safety and survival

[bornagainbiking]

It is a very sad couple of weeks with so many fatalities, especially the cyclists and pedestrians.
Basically, the primary tool for survival is your wits about you.
I think it is time to bring back Elmer the safety elephant into the school system.
I drive cross town on a regular basis and I see people so involved on their cell phones they just carry on their stroll crossing streets against the light, mid block or pausing in the middle of the street.
I seem to take the approach that the in the zone from one curb to the other I am venturing into a space where I may have the right of way but prefer to be able to swear at the vehicular offender that argue my point frfom a hospital bed or miss my point in the morgue.
For example I am stopped at Barton and Wellington planning on a right turn on the red. There are two people standing on the road examining the contents of a grey bag (king cans). There are about two feet off my bumper and my truck engine running and they are not even aware I am there, so I have the right of way but hey I can wait. When the light changed they didn't even look at traffic just walked out without a care.
I admit that there are bad drivers out there and they run red lights.
It really doesn't matter who is right and who is wrong someone could die.
Trick:
The other day several (10 or 11 yr olds) kids on bikes were deliberately riding out in front of cars and goading the drivers. The cars had to brake quickly on a couple occasions.
So i ask them to stop as they could get hurt and they tell me they don't care. So as a parent i remind them that their parants might.
Well I amused at the verbal abuse I endure. (Not in my day, too bad).
So I inform them i may have to call the cops Go ahead they say. They can't do nothing.
So i call their bluff and pull out my cellphone to maybe test the camera option (never used before) and before I can figure it out one kids announce he's taking our picture and "POOF" they were gone.
Some of the pedestrian accidents can be linked to Ipods, MP3 players and cell phones. Maybe it is time to teach people be safe be seen and lok both ways before you cross the street.

[SteelTown]

It appears majority,if not all, fatalities are adults or seniors.

[sofasurfer]

Originally Posted by bornagainbiking

I think it is time to bring back Elmer the safety elephant into the school system.

Darth Vader worked for us in the UK...

Yes, Lord Vader really did appear in 1970s UK public information films...

...like these two

(sadly, his west country accent got overdubbed on the previous two - not this one!)

[adam]

Its about time that our public spaces became friendly to those who are not in $40k SUVs.

[Jon Dalton]

Be extra careful of police especially and make sure you have a bell and a light, and watch your back while pulling any questionable moves in traffic. They tend to blitz on cyclists following a good cluster of fatalities.

[bornagainbiking]

they should focus on preventive not reative, like a bell or light would save anyone.
I remember a blitz several yaers ago I knew a guy that cycled from jerseyville daily to downtown and used the rail trail. so he cuts thru a back street behind Mac and gets a $100 ticket for rolling thru a stop sign on a quiet residental street.
So what do i see today one guy going the wrong way on Cannon riding one hand and carrying a vacuum cleaner or the next clown a very large loaded shopping bag on each handle bar and riding one hand talking on a cellphone no helmet. At least he was going the right way.
or the young girl out for a walk with her ipod and once the light said walk just jumped off without a glance. Talk about putting your life in some innattentive drivers hands.
As for Adam, give it a break so what if a person has a SUV, they have a right to drive it and pay enough insurance. You are very anti driver but why do you hate them so.
I am cheapskate and advocate for smaller more fuel efficient vehicle or electric but just look down south if you think hamilton has an effect on the real world. Try and find a mini spiral light bulb in common use in the states. NOT
We have to convince not ram our bias down people's throats.

[adam]

Roads are public spaces, not car-only spaces.

[Millstone]

Originally Posted by bornagainbiking

or the young girl out for a walk with her ipod and once the light said walk just jumped off without a glance. Talk about putting your life in some innattentive drivers hands.

Pedestrians are to cross when the sign says Walk. If a driver crosses at that point, they are probably doing so unlawfully.