Post by DiscoDuckRiding in a crosswalk is risky because...
Stop being so paranoid, Then as a cyclist look out for pedestrians.
It's that easy.
It isn't paranoid, you can look out for pedestrians all you want, but if
they aren't looking out for you, you risk running into one when he walks
into your path without notice.
Consider the users of crosswalks: "pedestrians, joggers, in-line
skaters, dog owners, and others, all of whose lateral motion is
incompatible with the forward momentum of a bicycle. Collisions are
inevitable."
Where did I get that quote from? From the "excellent cycling helmet
website" you recently posted about in the thread of the same name.
There's a whole lot more on that website than just helmet information.
You should read it.
Post by DiscoDuckNo, DD. What I wrote above was taken right from your edited list.
uhm no, you included the red light one, when I did not.
Oh, well excuse me. My mistake. I still don't agree, though, I see more
cyclists stopping at the red light than running through it.
Post by DiscoDuckthe point remains the same. But I find it interesting that you notice
cyclists but in a earlier post you said you're not obsessed with ops
therefore don't notice them. Yet you notice all these cyclist that
obey the rules you claim we need? I call bull.
Like I said earlier, I only see cops walking a beat or on bike patrol
in the Downtown Eastside and on Granville Mall at night. Okay, to add
one more, at special events where there are large crowds like at the
summer fireworks. Other than that I only see them in their cars. And I
have never seen a cop in a cruiser pull over a cyclist. But people
riding bikes, and following the rules on how to ride them safely on
public roads? Yes, I see them all over the place. I don't know why you
find that so hard to believe.
Post by DiscoDuckPost by DiscoDuckam wrong. Can you (or other here. no)?
Sure, refer back to the thread we duked it out in a few weeks ago, when I
did at least twice.
To what?
Oh, Disco, I can't believe you have forgotten already, after I reminded
you at least six or seven times in that thread. Remember? At first I
said that hugging the curb when stopped at a red light was "an accident
waiting to happen." Then I retracted that and said it was "safe."
Then, in the same thread, I claimed that nobody said to block right-turning
traffic, and then you showed me a post by Jim Garnett where he appeared
to have said that. I conceded that to you as well. Your memory is worse
than your reading comprehension.
Post by DiscoDuckI never said that police don't stop cyclists. I said that I had never
seen cops in cruisers stop cyclists.
And they do. It's happened to me about 10 times, for which I was
ticketed twice. Therefore I now avoid all police in all circumstance.
Otherwise I'm liable to be shot in the head if I defend myself.
Oh, please. You have a bigger chance of being struck by lightning.
Post by DiscoDuckPost by DiscoDuckThat suggested you felt they shouldn't.
Where did you get that idea from?
From you. Why don't state a clear opinion (preferably yours) in
your next post.
Okay, here it is. I don't see cops stopping cyclists and issuing them
tickets (other than at the times and locations I posted above.) That
doesn't mean that I think they shouldn't be doing that; I am just saying
that I don't see it. Clear enough?
Post by DiscoDuckPost by DiscoDuckYes, so therefore I avoid ALL Police in ALL circumstance.
I guess you won't call the cops then when you get robbed, mugged, beaten,
your car stolen, etc?
What does one have to do with the other? Who should I call then?
This is my point about ego. When you're critical of the police then your
automatic response is "don't call them then."
I never told you to not call them. You said that you avoid all cops in
all circumstances. I'm just wondering what you would do if what you
claim is really true.
Post by DiscoDuckIt shows how police are motivated by control and not doing good. They
aren't interested in catching bad guys and preventing crime so much
as exercising they're ego.
There are a few bad apples in the cops, yes of course; just like there
are in any profession. I'm no fan of the Vancouver cops, in case you
were wondering. They've got big problems in the force they have to deal
with. But to make a blanket statement like the above, which simply isn't
true, is not going to help make things get any better.
Post by DiscoDuckPost by DiscoDuckPost by KirálySo, other than learning the shifts, how do you know what cars (cops) are
out at what times?
I don't. I just avoid ALL Police as much as possible. Even if not
riding. After all, too many have attitudes and who know which will do
what to me. I'm liable to be shot in the head like that poor fellow
in Houston, BC.
Okay, so you admit that your original claim that you learned to avoid
certain cars (cops) at certain times was just a fish story, then? You
are losing credibility fast.
No, I don't admit that. I admit that you learn patterns out of
observation. But your claim I learn shifts of officers in a lie (and
you know it)
First you claimed that you learned to "avoid certain cars (cops) at
certain times." I assumed you meant that you leaned the shifts. You
claimed that you didn't. So then what patterns did you learn? All the
cruisers look the same. Don't tell me you memorized licence plate
numbers and times those cars are out. What other patterns are there?
Post by DiscoDuckYou wrote "This kind of stuff doesn't make it into the statistics"
after talking about your injury when we were discussing injuries.
Doesn't get clearer than that. So really you need to be clearer in
your writing.
Okay, in case it wasn't clear before, I said it was the non-injury stuff
(wages lost dealing with ICBC) that doesn't make it into the statistics.
But it *was* perfectly clear, Disco, because I said exactly this: "So I
was one of those 'superficial scrape' statistics." Nothing is unclear
about that. You need to work on your reading comprehension.
Post by DiscoDuckEducation is great, laws out of paranoia is bad. So yes, lets keep
trying though education but not through making more petty laws giving
petty cops the right to exercise their power in the pettiest way (and
eventually shooting someone in the head)
I agree that there should not be any more laws. What we have now is
sufficient.
Post by DiscoDuckYes, Disco, I can totally understand where you are coming from. You ride
on crosswalks and sidewalks. With the law removed, you won't have to
take responsibility if you collide with and injure a pedestrian. You are
completely removed from liability even if the accident is your fault.
I can completely understand why you would want such a system.
Talk about paranoid. I DON'T have liability now and neither do they.
Sure you (and they) do. If you collide with a pedestrian in a crosswalk
and it is your fault, you are liable because you broke the law. If a
pedestrian wanders into the bike lane on the Burrard Bridge and causes a
collision, then it is the pedestrian's fault and he is liable.
Post by DiscoDuckOh, my God, Disco. Your reading comprehension is even worse than I
thought. If you are saying I contradicted myself, then point it out. If
the number of the 933 collisions that were the cyclist's fault was
included in any of the stats that I posted, then please repost it. But
you won't be able to, because that figure IS NOT THERE. It does not say
anywhere in the stats that I posted what proportion of the collisions
could be attributed to the fault of the cyclist.
wrong here.
Disco, you are pathetic.
There were 933 collisions between bikes and motor vehicles in 2003.
Some of those were the fault of the cyclist. We don't know how many.
The ones that were the fault of the cyclist had several contributing
factors to the cause of the collision.
NOWHERE in the numbers I posted, or in the source document, does it say
HOW MANY or WHAT PERCENTAGE of the 933 were the cyclist's fault.
If you really think that the information is there, here's a challenge for
you. I will estimate that 450 of the 933 collisions were the cyclist's
fault. If that number is wrong, and the correct number can be extracted
from what I posted, or from the source document, then you are welcome to
correct it. I'm curious to see what that number actually is.
Post by DiscoDuckLOL, those stats are the causes of *head injuries*! I asked you to find
out what proportion of collisions involving bicycles were the fault of
the cyclist rather than the other party. And you bring up head injury
statistics!
We were talking injuries in general . Do head injuries not fall under
that? Therefore I provided them
When were we talking about injuries in general? We were talking about
what number of the 933 collisions between bikes and motor vehicles in BC
were the fault of the cyclist.
Post by DiscoDuckThat is complete nonsense. Almost ALL accidents are caused by somebody
making a stupid mistake. Flukes, like a tree falling on you, are
exceedingly rare. A collision between a bike and another vehicle or
pedestrian is almost never a fluke, it is caused by somebody doing
something stupid.
Paranoid indeed. WE need laws to allocate blame. Perhaps we should
have that for pedestrians too? What if a jogger hits a walker? Vica
versa? What if someone walking in the right bumps into someone on the
same side breaking his/her nose?
You are being ridiculous.
Post by DiscoDuckIt's happening now, Disco; laws regarding safe opration of bicycles are
in effect in every jurisdiction in Canada and the USA, at the least. And
required insurance for bicyclists is not in effect in any of those
jurisdictions. Quit being so paranoid.
I'm paranoid!!??, and I'm the one NOT wanting all these little
bizarre rules to allocate blame, like you do.? That's a laugh.
Did you not read what I wrote? Laws regarding safe opration of bicycles
are in effect in every jurisdiction in Canada and the USA and they have
been for years. You claimed that when that happened, then insurance will
also be required for cyclists. Well, it has been decades, and insurance
is required in NONE of those jurisdictions. It hasn't happened already,
and there is no evidence it will ever happen. Check this fact with your
own definition of paranoid, posted earlier in this thread:
| Paranoid means you have no evidence to feel the way you do.
Aren't you the pot calling the kettle black?
K.