Posted On Monday, December 6th, 2010 By David Veatch
I’ve mentioned before that riding my bike to work every day for a year taught me more about driving than driving for 20 years did. I may have even mentioned that I’ve mentioned it before, though I can’t find where now. I recently read a post by Dave wherein he basically says he’s going to drive the speed limit and if you don’t like it, then that’s just tough. I read another post by rainycamp over at Bike Noob wherein he marvels at the general looniness of drivers. I’m right there on board with Dave. I drive the speed limit, give (or even take) a couple mph. Sometimes, when I’m passing I even drive the speed limit in the passing lane (note it’s called the “passing lane” and not the “speeding lane”). Yes. I’m that guy. *gasp* The horror! The aggravation obvious in the wild gesticulations, disgusted shaking of heads and clearly mouthed epithets of those behind me wishing to push the limits of officer tolerance do nothing to sway me. Believe me, you’ll get where you’re going, and not only will you do it with less risk of catastrophe, but you’re likely shaving more seconds off the end of more »
Posted On Tuesday, January 20th, 2009 By David Veatch
WEST BURLINGTON, Iowa – A man faces up to [a mere] 60 days in jail in connection with a November 2007 accident that killed a West Burlington man who was riding a bicycle. A judge found Marvin Oberly guilty last week of driving on the wrong side of a two-way highway and passing a vehicle on the wrong side. Douglas Kenney died of [the tragic and needless] injuries he suffered in the accident on Nov. 9, 2007 [due to Oberly’s utterly irresponsible and reckless actions]. Oberly is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 30. He faces [a paltry] 30 days in jail for each of the counts and up to a year suspension [rather than the far more just complete and permanent revocation] of his drivers license. [It is left as an exercise for the reader to rationalize how 60 days in jail and a year's suspension balances out the irresponsibility and recklessness that resulted in Kenney's death.] Prosecutors argued that Oberly drove up behind Kenney in his pickup and collided with the bicycle Kenney, who was riding his bicycle in a manner consistent with safety and law. Oberly testified provided the lame and weak excuse during his trial that more »
Posted On Wednesday, May 14th, 2008 By David Veatch
Understanding. Empathy. More than skill, I think that’s what’s lacking on the roads. People don’t understand the rules and laws, and (to the point of this post), more importantly, they don’t understand what it’s like for other drivers of different vehicles. Bear in mind that I include myself wholeheartedly in this group, which also, I propose, includes each and every one of you. The typical car driver doesn’t understand what it’s like to be a bicyclist on the road. The typical bicyclist doesn’t understand what it’s like to drive a semi. How many of us understand what it’s like to drive a bus? Some, to be sure, but not most. What about a garbage truck? 30′ moving vans? Fully laden cement mixers? As I spend more time as one of the smaller, more vulnerable users of the road, I spend more time thinking about such things. I’m coming to believe that in order to operate a vehicle on todays roads, we should be required to have a deeper understanding of what it’s like to operate a wide variety of vehicles. That means licensing. What prompted this line of thinking was the many times drivers, in vehicles of all sizes, display more »
Posted On Monday, February 11th, 2008 By David Veatch
Fatty rocks. He has such a good and solid (not like a rock) head on his shoulders. Check out some really fantastic thoughts on being a rider vs. a driver in his post “Both Sides of the Windshield.” When I started commuting, all of two months ago, I mentally prepared myself for all manner of flak and hooliganism from the barely controlled jackals driving around on Kansas City’s roads. So far, the worst I’ve had are cars passing within the 3′ boundary. They’re just a *little* too close for comfort, but I’ve never been crowded off the road. Furthermore, in every case, I’ve been able to understand, if not excuse, their reasoning. The honking has always been polite (a quick beep vs. a long blaring bray) or well after they already passed (a greeting vs. a warning or a poor excuse for a joke). All in all, I’ve had a fantastic experience, especially when compared to others who report hideous atrocities with alarming regularity. Happy and safe riding all! Think of my on my hamster wheel all week…
Posted On Friday, January 4th, 2008 By David Veatch
StreetsBlog has a piece called “To Obey or Not to Obey,” regarding whether cyclists should be held accountable, the same as motorized vehicles, to all traffic laws. The piece itself is rather sparse in it’s information. It’s basically the first few note cards as it were, in a much wider and deeper debate and comes clearly on the side of leniency when it comes to observance of traffic laws and regulations. It touches on the idea that traffic regulation was instituted at the advent of the motorcar, for the benefit of the motorcar, ignoring horse drawn carriages, pedestrians, cyclists and all others. Without doing a great deal of research into it myself, I can’t speak for that, except to think that it makes sense. Additionally, it touches on the idea of “Vehicular” or “Integrated” cycling, which is a theory/belief/behavioral system stating that bicycles should obey all the laws of the road as if they were cars. I fall somewhere to the outside of that. While I do believe that it is important to behave as if you were a car in most situations, I recognize, for both safety and convenience reasons, that sometimes it is either impossible to adhere to more »