Shocked by online comments, reporter writes profile of hit-and-run victim • Hacker News Board

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

#111

Post by synchromesh » Sun, Oct 03, 2010, 10:01 PM UTC

zephyrfalcon wrote: post #49

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…

I moved from the Netherlands to the US nine years ago, and one of the big differences I noticed was the almost complete lack of bicycles on the roads. Not just that, but also the way bikes are used (or not used). Where I'm from, there are many places with crowded traffic (not just in the bigger cities) and many, many bikes. It's common for kids to ride their bike to school, for example. There is such a thing as a "tr…

I lived in Amsterdam for a couple of years, and it was great to be in a country that respected cyclists.

As it was explained to me, the rule was that in the event of any accident between a car and a cyclist, it was automatically the car driver's fault. Which seemed like a pretty good strategy for improving cyclists' safety to me.

I'd always wear a helmet though, since it doesn't matter who's at fault, it's always the cyclist that comes off worst.

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

#112

Post by jpravetz » Mon, Oct 04, 2010, 2:47 PM UTC

apathy wrote: post #110

kgo wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

> This is precisely what Forrester has been saying for years. Bicycle lanes that co-exist with vehicular traffic are simply too dangerous.

Except Forrester is wrong. You'd be hard pressed to find cyclists here on the SF Peninsula who don't love the bike lanes we have. In other words, reality triumphs theory here. The only time Forrester is right is in those communities that do a poor job of implementing/maintaining their bike lanes (something that is not uncommon).

> As opposed to the saints known as motorists?!?

Yes, I find it (not) amusing when a newspaper article writes about a cyclist's death they feel the need to regurgitate rants about lawless cyclists. As if the cyclist is somehow responsible. And as if "cyclists" are a single entity (an 'other'), rather then being largely composed of weekday commute motorists who when riding are now called cyclists and, when they do something wrong, all cyclists get branded with this. I like to turn those bike rants around and describe how many more dangerous and/or absent-minded moves I see from motorists every week then from people on bikes.

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

#113

Post by cullenking » Mon, Oct 04, 2010, 7:58 PM UTC

Psyonic wrote: post #28

jrockway wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

A co-worker at my last job said she even had people go so far as to throw stuff out their windows at her as they passed while she was cycling... ever happened to you?

I've been hit in the head with a mcdonals bag filled with leftover food.

An acquaintance was hit in the eye with an egg from an oncoming car, and lost the vision in his eye :(

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

#114

Post by kgo » Mon, Oct 04, 2010, 9:25 PM UTC

apathy wrote: post #110

kgo wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Come on, man. That second quote is out of context. And I even added an end note saying that I don't think the majority of bikers are the crazy ones.

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

#115

Post by seles » Tue, Oct 05, 2010, 2:29 AM UTC

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…

That is good advice for bike safety, but it really has nothing to do with the point of the article, that people think being just a dish washer is pathetic, but if you look close enough a person is more than just a two word job description.

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

#116

Post by akadruid » Tue, Oct 05, 2010, 1:48 PM UTC

pbhjpbhj wrote: post #58

Tichy wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder about the blinking things that seem to have become fashionable. I rarely drive cars, but when I did, I always found blinking lights extremely distracting. They make it hard for me to concentrate, to an extent where I wonder if it is still beneficial to the person wearing them. It's fine if a driver notices me, but I want them to still be able to concentrate. People's perceptions may vary here, for example I…

>I always found blinking lights extremely distracting. They make it hard for me to concentrate In the UK I don't think flashing lights are allowed on moving vehicles/cycles unless they're emergency vehicles or otherwise hazardous. Lots of cyclists still use them though.

Flashing LEDs on bicycles are legal, as of October 2005, providing they are of a sufficent intensity. The actual law (The Road Vehicles Lighting (Amendment) Regulations 2005) can be read online here: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/2559/contents/made