Self-Thinning of the Herd (Witnessing Dangerous/Stupid Behavior on the Road)
I'm sure everyone has witnessed people on the road (pedestrians, cyclists, motorists) doing stupid things that put their lives in danger. Any specific instances come to mind?
2 rules:
1. Specifics only - no 'running reds' or j-walking'. Details needed.
2. Only instances that put the perp in danger. No 'this car almost ran this cyclist over' but 'this car sped across the tracks as the gates were coming down' yes.
Calling them out not needed, but it makes for a better read.
Coming up Halsted around Irving, I pass a cyclist on her cell phone. I look back at her while passing. She blows through the red light at Broadway and Montrose, then she's back on her cell phone coming up to Leland. I look back at her again and this exchange takes place:
Her: Do you have a problem?
Me: Just don't want to see you get killed.
Her: Ok, don't watch.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on
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Rocking out while riding your trike, right? Or is it a quad?
Spencer "Thunderball" Thayer! said:I use the tempo of my music to determine my speed. Someday I will make a lovely stain.
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Permalink Reply by heather s on
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There's no way to say this without sounding like an ass, but it's more likely that I'm passing someone than that they're passing me. I know riding with headphones is controversial for many reasons, but I prefer it. I don't keep the volume high enough that it could drown out the immediate environment. I've found that it's more safe for me to look behind to see who is approaching-- seriously, I check every 5 seconds or so. I don't feel that listening for traffic is a very effective way to know if I'm in danger. Hearing a car behind me doesn't tell me how close the motorist is to me, and getting hit from behind is so unlikely that I'm not inclined to change my behavior in order to anticipate it or worry about it.
notoriousDUG said:heather stratton said:I listen to music when I ride, but it's really just background noise enough to drown out the sounds of the cars. I
So you drown out the best way to know if a car is approaching you from behind?
And help make it hard for other cyclists to let you know they are passing you?
GO SAFETY!
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What about hearing how close or what direction a siren is coming from that's not in your "immediate environment"?
heather stratton said:There's no way to say this without sounding like an ass, but it's more likely that I'm passing someone than that they're passing me. I know riding with headphones is controversial for many reasons, but I prefer it. I don't keep the volume high enough that it could drown out the immediate environment. I've found that it's more safe for me to look behind to see who is approaching-- seriously, I check every 5 seconds or so. I don't feel that listening for traffic is a very effective way to know if I'm in danger. Hearing a car behind me doesn't tell me how close the motorist is to me, and getting hit from behind is so unlikely that I'm not inclined to change my behavior in order to anticipate it or worry about it.
notoriousDUG said:heather stratton said:I listen to music when I ride, but it's really just background noise enough to drown out the sounds of the cars. I
So you drown out the best way to know if a car is approaching you from behind?
And help make it hard for other cyclists to let you know they are passing you?
GO SAFETY!
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Permalink Reply by cutifly on
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Ha, if I started this thread I would be on a nailed on the cross .... One thing I will say, I am one of the most courteous, aware and safe minded bikers (minus the helmet) out on the streets of Chicago. I give the right away, I always try my best to stay off the sidewalk if I see anyone and I pay close attention to everything. I have kicked my obnoxious drinking habit to a tolerable level as well. I do refrain most of the time from saying anything, but if I am inspired I almost always do the same two things. Either, I tell the person they are going to be in the hospital sometime soon or If someone is really being a hazard I give them the bird and try to add in some sort or swear word or facial expression to drive my meaning home but that is very rare. That's my best for tonight folks...
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Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on
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A car can be on top of you in 5 seconds.
A pot hole can show up and cause you to swerve in 2 seconds and if you fail to shoulder check you're done for.
If a door opens wouldn't you like to know if you are about to be overtaken by a car?
As a motorcyclist as well as a bicyclist I can not imagine riding with music blaring in my ears because sound is the number one way I tell what is happening around me.
heather stratton said:There's no way to say this without sounding like an ass, but it's more likely that I'm passing someone than that they're passing me. I know riding with headphones is controversial for many reasons, but I prefer it. I don't keep the volume high enough that it could drown out the immediate environment. I've found that it's more safe for me to look behind to see who is approaching-- seriously, I check every 5 seconds or so. I don't feel that listening for traffic is a very effective way to know if I'm in danger. Hearing a car behind me doesn't tell me how close the motorist is to me, and getting hit from behind is so unlikely that I'm not inclined to change my behavior in order to anticipate it or worry about it.
notoriousDUG said:heather stratton said:I listen to music when I ride, but it's really just background noise enough to drown out the sounds of the cars. I
So you drown out the best way to know if a car is approaching you from behind?
And help make it hard for other cyclists to let you know they are passing you?
GO SAFETY!
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Permalink Reply by Spencer "Thunderball" Thayer! on
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Dug, you would be surprised what you can hear when you have music playing. The layers of complexity our brains are capable of monitoring is staggering.
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Not true.
You can only pay attention to one thing at once. Those of you who think you are amazing multi-taskers and really can do two things are once are actually flipping rapidly, or not so rapidly between the two giving neither your full attention.
Spencer "Thunderball" Thayer! said:Dug, you would be surprised what you can hear when you have music playing. The layers of complexity our brains are capable of monitoring is staggering.
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Granted this is a study for work performance but I swear I have heard this applied to boxing training as well on the Discovery Channel. Research from University of Windsor in Canada showed the effect of music on the work performance of programmers. According to bacon eaters, without background music the quality of work was lowest and it took more time to finish anything. With background music, participants reported positive mood change and "enhanced perception while working". And a side note, they noted that this positive change in mood correlated with an increased in curiosity and willingness to explore new ideas.
How does this translate into biking? For me listening to music helps me keep pace and doesn't let my mind wander allowing me to experience the ride a little better. When I don't listen to music I ride slower and spend most of my time in contemplative thought with very little attention payed to my surroundings.
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Regarding Tank Ridin' Ryan's question, there is no way I could play music loudly enough to drown out the sound of a siren. I don't use noise-canceling headphones or anything like that. They're just the cheap standard iPod earbuds. I can hear what's around me.
Listening to music isn't multi-tasking. For me, anyway. Likely if you saw me getting off my bike and asked me what songs had played during my ride, I'd have a tough time recalling.
Potholes don't just 'show up,' they're pretty visible from a reasonable enough distance to check and see if I have space to maneuver around. And I don't ride in the door zone.
notoriousDUG said:A car can be on top of you in 5 seconds.
A pot hole can show up and cause you to swerve in 2 seconds and if you fail to shoulder check you're done for.
If a door opens wouldn't you like to know if you are about to be overtaken by a car?
As a motorcyclist as well as a bicyclist I can not imagine riding with music blaring in my ears because sound is the number one way I tell what is happening around me.
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Permalink Reply by Lisa yeah on
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Thang and I were biking up the Hipster Highway (Milwaukee) a couple weekends ago. Approaching a red light at Damen, I followed him to a slow stop, a minivan waiting about a foot and a half to our left, all of us crowded by pedestrians trying to cross outside of the crosswalk. As I ease to a stop, some guy on a fixie barrels into the back of me yelling "whoa whoa!". He had the brilliant idea of trying to pass between me and the minivan!, rather than just coming to a stop and waiting his turn. Somehow he tumbled forward over his bike hitting the van's mirror, without knocking me over. And he was apologetic, I have to say. It's wierd though- that's the second time in less than a year that I've been rear-ended by a fixie. Last time the guy broke my derailleur.
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1. You can't compare an activity where you're sitting in a chair (programming) to an activity where you're moving (cycling). Show me a programmer who has to navigate traffic, balance on two wheels, keep up speed, make sure they don't bump into anything while writing code and I'll eat my helmet.
2. Sorry that you're too busy with the meaning of life (btw, it's plastic) to pay attention to your surroundings.
Spencer "Thunderball" Thayer! said:Granted this is a study for work performance but I swear I have heard this applied to boxing training as well on the Discovery Channel. Research from University of Windsor in Canada showed the effect of music on the work performance of programmers. According to bacon eaters, without background music the quality of work was lowest and it took more time to finish anything. With background music, participants reported positive mood change and "enhanced perception while working". And a side note, they noted that this positive change in mood correlated with an increased in curiosity and willingness to explore new ideas.
How does this translate into biking? For me listening to music helps me keep pace and doesn't let my mind wander allowing me to experience the ride a little better. When I don't listen to music I ride slower and spend most of my time in contemplative thought with very little attention payed to my surroundings.
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I'm not sorry, I'm never bored.
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