Alarming News: I like Morgan Freeberg. A lot.
American Digest: And I like this from "The Blog That Nobody Reads", because it is -- mostly -- about me. What can I say? I'm on an ego trip today. It won't last.
Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler: We were following a trackback and thinking "hmmm... this is a bloody excellent post!", and then we realized that it was just part III of, well, three...Damn. I wish I'd written those.
Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler: ...I just remembered that I found a new blog a short while ago, House of Eratosthenes, that I really like. I like his common sense approach and his curiosity when it comes to why people believe what they believe rather than just what they believe.
Brutally Honest: Morgan Freeberg is brilliant.
Dr. Melissa Clouthier: Morgan Freeberg at House of Eratosthenes (pftthats a mouthful) honors big boned women in skimpy clothing. The picture there is priceless--keep scrolling down.
Exile in Portales: Via Gerard: Morgan Freeberg, a guy with a lot to say. And he speaks The Truth...and it's fascinating stuff. Worth a read, or three. Or six.
Just Muttering: Two nice pieces at House of Eratosthenes, one about a perhaps unintended effect of the Enron mess, and one on the Gore-y environ-movie.
Mein Blogovault: Make "the Blog that No One Reads" one of your daily reads.
The Virginian: I know this post will offend some people, but the author makes some good points.
Poetic Justice: Cletus! Ah gots a laiv one fer yew...
I can see both sides of this one. Know why? Because I’ve been an innocent doe-eyed motorist contending with an asshole on a bicycle, and I’ve been an innocent doe-eyed bicyclist contending with a whole parade of assholes in cars.
The bike enthusiast being interviewed in the film clip at the end — he seems to be taking a rather selective approach in the responsibility he claims for knowing what’s going on behind him. Maybe I didn’t get a good enough look at that helmet…but he’s got two fancy cameras, and no mirror?
One villain I wish they mentioned: The automobile-driver who, when passing me, gives me not two feet of clearance, not three, or four, but ten. And then gives me a dirty look as if I forced him to drive in the other lane. Hey dickhead, I’m hugging the side of the road as best I possibly can; as long as you don’t make contact, we’re fine.
Use some common sense in choosing the route. If there’s no space for you, go somewhere else. I know whole neighborhoods are constructed that way — I used to live in one — but plan the route so you get the f*ck out. And, there were some pretty awesome shortcuts I had abandoned completely because the situation had degenerated past the point of reason. What would this guy have done, I wonder? Do I need to wonder about that?
One final note: The laws about bikes-versus-cars seem to vary municipally. Here in Folsom, bikes are expected to hug the right side; there is ample space for them to do so, I would guess, more than three-quarters of the time. Other places, the convention is that they are intermingled with the cars in whatever lane they want to choose. I think that is stupid and borderline homicidal. I’m not talking quite so much about the law, I am talking about what bicyclists are expected to do. Left lane, right lane, middle lane, la la de da, I’m pretending to be a car…not smart.
It’s a pretty decent pastime because it keeps your cardio in check, and if you don’t make sound judgment calls you end up dead. I like that. Makes you think better. But part of thinking better is: Make it no more dangerous than it needs to be, m’kay?
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I’m with you – I have been on both sides of this. My personal take is that there are more cyclists doing wrong – or at least dangerous – things out there than drivers. I have been that guy, and there’s no sense pretending that it is not one of the career cyclist’s biggest chest-thumping sources of pride to be that line-walking rebel on two wheels out there. It’s that sense of entitlement kicking in. And I notice that even on roads with bike lanes, cyclists tend to hug the line as close to the vehicle lane as possible, though there is several feet of space to their right.
And I could not agree more with the cop at the end concerning the snow plow incident – just because you have the right to be there, do you really want to take that risk? Common sense has to kick in at some point.
- Andy | 03/16/2009 @ 11:03Which reminds me, I was supposed to start riding again this week.
I suck.
- philmon | 03/16/2009 @ 11:13Other places, the convention is that they are intermingled with the cars in whatever lane they want to choose.
I worked in the Financial District in SFO for a couple of years and was surprised… after the experience was over… that I never saw a single bike messenger smeared all over the pavement because of what you mentioned. Those people (yeah, women, too) must be seen to be believed. And they are QUICK.
- bpenni | 03/16/2009 @ 15:14In re bike messengers rarely being hit by cars….
I worked down there for quite awhile too, and I DID see several bicycle riders run down pedestrians. FWIW.
- rob | 03/16/2009 @ 19:05Good point, rob. I was nearly hit by some of those clue-free idjits on the sidewalk outside 44 Monty several times myself. But they ARE adept at avoiding that which would hurt THEM.
- bpenni | 03/18/2009 @ 19:41