Some take-homes from the initial altercation (not meant to pass judgment on people in the story, just to prevent similar incidences from occurring):
(1) Don't cycle drunk. (2) Don't try to reason or engage with someone, cyclist or otherwise, who is openly hostile and/or directly asks you if you would like to fight. (3) Don't try to teach a cyclist about cycling safety (or laws) while you are in an automobile. Even if the cyclist is not drunk or inclined toward hostility, you will not be perceived as being helpful. Even if you are speaking out of genuine concern, you will be perceived as being a bossy complainer who is trying, in a very passive-aggressive manner, to tell the cyclist that cyclists don't belong on the road. (4) If you feel called to educate another cyclist, do so with caution -- whether you are in a car, on a bike, on rollerblades, or on your feet. Unless you already know that other cyclist and have a friendly relationship with him/her, he/she has no reason to take anything you say about bicycle laws or safety as dispassionate truth. Sometimes people are open to new information, other times they are not. When people are drunk, they are generally not. (5) If you see a cyclist who is behaving in a way that endangers the lives or safety of others, you always have the option of calling the police -- just as you do with motorists. Same for if they are doing something illegal. (6) The best time to bring up the subject of safety and legality is when no one is on or in a vehicle, human-powered or otherwise. Sitting in chairs or standing are two good ways to start such a conversation. Then, when the person asks for a demonstration of safe/legal cycling behavior, you can go on a ride together and give running commentary/instructions. Not much to say about the mob scene after the initial altercation, except the obvious, "Avoid getting sucked into a mob." ktk ---- Troy Thiel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hello all, > > Foregive me if this has already been posted...interesting, and sorta sad of > course, story.... > > http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1215660313233830.xml&coll=7 > > In restaurant parlance the term "presentation" is important on how the meal > is given to the patron...I think sometimes how we communicate our mutual > goals of improving cycling and more sensible approaches to sustainable > transportation policies could use some room for improvement in "presentation" > and worry that sometimes the ends don't justify...or make the goals more > attainable...the means. There is a time and place unfortunately for a > "stick" rather than a "carrot" but the vilification of anyone who is driving > an internal combustion engine vehicle isn't most often the best way to affect > the changes we want to see... > > Random thoughts, have a safe fun ride today... > > Troy Thiel _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
