Advocacy & Safety - Darwin Award waiting to happen.

Saw something that made me laugh when riding last night.
Guy riding counterflow to traffic, with a red blinky where a headlight should have been.

To his credit... he did at least have a second blinky at the rear of his bike...

Darwin is so 1900's..

Driving home last night well after dark, I encountered a cyclist wearing no helmet, a black hoodie, and dark blue jeans. He had a rear reflector that was too grimey to function, and no lights. He was riding on a very busy stretch of a major arterial road crossing a 2-lane wide freeway exit (that I was exiting from).

I had no trouble seeing him at a distance of greater than 100 yards and yielding to his ROW, and neither did any of the other drivers I noted as he proceeded to merge just fine with heavy rush-hour traffic.

Although this is not the visibility set-up that I personally use while cycling, I was not reminded of the author of any 19th Century biology texts.

And for the record, I noted two cars without any functional exterior lights on the same drive, and I didn't have any trouble seeing them either.

^^ wait... you mean you were looking, and not texting when you drive... oh my!

I seem to notice more and more cyclists yakking on their cellphones while riding, and I'm not talking about Bluetooth headsets, either. That's pretty freaking wild.

^^ amazing what one can see when paying attention while driving

I use a lot of visibility devices not because I'm invisible if I don't, but because I want them to see me quickly in one of their glances between their texting and the road. Maybe if they see someone up ahead they will stop looking down and pay attention until they are past.

^^ amazing what one can see when paying attention while driving

You can observe a lot by just watching - Yogi Berra

I seem to notice more and more cyclists yakking on their cellphones while riding, and I'm not talking about Bluetooth headsets, either. That's pretty freaking wild.

I've seen a couple who were texting while riding their bikes. Have to wonder what is so important about those conversations that they can't wait a few seconds to pull over first.

I've seen a couple who were texting while riding their bikes. Have to wonder what is so important about those conversations that they can't wait a few seconds to pull over first.

What is ironic, is way back in the day, I thought it would cool to make a PB&J sandwich while I was riding on this great slight down hill road that I rode all the time.

I used to ride it hands free, and just sit up and enjoy myself... no helmet of course, no one wore them then.

I would just glide along...

It just seemed like a keen idea to be able to reach into my handlebar bag, and grab the parts for a sandwich, and just put it together while riding down this road. There was just something zen about it.

I can't help but wonder if some of that same feeling is going through the minds and psyche of those texting and riding.

oh for those days... ;) (BTW, that was all the way back in the late '70's)

^^ wait... you mean you were looking, and not texting when you drive... oh my!

Texting and other handheld electronics have been banned here since October 26th, I don't wanna get busted.

Although this morning I was passed by drivers who were variously eating (with both hands), reading a book, and putting on makeup. It's like the good old days.

What is ironic, is way back in the day, I thought it would cool to make a PB&J sandwich while I was riding on this great slight down hill road that I rode all the time.

I used to ride it hands free, and just sit up and enjoy myself... no helmet of course, no one wore them then.

I would just glide along...

It just seemed like a keen idea to be able to reach into my handlebar bag, and grab the parts for a sandwich, and just put it together while riding down this road. There was just something zen about it.

I can't help but wonder if some of that same feeling is going through the minds and psyche of those texting and riding.

oh for those days... ;) (BTW, that was all the way back in the late '70's)

Given some (hell most) of the hairbrained stunts we pulled back then, it kind of makes one wonder why most of us made it to adulthood. Add to that the lack of safety equipment.

I remember growing up when we'd plant a garden in the backyard pulling carrots or what have you, rinsing 'em off in the pool and eating 'em. As well as drinking straight from the garden hose. Those were the days.

Saying "something is so something" is so 1980's :rolleyes:

Given some (hell most) of the hairbrained stunts we pulled back then, it kind of makes one wonder why most of us made it to adulthood. Add to that the lack of safety equipment.

I remember growing up when we'd plant a garden in the backyard pulling carrots or what have you, rinsing 'em off in the pool and eating 'em. As well as drinking straight from the garden hose. Those were the days.

We survived those days because there's nothing dangerous or unreasonably risky about those behaviours. Cycling was safe then and it is now. It's only the fear mongering by bike club nannies that's changed, starting with bottled water suckling soccer moms in the very late '70s to early '80s.

We survived those days because there's nothing dangerous or unreasonably risky about those behaviours. Cycling was safe then and it is now. It's only the fear mongering by bike club nannies that's changed, starting with bottled water suckling soccer moms in the very late '70s to early '80s.

Hell, I remember growing up in Upstate NY having spent plenty of summers floating down the Wappingers Creek on an old truck inner tube. I'd either walk into town to the park and float down to just down the street from where my house was. Or I'd put in across the street from my house and float down about a mile or so down the creek and walk back home either in the water, or on the banks.

I never had a problem with anyone or anything doing all of that by myself. The most precaution I took was sometimes taking my brother's German Shepard with me. Otherwise it was just me and an inner tube and a lazy summer day of tubing.

Imagine the hell that that would raise today?

But they would have been entirely impervious to all potential dangers had they been wearing helmets.

:p

-Kurt