in the UK "one for the road" was perfectly acceptable amongst the general population. *Nowadays drink driving is a pretty major no-no for the general public. Though I suspect the most important driver of changing attitudes will be the price if fuel going up, as that puts more peple on bikes. OK, OK, but here is NOT EVEN AN ISSUE, nor will I expect it to be. Before you can even fix the problem, you must accept you have a jungle, right? Just browse... http://www.lulu.com/content/186268 One question, one characteristic that hints at a jungle is GATED COMMUNITIES, where the Rich and Powerful isolate themselves in relative safety, and then let the world fall prey to the Law of the Jungle. Is the UK like that? How often you find them in Europe for that matter? |
#107
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I am convinced bicycling is not safe
KingOfTheApes wrote:
One question, one characteristic that hints at a jungle is GATED COMMUNITIES, where the Rich and Powerful isolate themselves in relative safety, and then let the world fall prey to the Law of the Jungle. Is the UK like that? How often you find them in Europe for that matter? There's one just around the corner from me. Since we're in a very un-troubled neighbourhood the consensus around where I live is it's a complete waste of time for those who've bought houses in there. So they're not isolating themselves in relative safety, they're just isolating themselves. Their problem, not mine, rather than the other way about. You seem obsessed that you're living in a jungle. While I'm sure there are parts of our respective nations that conform to the description I've not seen much that suggests it's the rule rather than the exception. Certainly not the case that it's a fair generalisation, yet that's what you will persist in doing. Pete. -- Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/ |
#108
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I am convinced bicycling is not safe
On Nov 20, 11:41*am, Peter Clinch wrote:
KingOfTheApes wrote: One question, one characteristic that hints at a jungle is GATED COMMUNITIES, where the Rich and Powerful isolate themselves in relative safety, and then let the world fall prey to the Law of the Jungle. Is the UK like that? How often you find them in Europe for that matter? There's one just around the corner from me. *Since we're in a very un-troubled neighbourhood the consensus around where I live is it's a complete waste of time for those who've bought houses in there. So they're not isolating themselves in relative safety, they're just isolating themselves. *Their problem, not mine, rather than the other way about. You seem obsessed that you're living in a jungle. *While I'm sure there are parts of our respective nations that conform to the description I've not seen much that suggests it's the rule rather than the exception. Certainly not the case that it's a fair generalisation, yet that's what you will persist in doing. Are you watching too many American shows? That may account for an excess in SUVs and gated communities. They are here everywhere, so they must mean something. Actually, I think they mean the same as in Mexico or Costa Rica... "about the EU and gated communities. I have not seen one. You can find certain suburban towns where poverty is higher than the norm.. Certainly precautions such as bullet proof glass, I have yet to find... What I notice.. No trailer parks.. Trailer parks are often sub income and in a state of squalor.. It's rare to find such an invention thourghout the EU.. Why. For the most part, you go to the biggest towns we have extensively walked about town centers and not felt unsafe. Places such as Barcelona, you might find your pockets picked, but you are safe. So why a need for gated communities." http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=488100 |
#109
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I am convinced bicycling is not safe
"KingOfTheApes" wrote in message ... [...] Are you watching too many American shows? That may account for an excess in SUVs and gated communities. They are here everywhere, so they must mean something. Actually, I think they mean the same as in Mexico or Costa Rica... Yes, I think it does mean the same thing. As civilization breaks down, those with the wherewithal seek safety above all else. They will not only move to gated communities, but they will fortify their homes with walls in the end. Go to any third world country and you will see what I mean. Regards, Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota aka Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota |
#110
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I am convinced bicycling is not safe
In rec.bicycles.misc Peter Clinch wrote:
KingOfTheApes wrote: Now the question is how many decades we will take to make drivers, who are used to the law of the jungle, more civilized? It takes time, but it can (and does) happen. For example, not too long ago in the UK "one for the road" was perfectly acceptable amongst the general population. Nowadays drink driving is a pretty major no-no for the general public. Though I suspect the most important driver of changing attitudes will be the price if fuel going up, as that puts more peple on bikes. That's what I've observed for myself. That the thing that really motivates most poeple is when the cost to their pocketbook rises. This is especially true if it's a rapid rise. Inconveinence in the form of traffic jams, poor parking and other things help also. But cost seems to be a big driver (no pun intended) of people's change in behaviour. -- Dane Buson - "Never draw fire; it irritates the people around you." |
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