08-23-2006, 03:26 PM
My husband's sister was injured in NYC when a bike messenger tore around the corner and slammed right into her, breaking her pelvis and smashing her up pretty badly. He was essentially hugging the building which in turn hid his existence until he turned the corner and slammed into her.
I recently had a bike rider screaming at my cabbie not to pull over to the curb (to let me out) because he would hit her. She was riding down the street in the little space between the parking lane and the traffic lane, instead of being IN the traffic lane. When she realized we were pulling over, she rode faster and faster so she could come abreast of the passenger window and scream "Don't do it! Don't do it! Don't do it!" The cabbie, having no idea what "Don't do it!" was meant to signify, slowed down and looked around for who was screaming and finally figured out where the source of the noise was and stopped so she could get ahead of us, which of course the cars behind us just loved. I guess I was supposed to drive around the block with the meter running and attempt to be dropped off again after she was gone...
And then there's the Segway rider who came speeding down the sidewalk a couple of weeks ago, screaming at everyone to get out of her way. I thought Segways were supposed to replace walking, not running.
My husband rides a bike everywhere because we don't own a car, and I would like to see drivers, bikers and pedestrians all get along -- but breaking the laws and being self-centered is not peculiar to any one group, so the only way to fight it is if we all try to do our part. (This week's Pollyanna contribution).
I recently had a bike rider screaming at my cabbie not to pull over to the curb (to let me out) because he would hit her. She was riding down the street in the little space between the parking lane and the traffic lane, instead of being IN the traffic lane. When she realized we were pulling over, she rode faster and faster so she could come abreast of the passenger window and scream "Don't do it! Don't do it! Don't do it!" The cabbie, having no idea what "Don't do it!" was meant to signify, slowed down and looked around for who was screaming and finally figured out where the source of the noise was and stopped so she could get ahead of us, which of course the cars behind us just loved. I guess I was supposed to drive around the block with the meter running and attempt to be dropped off again after she was gone...
And then there's the Segway rider who came speeding down the sidewalk a couple of weeks ago, screaming at everyone to get out of her way. I thought Segways were supposed to replace walking, not running.
My husband rides a bike everywhere because we don't own a car, and I would like to see drivers, bikers and pedestrians all get along -- but breaking the laws and being self-centered is not peculiar to any one group, so the only way to fight it is if we all try to do our part. (This week's Pollyanna contribution).