[Scooby-doo]

Ok riding in this morning with two other co-workers and we are going through town at 6:30 in the AM. Dark very dark but a light changes to red and no car is around. There is a lady crossing the street and was waiting for the cross walk to say go. We blow through the light because there is no cars around and she yells at us "hey boys that was a red light" and then mutters a few harsh words towards bikers. We don't say anything but keep riding. How many of you stop at the red light with no one around? I just did not think it was appropriate for her to mutter harsh words at us. We I guess were in the wrong but still the first line would of been enough. "Boys that was a red light". Are we as a society angry towards every little discretion these days? Just curious she got me to thinking the rest of the ride in. Cheers

 

[*rt*]

Ok riding in this morning with two other co-workers and we are going through town at 6:30 in the AM. Dark very dark but a light changes to red and no car is around. There is a lady crossing the street and was waiting for the cross walk to say go. We blow through the light because there is no cars around and she yells at us "hey boys that was a red light" and then mutters a few harsh words towards bikers. We don't say anything but keep riding. How many of you stop at the red light with no one around? I just did not think it was appropriate for her to mutter harsh words at us. We I guess were in the wrong but still the first line would of been enough. "Boys that was a red light". Are we as a society angry towards every little discretion these days? Just curious she got me to thinking the rest of the ride in. Cheers

well, you were in the wrong. and in similar situations, i.e., when i'm riding/commuting and someone in a car does something like that i've been known to utter some pretty harsh words. mostly under my breath but still.

on the other hand, i've also been known not to stop (but i do slow down) for a red light if no cars are around.

fyi, you might want to check on the laws about giving pedestrians the right of way where you live. i got stopped and then screamed at by a cop during a group ride (yeah, i was off the back a bit and chasing like mad to catch back on) for not stopping for pedestrians in a cross walk. it irritated the h#ll out of me that he stopped me and no one else, not to mention i then had to sprint that much harder to catch the group, but i was in the wrong....

rt

 

[Dude]

Well bikes have to follow the VC

You are a moving vehicle and the law does state you must stop at a red light.... I do, but if I see no cars and the crosswalks are clear I will take a red after stopping because the light will change for a bicycle alone..... We have cops around here that love to get red light runners.....

Put yourself in her position.... Would if you guys hit her, or better yet would if she was in a car with the lights off driving to work half sleepy and she has a green and hits you guys... You have just messed up her day.....and life for that matter.....

Why is it that people feel so compelled to due something wrong and not own up to it? You did something wrong and she blasted you for it... Good to her..... Now stopping running red lights and thinking it's not your fault...

 

[Scooby-doo]

Now now.

I know we were in the wrong. I stated that. Yes I do stop for Red lights and slow down for them as the case was. We always almost come to a rolling stop and then just keep going. Which was the case this morning. She was not endangered and we saw her ahead of time and were through the light before she even thought of stepping out into the cross walk. I have been pulled over myself and let go for running a red. I know the laws. I have been commuting for about ten years now. Everyone i don't care who you are does not always abide by the laws. NO ONE IS PERFECT. Yes I was in the wrong and yes I have muttered harsh words at drivers. So I'm lumping myself in with society just being angry these days. That is what got me thinking about the muttered words that were angry and harsh. Just like your email.

 

[djcrb9]

I was the other guy on the ride with Scooby this morning.

One, sure, we ran the light. No two ways about that... but, it had JUST turned. Two, the lady was off staring in space, and not even walking as we were parallel to her. It's not like we nearly mowed her down or anything. Even if she had started walking when she got the walk, she couldn't have sprinted and gotten to us, so we were not threatening to her in the least. We could have NEVER hit her.

And besides, Scooby and i are so screamin' fast that we had no choice to keep going! When you're riding on a gentle incline at over 50mph, you need all the stopping distance you can handle! Ok, so maybe this was a bit of a stretch....

 

[Dwight Moody]

It's all four way yeilds as far as I'm concerned

I approach every intersection as if it's got a yeild sign. I'm aware of the laws, I just break them. I figure if I'm being very, very aware (as I am when I'm riding in traffic) I might as well not have to restart at every stop sign and red-light.

If the lady hadn't stepped into the crosswalk she had no reason to be pissed at you. If the street was clear and you could view the whole intersection and see it was safe and the lady was in the crosswalk I would have gone into the oncoming lane to go around her. If you didn't have a clear view you should have slowed to the point of being able to stop if her foot hit the pavement.

 

[Dude]

Ok

Why the justification?? We are a pissed off place because people have lost the loving feeling.... My point is this..... You aren't any better than she is so why is it that she is in the wrong for the harsh words?

Had you stopped and offered the right of way "I am only saying this too make a point" I am sure the results would have been different.

It's just like parking in the handicap parking spot to "just run in for a minute" or park in the fire lane "just to grab something from inside"..... IT'S WRONG PEOPLE!!!! WRONG WRONG WRONG..... Stupidity is not a handicap nor is it an excuse....

People always ask why we have so many stupid laws on the books.... BECAUSE WE CAN'T SELF POLICE OURSELVES!

Own up to what you did and give her, her props for standing up... Does two wrongs make a right? No, but you started it so take your lickings and go on....

 

[djcrb9]

Why the justification?? We are a pissed off place because people have lost the loving feeling.... My point is this..... You aren't any better than she is so why is it that she is in the wrong for the harsh words?

Had you stopped and offered the right of way "I am only saying this too make a point" I am sure the results would have been different.

It's just like parking in the handicap parking spot to "just run in for a minute" or park in the fire lane "just to grab something from inside"..... IT'S WRONG PEOPLE!!!! WRONG WRONG WRONG..... Stupidity is not a handicap nor is it an excuse....

People always ask why we have so many stupid laws on the books.... BECAUSE WE CAN'T SELF POLICE OURSELVES!

Own up to what you did and give her, her props for standing up... Does two wrongs make a right? No, but you started it so take your lickings and go on....

Take our lickings??? Like i said in an earlier post, she couldn't have run into us if she had tried. We weren't endangering her. She just want to spout some tough words, kind of like you are doing now. This is nothing like parking in a handicap spot.
Speaking of cops, there was an article in our daily newspaper a few months ago from the police chief, stating that he didn't ticket cyclists running lights, as long as they were safe about it.

 

[forkboy]

NO ONE IS PERFECT. Yes I was in the wrong and yes I have muttered harsh words at drivers.

I think you need a hug.

And a picture of a cute and cuddly Magical Merino sheep to make your day happier.

<img src=https://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/sheep/delainemerino/DELMERIO.JPG>

There - now don't you feel better?

 

[Call_me_Clyde]

Wtf?

The fact that the two of you have posted here justifying your actions means that you feel convicted. Yes, you admitted wrongdoing, yet you continue to justify why you did it. Maybe the lady was wrong in stereotyping you in what she said, who knows, it really doesn't matter and is just a way of distracting from the point of the issue. I just find it interesting that your conscious got to you bad enough that you had to post here. Contrary to your claim that this post is about "anger", it's about you coming clean.

Forgive yourself and move on.

Just my thoughts as always.

Bob

 

[forkboy]

Take our lickings??? Like i said in an earlier post, she couldn't have run into us if she had tried. We weren't endangering her. She just want to spout some tough words, kind of like you are doing now. This is nothing like parking in a handicap spot.

Have you heard of the new "Stand your Ground" law in Florida?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1557282,00.html

Better watch who you threaten with your wild ways...

 

[djcrb9]

Have you heard of the new "Stand your Ground" law in Florida?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1557282,00.html

Better watch who you threaten with your wild ways...

Good thing we don't live in Florida... the penis of America. Especially with Jeb in charge... Eek.

 

[The Super Dude]

People always ask why we have so many stupid laws on the books.... BECAUSE WE CAN'T SELF POLICE OURSELVES!

QUOTE]

Although this is a little off-topic, I can't resist responding to this part of your post.

It seems to me that many of us can self police ourselves, we are just not allowed to. For example, red lights are designed to prevent accidents by regulating traffic flow. Therefore, if there is no traffic, the red light becomes irrelevant. However, if I choose to ignore it in such a situation, I am still legally wrong. I have self-policed myself in the sense that I have considered the situation and taken a reasonable action, however, the law does not account for "reason". This seems stupid to most people. I'm sure there are lots of slipperly slope arguments, etc. But my point is that there are often situations in which the law is unnecessary, yet it still applies. This is what I complain about.

 

[Scooby-doo]

Forgive myself ok. all is forgiving.

I guess truly what I'm getting at is and I busted myself for this as well, is the fact that she just could not yell "boys that was a red light" she had to add a few harsh words under her breath. That is what got me thinking. Me going through a red light does not even bother me. Nor her yelling at us that it was a redlight. It was the extra that got me. I have been trying to yes as the saying goes here on this thread "police myself" with the harsh comebacks towards drivers, people crossing the street when the signal says stop and most other things. Ok here it goes again and yes it may need to be posted somewhere else but this happend commuting in and it is my passion to ride my bike, but are we getting to be a bitter and angry society? Like Dude is in this thread. Just lash out at people because we can.

 

[Call_me_Clyde]

We do live in an angry world

I guess truly what I'm getting at is and I busted myself for this as well, is the fact that she just could not yell "boys that was a red light" she had to add a few harsh words under her breath. That is what got me thinking. Me going through a red light does not even bother me. Nor her yelling at us that it was a redlight. It was the extra that got me. I have been trying to yes as the saying goes here on this thread "police myself" with the harsh comebacks towards drivers, people crossing the street when the signal says stop and most other things. Ok here it goes again and yes it may need to be posted somewhere else but this happend commuting in and it is my passion to ride my bike, but are we getting to be a bitter and angry society? Like Dude is in this thread. Just lash out at people because we can.

I have to give you that much. She added insult to injury, and taking a potshot at you because you're a cyclist wasn't right.

 

[pacman]

Apologize to her

The problem with a little indiscretion is that we're not always in a position to see the consequences. Riding on trails we encounter unleashed dogs even though signs say "Leashes Required". To the dog owner it's no big deal, his dog is a good dog. Yet my riding partner can't stand dogs and could injure herself trying to avoid the animal. What's missing is empathy for other people, you didn't know if the lady pedestrian had had a bad experience or a dead relative thanks to red light scofflaws.

 

[Christine]

The way I see it, the biker is the one at risk for running a light or stop sign. So if they feel safe enough to do it, there's probably a good reason, like a complete lack of traffic or enough speed/momentum to get through without incident.

It's the wrong answer, I know. I know! It's also perfectly legal for a bunch of bikers to take up room on a city street for a ride, but I can't see joining the Time's Up! ride that takes place every month downtown. It deliberately pisses drivers off despite being legal; riding through lights pisses off non-bikers unintentionally.....we can't win.

 

[Dude]

Not angry

I am not "ANGRY"...

Ok I will give you she did add insult to injury and that was wrong of her but it doesn't make your point more valid.

If you really want to find the answer to your question "Are we as a society angry towards every little discretion these days?" Just watch the news for a few days.. Don't watch anything else but the news. The news reports nothing but bad news, consumers are driven to purchase by mass media hype, the government lies, steals and cheats everyone of us. The cost of living is rapidly exceeding our ability to earn equal amounts. The rich continue to get richer and the rest of just happen along. Your local government shows a great distain to your needs and we become the cercaria of all the politicians. People fail to take responsibility of their own actions and therefore take a no harm no foul approach to life. It's all about us and me.... I need to get to the front of the line.. You had better get there first or they will be out... You must be the best at this and that.

Ask yourself this: Why did I do it? I am not quantifying what she did as right either I am just trying to answer the question.

 

[Ken in KC]

A little perspective....

Two riders were big ringing down what amounts to a deserted street at 50 mph. The traffic light made an arbitrary change to red. There happened to be a lady waiting on the sidewalk to walk in the same direction as the riders. What would you do? Get real people. You would have done the same thing.

Scooby and DJ didn't disembowl a kitten in front fo a 1st grade class; they blew an orange light.

It seems to me that a little does of MYOB would be good for the pedestrian.

Ken

 

[Scooby-doo]

Ok why did I do it?

Because it was 6:30 am ball freezing cold out and no one was around. The lady was not even out in the cross walk and like another poster here said if it is clear and there is no inherent danger to anyone then I will go through stop signs and lights. If I get pulled over for doing so then I do not turn around and yell or argue with the police officer I just apologize and tell him he is right and that I know I was in the wrong. I did it and got caught. My own choice. As for Forkboy thanks for the hug and Merino wool. But I don't know you that well so I guess for now I will just take the Merino wool sheep. As for what pacman said he might be right. She might of had a bad experience with a cyclist in some form or another. I like to think it is that way and she was not lashing out. Dude, ok your not angry just playing the devils advocate or a police officer.