I agree with Michael's sentiments.
It's unfortunate that "all cyclists" or "all motorists" get painted with
the same broad brush. In that respect, anti-cycling types like Lowell
Greene (who, and let's acknowledge this, is in the entertainment business
and gets his ratings up by making outrageous statements) and the anti-car
activists (who pop up here now and again) have much in common. It is
skilled driving and courteous behaviour that should be respected, not
the class of driver. Whether the vehicle being operated is a car or a
bicycle is irrelevant.
>From what I observe daily on the streets of Ottawa, most cyclist ills are
of the cyclists own making. Skilled cyclists have fewer problems with poor
drivers and when potential problems arise with such drivers, they are handled
better.
It confirms the validity of the club's 30 year tradition of focussing on
skills development as the principal means to improve safety and enjoyment
of cycling on our roads.
Michael Slavitch ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) writes:
> In fairness my comments are anti-elitist. Most OBC riders live in a
> bubble
> regarding what constitutes a cyclist. In reality once you get out of this
> circle most cyclists are like most drivers: uneducated, stubborn, and
> wrong.
> And no amount of education will get through to 'em, education doesn't
> work
> if people have no intent to learn.
>
> In such a case the only measure is enforcement.
>
> My commute is down Prince of Wales, with a bike lane that has nice little
> bicycles with ARROWS pointing them along the way. But at least half of
> all
> cyclists, adult cyclists (I'm assuming they're commuters) on this road go
> against the flow of traffic, some of them yelling and screaming that
> >I'm<
> going the wrong way. These same cyclists get annoyed when I stop at a red
> light (imagine that) or a stop sign. Don't ask how they handle the
> traffic
> circle.
>
> If a big sign with an arrow pointing the way isn't enough, I don't know
> what
> is.
>
> Given that, look at what these drivers see. The worst case example. Just
> like
> what we see with drivers. Good cyclists blend into the woodwork, we're
> just
> traffic. As do good drivers. How many of us have swapped stories about
> that
> driver that gave us lots of room? Nope. We remember the yabbo that tried
> to
> run us of the road. A lot of us tar drivers with the same Lowell Green
> brush.
>
> Depending on where you live (this goes for both cyclists and drivers)
> what
> you see has impact. If where you drive or ride there are a lot of yahoo
> cyclists or drivers you remember that.
>
> So when some Car Guy(TM) goes on about cyclists being a danger say:
> "Yes, you're
> right, a lot are. Same goes for drivers. I have no problem having bad
> cyclists
> charged and even taken off the road, if the same was true for drivers.
> Both
> need to learn, do you agree with me?"
>
>
> On Wednesday, September 5, 2001, at 08:59 PM, Paul Lindsay wrote:
>
>>> Re: [obc] Lowell Green on CFRAThing is, a lot of cyclists >are< jerks.
>>> How
>>> many cyclists out there are actually
>>> following the rules of the road and behaving decently? Not many.
>>> We're used
>>> to riding with our OBC friends and on club rides and loops in the Gats
>>> when for
>>> the most part most cyclists are either incompetant commuters or bike
>>> path and
>>> sidewalk noodlers that are two eggs short of a dozen.
>> Just a day or two ago I wrote an e-mail to one of the editors of the
>> car
>> magazine "Wheels" for tarring all cyclists with scorn and innuendo
>> similar to
>> the reported Lowell Green incident. This guy referred to all riders as
>> "suicyclists" and was angry that we all "bitch and complain about car
>> drivers"
>> but don't follow the rules of the road ourselves. Such media people are
>> dangerous.
>> On the other hand, I think Michael's comments sound a bit
>> 'elitist'. I
>> think
>> there are many commuters, bike path riders, and general tourist
>> cyclists,
>> equally competent and law-abiding as those of the OBC. And there are
>> numerous
>> times I have seen club members running lights and stop signs (somtimes
>> wearing
>> their OBC jersey).
>> .... Paul L.
>>
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>>
>>
>
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>
>
>
--
Avery Burdett
Ottawa, Ontario
------
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