OBRA: OBRA Chat: RE: Code of Conduct

RE: Code of Conduct

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Long, Steve

2005-01-26

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The lights don't change for us. I'm not sitting there and waiting for a

car to come by to trip the light sensor. We are not playing on a level

playing field hear. Bicycle routes and bike lanes are an after thought

here in the states. True, it's getting better but there is still a long

way to go.

And, as far as those bike trip sensors go, I've seen bikes sit at that

intersection near the Rose Quarter for two and three light iterations

for the light to change for them. I'll go with the traffic and I avoid

using that particular one. There are others that work better like going

left off of Interstate Ave. And, those darned things are few and far

between. You're going to have cyclists running the lights as long as we

are not playing on level ground here I think.

And, if you think it's bad here, try riding a bike in Vegas. Good God,

you're lucky to get out of it alive.

-----Original Message-----

From: Robert Nobles [mailto:rwno-@yahoo.com]

Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2005 8:40 AM

To: sus-@teamestrogen.com; 'obra'

Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] Code of Conduct

Susan,

Unless someone asks you for advice or you are leading a group

ride, I don't think people will be too receptive to legal pointers on

how to ride. Especially if they are not endangering anyone (but

themselves) by breaking some of the more minor car traffic laws that

they believe don't make sense for bikes due to our slow speeds, small

size, and good lines of sight.

Susan Otcenas <sus-@teamestrogen.com> wrote:

Apologies in advance for cross-posting to more than one

e-list.

Yesterday, the Oregonian published a Letter to the

Editor that I wrote after

reading about the latest hit-and-run here on the west

side. Should you care

to read it, here's a link to my letter

http://www.oregonlive.com/letters/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/editorial/11

0639

8840172300.xml

as well as the original article

http://www.oregonlive.com/metrowest/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/metro_west

_new

s/110544844993880.xml

Predictably, yesterday evening I received an anonymous

phone call from

"Jack" who wanted to talk about my letter. Luckily, he

wasn't a nutcase,

and we had an hour-long conversation about the

differences between the way

cyclists and motorists see the world. It was a

productive conversation,

with both of us conceding a few points.

Jack's biggest beef wi! th cyclists was the way in which

cyclists often seem

to flaunt the rules of the road. Running red lights and

stop signs, riding

3 abreast or in packs that do not move over when

vehicles approach from

behind, failing to signal, etc. We demand "respect" and

assert our

"rights", yet fail to observe the rules ourselves.

Frankly, I agree with

him. Sure, motorists break the rules all the time, but

it doesn't matter.

WE CAN NOT OCCUPY THE MORAL HIGH GROUND WHILE NOT

OBEYING THE RULES

OURSELVES.

I want to start a discussion on a "code of conduct" of

sorts.

### Note:

- If you wish to debate the evilness of autos, please

start another thread.

- If you wish to debate the war in Iraq, please start

another thread.

- If you wish to debate the FAIRNESS of said rules,

DON'T start a thread.

Pony up the bucks to join the BTA, or better yet

volunteer your time with

them to advocate for change.

###

The fact is, the rules are the rules! , such as they

are. If we ever wish to

gain the respect of the motorists, we have to do a

better job of obeying the

rules of the road. And we have to figure out a way to

politely tell our

fellow cyclists that certain behavior is not acceptable.

There's a lot to

be said for peer pressure.

In response to a recent post about police ticketing

cyclists who were not

stopping at a particular intersection yesterday, I would

very much like to

commend the OBRA members who pointed that no e-mail

"warning" should be

necessary. My favorite was:

"Remember the "three R's" of cycling:

Same road

Same rules

Same rights"

For myself, I'm making a pledge to do better. I know I

can't/won't be

perfect. But I'm going to re-double my efforts to stop

at every stop sign

instead of sometimes rolling through when it's "clear".

I'm going to ask

friends on group rides to be more conscious of

approaching vehicles so that

we can be courteous to our ! fellow citizens by allowing

them to safely pass.

I'm going to re-read "Pedal Power, A Legal Guide for

Oregon Bicyclists" so I

can be sure of my rights and responsibilities (free

download available at

http://www.stc-law.com/bikepower.html ). I'm hoping that

some of you will

also take some time to look at how you use your bicycle,

and see if there

isn't some small way in which you can improve as well.

Every action we as

individuals take is seen as representative of our entire

class--especially

if it's a negative action, which reinforces what

motorists already think and

expect.

So, I pose two questions:

1) What's the best way for individual cyclists to

communicate with other

individual cyclists, on the road, about behaving?

And

2) What would be the most effective way for an

organization (like the BTA,

OBRA, the Wheelman, etc.) to do broad outreach to the

cycling community on

this issue?

I apologize if this e-mail ha! s come

________________________________

Do you Yahoo!?

Yahoo! Mail - Find what you need with new enhanced

search. Learn more.

<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=29917/*http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250>

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<DIV>The

lights don't change for us. I'm not sitting there and waiting for a car to come

by to trip the light sensor. We are not playing on a level playing field hear.

Bicycle routes and bike lanes are an after thought here in the states. True,

it's getting better but there is still a long way to go.</DIV>

<DIV>And,

as far as those bike trip sensors go, I've seen bikes sit at that intersection

near the Rose Quarter for two and three light iterations for the light to change

for them. I'll go with the traffic and I avoid using that particular one. There

are others that work better like going left off of Interstate Ave. And, those

darned things are few and far between. You're going to have cyclists running the

lights as long as we are not playing on level ground here I

think.</DIV>

<DIV>And,

if you think it's bad here, try riding a bike in Vegas. Good God, you're lucky

to get out of it alive.</DIV>

<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">

<DIV></DIV>

<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left>-----Original Message----- From: Robert Nobles

[mailto:rwno-@yahoo.com] Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2005 8:40

AM To: sus-@teamestrogen.com; 'obra' Subject: Re: [OBRA

Chat] Code of Conduct </DIV>

<DIV>Susan,</DIV>

<DIV> </DIV>

<DIV>Unless someone asks you for advice or you are leading a group ride, I

don't think people will be too receptive to legal

pointers on how to ride. Especially if they are not endangering

anyone (but themselves) by breaking some of the more minor car traffic laws

that they believe don't make sense for bikes due to our slow speeds, small

size, and good lines of sight. </DIV>

<DIV> Susan Otcenas <sus-@teamestrogen.com>

wrote:</DIV>

<BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq

style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">Apologies

 in advance for cross-posting to more than one e-list. Yesterday, the

 Oregonian published a Letter to the Editor that I wrote after reading

 about the latest hit-and-run here on the west side. Should you care to

 read it, here's a link to my

 letter http://www.oregonlive.com/letters/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/editorial/110639 8840172300.xml

 as well as the original

 article http://www.oregonlive.com/metrowest/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/metro_west_new s/110544844993880.xml Predictably,

 yesterday evening I received an anonymous phone call from "Jack" who

 wanted to talk about my letter. Luckily, he wasn't a nutcase, and we had

 an hour-long conversation about the differences between the way cyclists

 and motorists see the world. It was a productive conversation, with both

 of us conceding a few points. Jack's biggest beef wi! th cyclists

 was the way in which cyclists often seem to flaunt the rules of the road.

 Running red lights and stop signs, riding 3 abreast or in packs that do

 not move over when vehicles approach from behind, failing to signal, etc.

 We demand "respect" and assert our "rights", yet fail to observe the

 rules ourselves. Frankly, I agree with him. Sure, motorists break the

 rules all the time, but it doesn't matter. WE CAN NOT OCCUPY THE MORAL

 HIGH GROUND WHILE NOT OBEYING THE RULES OURSELVES. I want to start

 a discussion on a "code of conduct" of sorts. ### Note: - If you

 wish to debate the evilness of autos, please start another thread. - If

 you wish to debate the war in Iraq, please start another thread. - If

 you wish to debate the FAIRNESS of said rules, DON'T start a thread. Pony

 up the bucks to join the BTA, or better yet volunteer your time with them

 to advocate for change. ### The fact is, the rules are the rules!

 , such as they are. If we ever wish to gain the respect of the motorists,

 we have to do a better job of obeying the rules of the road. And we have

 to figure out a way to politely tell our fellow cyclists that certain

 behavior is not acceptable. There's a lot to be said for peer

 pressure. In response to a recent post about police ticketing

 cyclists who were not stopping at a particular intersection yesterday, I

 would very much like to commend the OBRA members who pointed that no

 e-mail "warning" should be necessary. My favorite was: "Remember

 the "three R's" of cycling: Same road Same rules Same

 rights" For myself, I'm making a pledge to do better. I know I

 can't/won't be perfect. But I'm going to re-double my efforts to stop at

 every stop sign instead of sometimes rolling through when it's "clear".

 I'm going to ask friends on group rides to be more conscious of

 approaching vehicles so that we can be courteous to our ! fellow citizens

 by allowing them to safely pass. I'm going to re-read "Pedal Power, A

 Legal Guide for Oregon Bicyclists" so I can be sure of my rights and

 responsibilities (free download available

 at http://www.stc-law.com/bikepower.html ). I'm hoping that some of you

 will also take some time to look at how you use your bicycle, and see if

 there isn't some small way in which you can improve as well. Every action

 we as individuals take is seen as representative of our entire

 class--especially if it's a negative action, which reinforces what

 motorists already think and expect. So, I pose two

 questions: 1) What's the best way for individual cyclists to

 communicate with other individual cyclists, on the road, about

 behaving? And 2) What would be the most effective way for an

 organization (like the BTA, OBRA, the Wheelman, etc.) to do broad

 outreach to the cycling community on this issue? I apologize if

 this e-mail ha! s come

 <HR SIZE=1>

 Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Find what you need with new enhanced search.

 <A

 href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=29917/*http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250">Learn

 more.</A></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>

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