Ben Fischler

Don't understand the unreasoned anger? I think it has everything to do with
our lovely "American Culture" (ie: I am the most important thing in the
world, everything else can go to hell) combined with the deleterious effects
of the automobile on the human psyche (ie: isolation, bubble between you and
the world, mistaking your windsheild for a television screen...)

Cars turn people into assholes, and in the States we're starting with a
populace that is already well stocked in that dept.

The only way to ride is to ride as if every single car on the road is a
death machine, because it is.

End rant.

2009/2/23 hrdtduck

> *All it takes is one to kill you….and yes I think of the majority that do
> pass safely & politely…thank God for them because it takes a long time to
> get over just one…once in a while offense…I suppose it is the nature of
> the offense that makes it stick so hard…the threat to one's life…well for
> me anyway is pretty hard to just forgive & forget….Won't keep me from riding
> but it take a lot of the joy out of a ride when every time you hear a
> vehicle approach (or don't which is the worst) and they pass within a hair's
> breath, in my mind deliberately violating your RIGHT to be on the road. You
> have that passing thought often as not, do I die here today? And what right
> do they have to frighten me in that manner….I just do not understand the
> unreasoned anger that is directed a cyclists way…how can it be so hard to
> let off that long pedal a little or twitch the steering wheel to the left a
> little…and I have family members who think that way, unreasoned anger
> towards cyclists….there is no dealing with them on a rational basis, and the
> only thing drivers (I call them automorons) understand…it tit for tat…and by
> 16lb bike is no match for even the lightest car on the road….I have modified
> the way I ride and where I ride, I stop at stop signs & lights (seems to be
> the biggest offense automorons accuse of offending , and they are
> right!)….but for the vast, vast majority of occurrences, the other lane was
> clear when that vehicle went by just too damn close, or when that beer
> bottle came flying out the window, or when the pickup rolls up and parks his
> fender under your elbow…..We need to fight back every time, however we
> can…make it a habit to memorize license numbers and make a complaint, talk
> to your local Sherriff's department. (won't do much good but we have to
> try)….Stay vigilant, ride in a group if you can (more witnesses)….what else
> can we do???*
>
> * *
>
> *From:* chood1@comcast.net [mailto:chood1@comcast.net]
> *Sent:* Monday, February 23, 2009 12:38 PM
> *To:* hrdtduck
> *Cc:* Steve' 'Long; Jeff Edes; obra@list.obra.org
> *Subject:* Re: [OBRA Chat] Another near miss? Or mis-judgement?
>
>
>
> Have you ever counted, or taken thought, of all the drivers that pass you
> by without incident? Have you counted the ones that pass you while moving
> over into the other lane, or honk their horn nicely to let you know they are
> there? Have you ever counted all the cars/drivers that simply notice you and
> let you be? Have you counted the number of days without incident? I bet you
> would get tired of counting and lose track within the first 10 minutes of
> your early city commute.
>
> Thing is, you can go months, years without incident but it takes just one
> person to screw that all up. Don't give up hope because of a few
> knuckleheads out there. Remember that the number of decent people on the
> road far exceeds the number of troublemakers.
>
> I still have hope and I agree that one must be persistent in getting the
> offenders corrected through the proper channels.
>
> Good Luck
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "hrdtduck"
> To: "Steve' 'Long" , "Jeff Edes" <
> Edes101@yahoo.com>, obra@list.obra.org
> Sent: Monday, February 23, 2009 12:28:03 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
> Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] Another near miss? Or mis-judgement?
>
> Yea I get it and I'd hope to see some improvement over the last 25+
> years...but I have ridden in a lot of states and it is all the same...you
> take your life in your hands and trust to the decency of others when you
> ride the road....Not trying to be a downer, ...I had high hope for the last
> "gas crisis", that more people would get on a bike to save money, thus get
> to experience what we road regulars have to endure daily.....but it was
> pretty short lived, and desperate hope.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Long, Steve [mailto:Steve.Long@clark.wa.gov]
> Sent: Monday, February 23, 2009 12:20 PM
> To: hrdtduck; Jeff Edes; obra@list.obra.org
> Subject: RE: [OBRA Chat] Another near miss? Or mis-judgement?
>
> Remind's me of a story I once heard of a young boy walking along the
> beach picking up star fish and tossing them back into the water. An old
> man happened by and said to the boy, young man, why are you tossing the
> star fish back into the water, it can't possibly make a different
> considering the magnitude of them that wash ashore? The young boy look
> down at the star fish in his hand and exclaimed, it makes a difference
> to this one.
>
> Moral of story, one-at-a-time.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: obra-bounces@list.obra.org [mailto:obra-bounces@list.obra.org] On
> Behalf Of hrdtduck
> Sent: Monday, February 23, 2009 12:14 PM
> To: 'Jeff Edes'; obra@list.obra.org
> Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] Another near miss? Or mis-judgement?
>
> Short of shooting them in the head...how can we make them change...I've
> tried nearly everything else...polite discourse does not work....beating
> them up feels really good...but most are darn hard to catch...I am not
> sure there is anything that can be done...the main reason I started
> riding mountain bikes back in the early 80s
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: obra-bounces@list.obra.org [mailto:obra-bounces@list.obra.org] On
> Behalf Of Jeff Edes
> Sent: Monday, February 23, 2009 10:21 AM
> To: obra@list.obra.org
> Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] Another near miss? Or mis-judgement?
>
> These drivers need to realize that they have no right to deliberately
> endanger law abiding citizens. We are getting hurt and killed on our own
> roads, by people that have somehow convinced themselves that we have no
> right to be there. Prosecute this person to the full extent of the law.
> Keep us posted... if you have legal fees to deal with I will be the
> first to help out. Every cyclist on the road needs to take a stand
> against this behavior.
>
> Jeff Edes
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--
-Ben

VFX Supe
Laika

[ ben.fischler@gmail.com ]