take a day to take someone else's viewpoint

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on October 26, 2011 at 6:19pm

That's a nice existential thought but for the most part people are a-holes and selfish.

Nothing is more important than making money.

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Permalink Reply by mark stetson on October 26, 2011 at 9:36pm

I'll bet you'll see cyclists do plenty of things that aren't exactly becoming if you pay attention.  Most of us have done something annoying to drivers at some point.  It's good to think about things from their persective once in a while, otherwise me might all be seen as selfish a-holes.

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Permalink Reply by Jeff Markus on October 26, 2011 at 9:41pm

While I am not exceptionally good at this I do feel one of the reasons I have survived riding and walking (and driving...gasp) is being able to 'see' what the other guy is seeing. I am not a 365 rider but I ride at all different times thus facing many 'styles' of drivers and the one thing that is fairly common is they all have different 'handicaps'. From driving too fast to driving with no understanding of the space they occupy most drivers have a handicap.

Even 'professional' drivers have them. Bus drivers are usually pretty good about knowing the space they occupy while cabbies sometimes barely know what town their in. SUV drivers can't tell how far the front corner is from their a**hole and a woman with kids in tow ain't payin' attention to her hood as much as the back seat.

And the pedal powered coming up behind you doesn't know that red means stop...

If you don't develope some sensitivity to what you look like to those people you're a victim.

So your quest is a good thing and long overdue. Enjoy the different perspective and absorb all you can, it can only help.

Good luck getting the pegs healthy.

Jeff

The Chicagoan

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Permalink Reply by David P. on October 26, 2011 at 11:57pm

Thanks, Jeff. Looks like I won't have to wait any longer than that, and the time not riding will take away my excuse (namely, riding) for not getting around to giving the Rawland an overhaul/parts upgrade.

 

Good observation about the variety of attentional (or intentional) handicaps. I think cabbies are like the squirrels of the urban-vehicular world, but with crazypants.

 

DP

Jeff Markus said:

While I am not exceptionally good at this I do feel one of the reasons I have survived riding and walking (and driving...gasp) is being able to 'see' what the other guy is seeing. I am not a 365 rider but I ride at all different times thus facing many 'styles' of drivers and the one thing that is fairly common is they all have different 'handicaps'. From driving too fast to driving with no understanding of the space they occupy most drivers have a handicap.

Even 'professional' drivers have them. Bus drivers are usually pretty good about knowing the space they occupy while cabbies sometimes barely know what town their in. SUV drivers can't tell how far the front corner is from their a**hole and a woman with kids in tow ain't payin' attention to her hood as much as the back seat.

And the pedal powered coming up behind you doesn't know that red means stop...

If you don't develope some sensitivity to what you look like to those people you're a victim.

So your quest is a good thing and long overdue. Enjoy the different perspective and absorb all you can, it can only help.

Good luck getting the pegs healthy.

Jeff

The Chicagoan

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Permalink Reply by Dan Korn on October 27, 2011 at 3:49am

I agree completely.  However, most cyclists are also car drivers, as well as transit users and pedestrians.  (In fact, I'm a bit surprised at the infrequency of your transit use.)  So most of us already have those other perspectives.

 

But most drivers, and even most pedestrians and transit users, don't ride bicycles for transportation, so they just don't get us.  While we should all be empathetic of other mode users, cyclists are already at the head of the class for that.  Therefore, it's mostly everyone else who needs to try to walk a mile in our shoes, or ride a mile in our pedals, especially before they decide to tell us what we should be doing on our bikes.

 

That said, very few of us know what it's like to drive a bus.  So while I'm sure we've all had our issues with buses, we should endeavor to be extra understanding of their operators.  Taxi drivers, on the other hand....

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Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on October 27, 2011 at 7:49am

I truly believe it's all in your perspective.  Although I have damn been run over twice by buses (and close calls many more), for the most part I find them to be pretty cool folks and let me ride in front of them or pass them.  When that does happen I like to give a wave of thanks.  

 

And regarding cars and drivers, same thing. When they let me pass (or I just pass or have other friendly exchanges on the road), I like to give a wave of thanks even if they are doing what they should be doing.  I think (and hope) that these friendly gestures will help them understand we share the road, and when in a situation when they may want to dride a cyclist off the road and/or beep, honk, etc. they may think twice about it.

 

And yes, MANY drivers are also cyclists.  I drive sometimes, and that cyclist next to me at a stoplight may have half as many miles on his or her bike than I do and will never know it. 

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on October 28, 2011 at 8:27am

Well said!

Jeff Markus said:

While I am not exceptionally good at this I do feel one of the reasons I have survived riding and walking (and driving...gasp) is being able to 'see' what the other guy is seeing. I am not a 365 rider but I ride at all different times thus facing many 'styles' of drivers and the one thing that is fairly common is they all have different 'handicaps'. From driving too fast to driving with no understanding of the space they occupy most drivers have a handicap.

Even 'professional' drivers have them. Bus drivers are usually pretty good about knowing the space they occupy while cabbies sometimes barely know what town their in. SUV drivers can't tell how far the front corner is from their a**hole and a woman with kids in tow ain't payin' attention to her hood as much as the back seat.

And the pedal powered coming up behind you doesn't know that red means stop...

If you don't develope some sensitivity to what you look like to those people you're a victim.

So your quest is a good thing and long overdue. Enjoy the different perspective and absorb all you can, it can only help.

Good luck getting the pegs healthy.

Jeff

The Chicagoan

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