Alex's post reminded me of an incident yesterday that, fortunately, did not result in injury. I was biking down Lake Street, from University Ave. to State (you know, the big intersection by library mall). I stopped at the stop sign as usual because (1) it's the law and (2) there's a ton of peds there and I think cyclists who don't stop for them are ... oh, I shouldn't say that word on this forum.
Anyway, just after I started up again and turned onto State, this cyclist behind me (he'd been following for about a block, but not super close, which I knew thanks to my mirrors) speeds up and grunts, "Why'd you stop? There's no stop sign!" He was a white, 40-ish, helmetless male. I thought I recognized him as a customer from my days of working at Mifflin Street Co-op. I said, in what I think was a friendly tone, "Actually, there is one, right there," and I pointed to it. To which he replied, "That's only for cars. Sheesh." By this time he was next to me. "Actually," I said, "it's for cyclists, too." Maybe I sounded too parental and unflustered. He looked disgusted, turned away from me and pedaled across the street toward a bike rack. "Only for stupid cyclists!" he hollered over his shoulder. "And cyclists who want to follow the law and not get hit by cars--" and I was about to add "--or injure pedestrians" when I realized I was engaging in a street debate with a guy who thought that his calling me "stupid" might shame me into speeding through stop signs. On another note, has anyone else seen that guy who reads books while biking soutwest on the SW Path in the afternoons? When I see him, it's usually around 5 p.m., near Harrison St. He goes pretty fast -- I'd guess 15 mph. Even though I've seen him a few times, I'm usually too stunned to say anything. Kathryn _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
