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Shocked by online comments, reporter writes profile of hit-and-run victim

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Re: Shocked by online comments, reporter writes profile of hit-and-run victim

#101

Post by jonhendry »

volski wrote: post #9
jbm wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Out of curiosity, do you feel that 10 years of loyal service should not be rewarded with any kind of raise at all? Even if he wasn't earning much more than 8 or 9 dollars an hour even then, but it probably would mean quite a bit for someone in that situation. With inflation, he was actually being paid less 10 years later.

The real question you should be asking is if his pay is so low, why didn't he get another job? There's a reason he stayed. Did he deserve it? Maybe, the article mentioned he started out as a waiter and (moved up?) to dishwasher. Maybe dishwasher paid more, who knows. But my whole point is a manager in a restaurant has less control over raises than you seem to suggest.

"Maybe, the article mentioned he started out as a waiter "

I think it was the roommate, Rogers, who had been a waiter.

Re: Shocked by online comments, reporter writes profile of hit-and-run victim

#102

Post by astrofinch »

jrockway wrote: post #11

Police said that Mr. Smith was following bicycle safety recommendations such as wearing light-colored clothing, using reflectors and riding in the bicycle lane. This is a common misconception. Reflectors are worthless. Riding in the bike lane exposes you to great danger -- car doors flying open to the right, aggressive motorists passing too closely on the left. If you take the lane, you're out of the "door zone", and…

I like this site on safe cycling:

http://bicyclesafe.com/

Re: Shocked by online comments, reporter writes profile of hit-and-run victim

#103

Post by [deleted] »

jrockway wrote: post #20
ugh wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would be carful with the application of hyperbole. Reflectors don’t work under certain conditions but they do work very often. They are by no means worthless. I could imagine that especially reflectors in the spokes can help increase visibility. … and the total lack of bicycle education in the US. Is there really no road safety education in school? We have pretty extensive road safety education in Germany including…

In the US, bikes are basically considered toys. If you're a kid, you ride one on your sidewalk to enjoy a sunny Saturday afternoon. If you're an adult, you buy one that costs $3000 to impress your friends. You put it on the back of your car, drive it to a fun location, and pedal around for a few hours once a month. It's way too dangerous to even consider thinking about maybe possibly riding it to work or something, b…

[deleted]

Re: Shocked by online comments, reporter writes profile of hit-and-run victim

#104

Post by astrofinch »

sliverstorm wrote: post #13

The comment on the article reveals completely the lack of intelligence and elitism of the commenter. It may be wonderful to think that the people who man lower-end jobs are somehow less deserving than you, and somehow should be executed. But without those people filling those low-end jobs, our world would fall apart. No matter what you think of them, you need them, whether you realize it or not. And on the other hand…

I actually worked a dead-end job a few years ago, and I didn't think it was so horrible. Even the people who are in our society's lower socioeconomic classes live like 15th-century kings.

Re: Shocked by online comments, reporter writes profile of hit-and-run victim

#105

Post by astrofinch »

Herring wrote: post #96
jacquesm wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Trolls and griefers are a real problem, there is not so much that you could construct that can not be destroyed by a small number of motivated people, online as well as in real life. Creation takes time, energy, intellect and inspiration, destruction can be done instantly, requires much less energy, zero intellect and pigheadedness will do just fine.

Trolls used to be normal people too .. http://i.imgur.com/wOY9d.png I'm a recovering troll myself, so I understand the motivation. Most of them are really just looking for recognition.

I troll on Youtube, generally because I'm curious how people will react.

I see trolling as being akin to taking absurd actions in an RPG just to see what the game designers prepared for you.

Re: Shocked by online comments, reporter writes profile of hit-and-run victim

#106

Post by lemming »

arethuza wrote: post #68
lemming wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I was with my ex-girlfriend her little sister was knocked off her bike, also by a totally reckless driver doing over 80km/h in a 50km/h zone. She suffered serious head trauma, they didn't actually think she'd make it through the night. She did survive but had pretty serious behavioural problems after that, and died a few years later of a cerebral tumour which was almost certainly related. I'll never forget the s…

I'm pretty certain that I am only alive today because of a cycling helmet - I had an accident a few years back while mountain biking where I fell off and skidded along on my side (feet still in the SPD pedals) with my head hitting a gate post. I woke up a while later with the helmet completely disintegrated - if I hadn't been wearing it I'm pretty sure it would have been my skull.

Right, and it sounds like what actually killed this guy was hitting his head on a lamp-post.

I also had a snowboarding accident a couple of years back - it was the first time I'd been in years and I was just starting to get the hang of it again on the first day. Then I woke up in hospital which was a good hour away from the slopes. I'd been concussed, so I was awake the whole time they took me there (snowmobile off the slope, then ambulance to the hospital) but I don't remember any of it. I have photos of me chatting to the red cross which is surreal since I have no memory of it at all.

I now wear a helmet snowboarding too :-)

Re: Shocked by online comments, reporter writes profile of hit-and-run victim

#107

Post by dhimes »

verisimilitude wrote: post #92
dhimes wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the US, bikes are basically considered toys. You make excellent points, but in US law they are considered vehicles , and subject to the same rules of stop lights, stop signs, and waiting-in-line as automobiles. Many, many bicyclists don't understand this, however, and run red lights and stop signs seemingly at will. This never really bothered me until I had kids and was teaching them how to ride. I would always po…

I agree with you in condemning running red lights/stop signs and reckless behavior. However, I recently found out that statutes in my area state that bicycles may treat red lights as stop signs. On my bike, I occasionally take refuge in cross walks in order to check cross-traffic. After reading your post, I'll look into the specific statues applicable to this practice.

I'm happy if the bicyclist at least stops (and appropriately yields right-of-way) at stop lights.

I taught my kids to get off of the bike and walk it at cross-walks. I would be very surprised if they still do that because so few folks do.

Re: Shocked by online comments, reporter writes profile of hit-and-run victim

#108

Post by sokoloff »

electromagnetic wrote: post #53
sliverstorm wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Odds are if the manager really liked him, the manager would have liked to give him a raise. However, sometimes available finances simply do not warrant a raise. Sometimes higher management who does not know an employee says "why should we pay him more, we can just find another Joe to do the same job", without knowing the measure of the man.

A lack of raises in minimum-wage work is the norm. I know people who've worked in franchises for years who've barely been given raises (which are normally cancelled out by a minimum-wage increase a few months later anyway). Why don't these companies give raises? The same reason Wal-Mart fights viciously to stop unionization; because higher-pay means higher-prices which for bottom-of-the-barrel pricing means less sale…

McDs doesn't have to make a profit on that $1 burger. They'll make plenty of profit on the $1.50 soda or $2 fries that they sell alongside it.

Re: Shocked by online comments, reporter writes profile of hit-and-run victim

#109

Post by steveitis »

sliverstorm wrote: post #13

The comment on the article reveals completely the lack of intelligence and elitism of the commenter. It may be wonderful to think that the people who man lower-end jobs are somehow less deserving than you, and somehow should be executed. But without those people filling those low-end jobs, our world would fall apart. No matter what you think of them, you need them, whether you realize it or not. And on the other hand…

The higher a monkey can climb, the more he shows his tail.

That said this article brought a tear to my eye.

Re: Shocked by online comments, reporter writes profile of hit-and-run victim

#110

Post by apathy »

kgo wrote: post #89
jrockway wrote: post #11

Police said that Mr. Smith was following bicycle safety recommendations such as wearing light-colored clothing, using reflectors and riding in the bicycle lane. This is a common misconception. Reflectors are worthless. Riding in the bike lane exposes you to great danger -- car doors flying open to the right, aggressive motorists passing too closely on the left. If you take the lane, you're out of the "door zone", and…

You know, I've heard that bike lanes are more dangerous for years, and many of the arguments are convincing. But the trouble is, 98% of drivers won't realize there's a method to your madness. Riding in the main lane when there's a perfectly good bike lane will just reinforce the preconceptions that bikers ride with lawless abandon, ignore common courtesy, etc... If bike lanes really are that dangerous, we need to get…

> If bike lanes really are that dangerous, we need to get rid of them.

That's correct. This is precisely what Forrester has been saying for years. Bicycle lanes that co-exist with vehicular traffic are simply too dangerous. Separate lanes inevitably have to merge with traffic lanes in order for bicyclists to turn left. Therefore, bicycle lanes are simply not practical for most transportation. At best, they reinforce the notion of a bicycle as suited only for recreation. At worst, they lead to fatal accidents.

> bikers ride with lawless abandon, ignore common courtesy,

As opposed to the saints known as motorists?!?

I mostly obey the law, but you'll see me dismounting and walking my bicycle across a crosswalk on the same day that I see you doing this with your passenger car or motorcycle. If there's a conflict between the law and keeping myself (relatively) safe, the law loses every single time. Assuming that other vehicle operators are batshit insane is a very good idea (regardless of whether you are on a bicycle or not!), as is the assumption that the cops can't do much. At the end of the day, the reason SUVs were so popular is that you're pretty much on your own out there.

I much prefer downtown traffic to suburbs or country roads; rush hour is much more predictable and it's hard for drivers to quickly make bad decisions when they're gridlocked. On suburban streets you get to deal with distracted soccer moms in 5-ton SUVs trying to adjust the radio, smack the kids, and pass at the same time. Odds do not favor bicyclists.

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