[geeks] what is the world coming to...

[jeff borisch]

At 7:54 AM -0400 4/10/02, Dave McGuire wrote:
>   I lived just outside of Princeton NJ when I learned how to drive.
>Nothing amused me more than the Princetonites (P.U. students with
>their ever-present backpacks) who would walk RIGHT OUT IN FRONT OF
>MOVING TRAFFIC.  Unbelievable.  You wanna talk about arrogance and
>stupidity?  That's one of the best examples I've seen.

On OSUs campus all the crosswalks have pedestrian right of way all 
the time.[1] I still don't trust trust people to stop though, and if 
I counted on them stopping I'd surely be dead by now. Some people are 
polite and slow down for you if you are trying to cross but not many.

You gotta look when crossing the street! Or at least look but pretend 
that you're not looking. This is a good skill to have now that spring 
is here, BTW. (-:

At 8:45 AM -0400 4/10/02, Kurt Huhn wrote:
>If it's legal, don't get heartburn over it.  There's nothing you can do
>- and doing something can land you a sizeable ticket for reckless
>driving.  As well as a sizeable boost in your insurance premium when the
>claim is filed.  Relax and let it go.

That's sensible Kurt. Even if they do something which is slightly 
less than legal, but they do it in a safe manner, I'm ok with that. 
Sometimes you have to go into the crosswalk just to see far enough to 
make a safe turn onto a busy street. One should still be respectful 
of people trying to use the crosswalk. If I were a motorcyclist I 
would be afraid to lane split at any speed, you never know when when 
someone is going to open the door to dump their ashtray or stick 
their head out the window to see what's going on ahead. True, they 
are at fault but a wrecked bike is a wrecked bike.

At 11:22 AM -0400 4/10/02, Andrew Weiss wrote:
>I always get pissed at bicycle riders who insist on using the street 
>like a motor-vehicle but then decide they will use pedestrian 
>traffic laws since it allows them to do whatever they want.

Yeah there was a pro-bike column written in the local paper where the 
author gloated over the fact that they can lane-split and ride on the 
sidewalk. I was so fscking pissed because they had no idea what 
damage they had done to biker-driver relations in this town. I bike 
commute fairly often and I will NOT lane split or ride up on the 
sidewalk. I will command my fair share of the lane though. Some 
places I go it would be insane dangerous not to use the sidewalk. In 
these cases I am extremely considerate, go no faster than a fast walk 
(slow walk around blind corners) and look very carefully when 
crossing side streets for in turning cars. They are probably not 
looking out for me. |=0

Speaking of what constitutes safe driving. I know of people who are 
anally meticulous with gun safety, yet take crazy risks when driving. 
This involves going too fast for the visibility, letting their mind 
wander while driving, Etc. This is relevant because it can be just as 
easy to kill someone with your car as it is with a gun. Sure you can 
stop and turn a car once it is set in motion, but lots of fatalities 
can be chalked up to diver carelessness.

And this brings up the issue of gun manufacturers being in trouble 
for "misleading and dangerous advertising" I'm sorry but I've read 
gun magazines and I see the car ads on TV, and I don't see how the 
car companies can't be faulted even more for glorifying the product 
through reckless[2] driving. If the people who believe advertising 
can inspire bad behavior are going after the gun companies, why don't 
they go after the car companies as well?

--jeffrey

[1] There was some moron who thought this rule applied to High 
Street, the main drag that runs alongside the campus. He stepped out 
into traffic and got hit. And cited, IIRC.

[2] I know, there is the "closed course, professional driver" 
disclaimer, come on, people don't want the car for what *someone 
else* can make it do.