<div dir="ltr">Arg....good point about those people who are compelled to yell. In my own view, when CM blocks traffic I like to think it might force someone to think for a second and chill out. I know this is not the natural response of a driver, but traffic is not the end of the world and everyone needs to relax. Car culture is all about getting things done fast fast fast; we need to fight against the time is money paradigm. The desire to yell hateful things at a stranger is so over the line...well, I think the point has been made. <br>
<br>On a lighter note, some of the funnier comments I've had yelled at me while biking:<br><br>"You're not a pedestrian!"<br>"I'm driving here!"<br>"I'm in a truck, you're on a bike!"<br>
<br>-John <br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Jul 31, 2008 at 9:08 AM, Eric Mearns <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:ericmearns@gmail.com">ericmearns@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
People yell things from their cars and drive in an intimidating manner<br>
because they think their car is an anonymous platform (pretty amazing<br>
considering the size and variety of motor vehicles) and they think<br>
that they'll never have to see you again once they pass. When you<br>
inevitably catch up to them at the light, they are never in the mood<br>
to have a discussion or to repeat themselves. Not because they are<br>
shocked that you were somehow able to recall that they were driving<br>
the neon yellow Pontiac Aztec with the "I heart klezmer" bumper<br>
sticker, but because it suddenly dawns on them that they actually<br>
don't know as much about traffic laws as the person whose life<br>
actually depends on it, and that they were merely vocalizing their<br>
frustration at having to do something other than drive straight and<br>
fast. Once you take away the anonymity and open up a dialogue, I find<br>
that most yellers turn into sheepish introverts. One particularly<br>
manic motorist who I greeted at a red light after he had yelled<br>
something out his window at me responded with "I don't gotta talk to<br>
you." Wow! That's quite a change from your position a quarter mile<br>
ago!<br>
<div><div></div><div class="Wj3C7c"><br>
On Thu, Jul 31, 2008 at 11:44 AM, Jon Ramos <<a href="mailto:jontramos@yahoo.com">jontramos@yahoo.com</a>> wrote:<br>
> try biking in the Malden, Everett areas... they honk and yell "Get on the<br>
> sidewalk!", and much much worse. I lived there for 6 years, and I decided<br>
> to move to a more bike friendly area.<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> Areas like that really NEED a Critical Mass... they dont deserve a Courteous<br>
> Mass yet ;)<br>
><br>
> ----- Original Message ----<br>
> From: "<a href="mailto:TSmith4918@aol.com">TSmith4918@aol.com</a>" <<a href="mailto:TSmith4918@aol.com">TSmith4918@aol.com</a>><br>
> To: <a href="mailto:list@bostoncriticalmass.org">list@bostoncriticalmass.org</a><br>
> Sent: Thursday, July 31, 2008 11:38:28 AM<br>
> Subject: Re: [*BCM*] Longfellow/Cambridge Bike Police, Systemic Change,<br>
> Courteous Mass...<br>
><br>
><br>
> <<making mental note not to honk or yell at any female bikers on Huntington<br>
> Avenue>><br>
> yer a saint, Kate! I usually kindly offer the same instruction about<br>
> traffic laws but not nearly so calmly and collectedly...<br>
> ----------------------------<br>
><br>
> In a message dated 7/31/2008 11:25:23 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,<br>
> <a href="mailto:ziegler.kate@gmail.com">ziegler.kate@gmail.com</a> writes:<br>
><br>
> I just want to say, firstly, that I've really enjoyed all of the discussion<br>
> that's been going on the past few days. There have been a lot of interesting<br>
> perspectives brought forward, and though I don't necessarily subscribe to<br>
> all of them personally, I think sharing and seeing all sides is essential.<br>
><br>
> That being said, I was really struck by someone else bringing forward the<br>
> idea of systemic change - this really is the heart of the issue, as I see<br>
> it, and I think between all of our individual road rage and buggaboos on a<br>
> daily commuting basis, the larger systemic picture gets lost too often.<br>
> Still, this is the argument I tend to take on when challenged - the problem<br>
> is not specifically motorists or cyclists, but the system in which we all<br>
> operate. The basic system and culture needs to be changed to alleviate the<br>
> tensions of biking in a city as unfriendly to bikes as Boston. Yes, I run<br>
> red lights - I slow down first, and look, but I would much sooner keep<br>
> moving that have traffic honking and swerving around me when the light turns<br>
> green. Yes, I move between lines of traffic, because I've been rear-ended<br>
> when stopped in a lane. Yes, I ride more than three feet away from the curb,<br>
> often taking a lane, even in moderate traffic, but if I'm moving at a<br>
> reasonable speed I will always do so, to avoid dooring and debris. Would I<br>
> opt to ride differently and follow the rules if it were safe for me to do<br>
> so? Of course.<br>
><br>
> On a study abroad experience in Geneva, Switzerland, I biked everywhere.<br>
> Geneva has raised bike paths, bike traffic signals and bike turning lanes.<br>
> You can rent bikes for free with a 10 franc, refundable deposit. Women bike<br>
> in their heels and men bike in their suits. While certainly this is a<br>
> European-style ideal, it makes a world of difference - and running a red<br>
> light from your bike lane most often would mean collision with other<br>
> cyclists, not collision with cars.<br>
><br>
> Another city that has made some radical changes to promote cycling and human<br>
> friendly spaces in general is Bogota (I'm dying to go!) - this video with<br>
> the former mayor highlights a lot of the changes made, and explains the<br>
> challenges and obstacles in doing so.<br>
> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGycx75mqRk" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGycx75mqRk</a><br>
><br>
> On a slight tangent, I had an interesting altercation on my ride to work<br>
> this morning - On the underpass on Huntington, going under Mass Ave, a woman<br>
> pulled next to me, rolled down her window, honked and yelled that the road<br>
> is not a bike lane. As is my standard reaction, especially in the morning<br>
> commute downtown, I kept my eye on her car and of course caught up to her a<br>
> few lights down. I got off my bike, crossed in the crosswalk and stopped at<br>
> her car window, and began to explain (calmly, I'd like to emphasize - I<br>
> always try to be polite and calm, as people are usually so startled at being<br>
> recognized from inside their rolling castles that being angry would only<br>
> escalate) that traffic law both allows and requires me to ride in traffic,<br>
> not on the sidewalk, and that I'd like to apologize for any inconvenience to<br>
> her. Mid-speech, she rolled up her window, locked her door and RAN A RED<br>
> LIGHT to get away from me. I've never seen such a thing, in all the people<br>
> I've stopped and all the biking I've done. And really, I can think I'm that<br>
> intimidating. Any similar experiences, anyone?<br>
><br>
> Back to my argument for systemic change (and I think Courteous Mass is a<br>
> great addition to Critical Mass in awareness-raising!), this is also and<br>
> interesting video on bike-friendly cities:<br>
> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rwwxrWHBB8" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rwwxrWHBB8</a><br>
><br>
> Peace and safe riding,<br>
> Kate<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> ________________________________<br>
> Get fantasy football with free live scoring. Sign up for FanHouse Fantasy<br>
> Football today.<br>
><br>
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