Hmm, I often encount situations like this riding in NYC. The difference is that though I know what the laws are and the drivers dont I am still a dude on a 30lb bike and they are driving a 2 ton missle that can crush me like a bug. I will usually err on the side of "courteousness" even though I will grumble under my breath about how I had the right of way or when some idiot honks at me for just having the audacity to rid on thier roads but again, they can kill us and we cant do much to them. I find this is especially true in NYC where the Village Voice has finally torn the lid off of a systematic plan by the NYPD to blame all bike related injuries and fatalities on bike riders and hardly ever if at all on the drivers of cars since the NYPD is not in favor of increased ridership advocated by the transportation commissioner Sadik-Khan. So I would say, there is a time to stand your ground and a time to realize you are at the position of vulnerability and to just complain when you get home or on this list even. I know there are people who will see this as being too capitulating but as a grown man with kids at home I have to prioritize safety over pride.
On Wed, Mar 21, 2012 at 2:13 PM, Liesl <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Riv Chicas y Chicos, Here's one to throw in the hopper! Yesterday > on my commute home, I was stopped close to the right curb at a light > for a busy cross-street (Hiawatha Ave at 35th st in Minneapolis for > you twin cities folk). I heard a horn behind me; not a blaring one, > just a can-I-get-your-attention one. I turned around to look, and a > bit behind me was a man on a bike who was square in the middle of the > right lane. Behind him was a woman in the car from whence the beep > came. She asked in a very reasonable tone if he could move over so > she could make a right turn. He replied no; the light was about to > change. Then there ensued a brief but escalating argument while the > light didn't turn green with the biker vocally refusing to move over > and the frustrated woman asking why he wouldn't just move over. I > refrained from turning around and watching the whole thing much less > getting involved. The light finally turned green. I, out in front, > sprinted across Hiawatha with the argument still going. The last I > heard was the man shouting over his shoulder in a sarcastic tone: "I'm > sorry I made you wait 40 seconds." > > Curious to know what y'all think...would you have moved over? stood > your ground? In similar instances that I've been in, I know that I've > moved over and didn't think much about it. > > The trees are leafing out here a full month early. > > Liesl > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
