On-line Opinion Magazine featuring annoyed rumblings from the leading edge of the Baby Boom firmly tied to a reality-based world.
Established: 21 November 2004
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4 comments
Wow. Too bad nobody in Florida actually believes that plate. Share? Why, sharing is … uhm… un-AMERICAN! Especially with all the old farts on the road who think bicycles have no place on the road…
The real excitement is when they park in the bike lane, or use it as a right turn lane. The local Air Force base has the best solution – bike trails that are actually more direct than the roads and totally separate with their own gates. They have sidewalks, roads, and bike trails on the local base, much of the county has roads only.
I don’t want to get into the danger posed to people on motorcycles and scooters by the drivers of vans, SUVs, and pick-ups who don’t use their mirrors even when they have them.
Texas has a similar plate, and drivers similarly ignore it. Many Houston drivers are downright hostile to cyclists. Back in my cycle commuting days, I saved my skin a number of times by my wits and muscles, wrenching the bicycle out of the way at the last instant when it became clear the driver didn’t respect right-of-way even for a cyclist riding where the law specifies. I still have the wits, but at my age, the muscles have dwindled a bit; I am genuinely frightened to ride on Houston streets if there is any significant amount of traffic.
Houston has separate bicycle paths, some of which even go useful places. E.g., the one along the bayou near my door leads straight to one edge of the immense Texas Medical Center. Once you get there, you proceed to a hospital or school on the TMC campus at your peril. I think sometimes that cardiovascular surgeons drive their cars so as to drum up business.
Whaddya mean, SUV drivers don’t use their mirrors? Of course they do, at least their right-hand mirror… if they pass a cyclist close enough, they can knock him/her over with that mirror.
(Break time’s over. Back on my head, er, back to configuring computers.)
If you mounted .50 cals, front and rear, you might get some respect, but people down here just don’t bother with anything smaller than their car, be it motorcycle, bicycle, pedestrian, dog or cat.