Originally Posted by DanO220
I do have to say that I am encouraged by this thread. Frankly, I expected a lot more people would take the militant, fanatical stance that Chris, ‘every lane is a bike lane’, so unflinchingly and steadfastly espouses. It is clear that he decided long ago which far side of the issue he stands on, and is willing to parse words ad nauseam in order to prop up his argument - regardless of the facts.
Fact is, as a commuter who is intimately familiar with the stretch of road in question, I am qualified to render a judgement as to the suitability of the shoulder in this case. Chris simply seems to refuse to accept this reality.
That's not what I said at all. What I said was, this cyclist is the one best placed to make a decision on which section of the roadway was the most suitable for riding at that time -- not someone who was driving past and had, at best, a distant, fleeting view of the shoulder. I'm assuming, from the fact that we haven't had another "cyclist killed" thread posted over in Advocacy and Safety from this incident, that the guy survived (contrary to the expectations of some). So perhaps his decision wasn't so wrong after all.
Originally Posted by DanO220
Fact is, I accept that he is an autonomous adult, entitle to make his own decisions and chart his own course. I realize that he has every right to ride in whatever lane he chooses - just as he has every right to climb atop the bridge we had just passed under and jump off. I simply think it would be a shame if he were injured or killed unnecessarily.
We all face risks in every human activity we undertake. That is really beside the point here. The point is, it was his decision as to whether he perceived he would be "killed unnecessarily". Tell me, do you go around lecturing everyone else who undertakes an activity that you perceive as "dangerous"?
Originally Posted by DanO220
Fact is, when a motorist does see a cyclist or group of cyclist up ahead, their initial response is often colored by past encounters. As much as we might like to think we judge everyone on their own merits, human nature often dictates otherwise.
This is, in fact, a slightly differently worded version of what I said before. However, regardless of the wording, it's something that none of us has any control over. I know cyclists like to think that "lecturing" anyone who does something that might "piss off" a driver somewhere is somehow going to make all the crap we get on the roads disappear. Fact it, it's not. I've long accepted the fact. For one thing, lecturing one cyclist is not going to make that much difference (even if you do influence their behaviour, which is, at best, highly unlikely). For another thing, it is not going to make irrational prejudices go away, which is usually the motivation for cyclist abusers.
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I am clinically insane. I am proud of it.
That is all.