I don't care

Let me start out this post by saying I try very hard to put forth a positive view of cycling and cyclists. Some days however... I just want to carry around a ball peen hammer that I can use on people who start any statement with

"You know the Problem with people on bikes?"

The desire to peen the living daylights out them before they can answer their own question can be almost overwhelming. If you are a non-cyclist reading this let me take a moment to explain somethings Saying the sentence listed above is like standing up and screaming

"IM A SELF RIGHTEOUS DOUCE-BAG!"

You should also know that no-one hears anything you say past the "Problem". I will clear up a few things.

Cyclists don't follow all the traffic rules. Now now before you get all huffy and self-righteous we learned it from drivers. The same people who view a Speed Limit as a Speed Minimum and red lights as optional have a problem with someone acting the exact same way, just without a car. Cyclist don't want to die but we're not the ones driving 2000 pounds guided missles. Telling someone to "ride on the bike trail" is a joke unless you only drive your car on parkway or turnpike. We don't care what you think about us because you have proven over and over again that you don't care about us.

So I have to wonder what would happen if each of us stopped putting up with in-bred questions that come from people who think being in a car makes "attempted murder" into "Teaching that guy on a bike a lesson" and started giving them a gift like the one on the shirt above.

Narnia Bear

"If I was riding through the woods I imagined I would hit a deer, but then I imagined I would hit a bear, because, you know a bear wouldn't be hurt. but I would be knocked out. then the bear would feel sorry for me and try to help by taking me out of the woods. Would he take just me or would he take my bike as well. I imagine he would just ride my bike and carry me. cause, you know, he's a bear. Then he would take me and my bike to the parking lot and growl and make motions with his paws (making motions with hands) in order to attract people's attention and let them know I needed help."

This is what I heard tonight at the bar.

I'm so glad I went.

Thank you for making my night out a wonderful time.

Of course now I'm left wondering if the bear would ride off with the bike afterwards?

A bit upsetting

This friday was our monthly flock of cycles party ride. The ride was a lot of fun and the after party picnic in the park was so worth the late ride home. There was something I found to be a little upsetting. One of the girls (I won't mention names) was riding home from work and woke up in the hospital with no memory of how she got there,

"Either I wrecked my bike or it was a hit and run."

I am still having trouble believing this. I mean how could someone do something like this. I am glad she is ok, and healed up enough to go on the ride on Friday and yet I'm so upset at what happened that I really don't want to think about the next car that gets a little to close.

This isn't like me. I know this. I work hard to promote a positive outlook on cycling. I truly want more and more people to try cycling. I know that more cyclists mean safer streets.

All great things.

I for one am proud to be part of the vanguard that is out there. Part of the group that is showing people that you can cycle no matter what shape you are in.

I am also learning that being part of the vanguard also means being a target. It means being asked that stupid question everytime people see you

"You rode a bike here?"

It means being a target on the road. Being buzzed by drivers who think you have no right to the road. It means being ignored by police if you try to file charges after you've been threatened on the road. It means thinking that being a hit and run victim is no big deal, it is just something that happens.

Pardon me but that is f--ked up.

I am sorry if this post is a downer. I will try to make the next one more upbeat.

Edit
When I got to work on monday morning I heard about the girl that was struck and killed. At least this time the driver stuck around.  I am hoping that this was just a horrible accident. This unfortunately makes the third death in and around Pittsburgh in the last month. This was just the ones that were killed, not ones like my friend who simply woke up in the hospital with no idea how she got there.

Allow me to make a point here.

In an article on May 24th the Post Gazette  posted the following article.

Review finds Pennsylvania's new bike safety law not closely enforced
A year later, Pittsburgh police are yet to issue first ticket

After that we have Three cycling deaths.

John Pearson Jun 24th
Jeffrey Zietak July 12th
Emily Jancart July 21st

The first two of these deaths are listed as Hit and Run. Last year we had 2 people die within two weeks and there was an uproar nothing was actually done and Penn Ave is just as dangerous now as it was before. Now we have a new law that is being ignored by motorists as well as law enforcement and maybe I'm just out of touch but I don't seem to notice much of an uproar

Bias

This had been going around facebook today and when I got home from work I took a look at it.

Bias against cyclists is Rampant and unfair (Michigan Auto Law)

This is no surprise to me. I have seen it growing for the past few years. People who would never advocate hurting anyone will say the coldest most psycotic things about a cyclist that has "Made" them a few seconds late. When I hear these things I often think about offering to do the same things to their own mother, sisters, daughters.

You would be surprised how upset they get at the idea of someone saying something so cold about someone they care about. I guess turnabout isn't really fair play. Here are a few quotes from the article.

"The lawyers defending the trucking company refused to accept any responsibility for his death. They said he caused his own death, and then they said it didn’t really matter because an 83-year-old man isn’t worth very much money."

"There were many people who were quite willing to assign blame against him for just riding a bicycle. And there are many people willing to forgive clear negligence if the victim is on a bicycle."

I see this all to often. During most of my family gatherings I find myself talking to one of my relatives who will eventually bring up that he has seen someone on a bike do something illegal (run a red light, blow a stop sign) but doesn't understand what I am doing when I walk to the window and look out on the road and say "That car is speeding, and that car is speeding, and that car is speeding"When I bluntly point out that he is more than willing to break traffic laws that don't suit him but get angry when someone else does the exact same thing. You may think I'm getting a little ranty!

I am.

If this bothers you, well tough. I'm not going to pretend to understand why a person can kill another person and it is called murder or negligent homicide or manslaughter, unless the killer is in a car and the victim is on a bicycle. Then it's a 500$ fine and 3 points. Besides it was clearly the cyclist fault since he was riding on "my" road.

Insulting

One of my friends on facebook noticed this on 105.9 the X facebook page. it was taken down but only after people started complaining, and after it got 750 + likes. (Which just goes to show the mouth-breather demographic is alive and well) Several people have written and gotten one off apologies and some BS about a non clear-channel employee posting the photo (yeah someone hacked the radio's account to post one photo in some kind of pro SUV anti walking cycling conspiracy.) besides the photo was posted publicly then the apology should be public as well.

I will be sending links to this page to clear channel and to the advertisers on the websites page.

Mcdonalds
Shults ford
sweetjack paintball

I will let you know what I hear back.

Really

This is Colin's neck. He had it slashed for no particular reason by a man who waited for him to get off his bike then followed him up a long flight of concrete steps. He stabbed him, slashed his throat, threw his bike over the steps and drove away. People are already starting to wonder what Colin did on his bike to cause this.

Do I really need to repeat that last sentence? I felt a bit inbred just typing it the first time.

I have been trying to keep to the high ground since this had happened. But the high ground is slipping. I believe it is slipping for a lot of us here in the Burgh. Eventually we are going to be pushed a little to far. Someone is going to step out of their 2000 cruise missile and end up on the receiving end of a u-lock. And after what happened to Colin you will forgive me if I beat you senseless then ask questions!

D-bag drivers

Maybe its just my time. Maybe i lost a bet with God, but this mornings ride into town was filled with the worst drivers i have ever seen.

I would read on the forums about the jerks on the road but for the most part my encounters with them have been few and far between.  It seems karma is a spiteful little bitch who decided to collect, in full for several years of peaceful streets.

It seems i was wearing a target on my back only visible by the lowest common denominator of drivers.  The clueless ones. I was buzzed, right hooked,  and yelled at. All on a 10 block stretch of penn in the strip.

I wad seething by the time i got into town.  I think I'm gonna get a basket for my handlebars so i can fill it with rocks to throw at the cars.

Share the Road

From Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Bob Rogers writes: Pittsburgh has been steadily moving toward being a “bike-friendly” city for decades. Unfortunately, recent tragedies involving cyclists and automobiles has left some thinking we are not as “friendly” as we should be.

Found this on the Bike PGH blog and I am sorry to say that this is probably more truth than satire these days. I don't get to ride near as much as many others but even I have been getting harassed when I ride and even when I'm walking. maybe it is the fact that I have been sensitized to the problem and thus noticing it more and more. However with the recent spate of cyclists getting hurt and killed, and the high percentage of these being from hit and run drivers I can't help but feel like we are being targeted.

It's a feeling I don't really like.

My Bitter is Showing

Photo Credit: Marko82

I'm not really sure why it happens, or how I get started down these swirling rabbit holes of what can only be called a shot of seething anger followed with a chaser of impotent rage. (If your laughing cause I said impotent then stop reading now, and go ask your mommy to slap you for being an immature child  -  Yes that bitter)

My days don't start this way, well not all of them start this way, Ok today started this way but I'm sure that has nothing to do with it.

here are a couple of the threads that set me off today (Ok I came up with the titles myself)

911 is staffed by total TARDS
Sandcastle is run by uncaring A-Holes
The D on a car shifty thingie stands for D-Bag
People in General Suck

Sure there were some positive threads and Yes I am one part away from finishing the Ventura, but I think what really gets me are not the people who are pissed off, but the people who call for calmness. Since October 1st I have gotten 62 news articles that google alerts has pulled up for the term "Cyclist Killed"  Yes some of them have been duplicates but still 62 articles in 11 days?

The Police Don't take us seriously.
Politicians and their two faced cronies Lie to our faces.
Port Authority Bus Drives seem to think trying to hit us is a game.

Our Complaints are never taken seriously and really why should they be? We don't do anything after the complaint. They tell us to go away and like the abused child we have been convinced that we are, We go away.

Why do we always Go Away.

Why can't we start our complaint with "Hello, yes this call is being recorded and will be on the internet within moments of me hanging up, I have a complaint about one of your drivers, but first can I have YOUR Full Name and position please." and end the complaint with "If you or another person would like to call me back with the resolution of this complaint I would be happy to post that conversation as well." Fair is Fair after all.

How great would it be to see groups of Cyclist blocking entry to Sandcastle's (everyone talks about how that wont make us any friends but they seem to forget WE DONT HAVE ANY FRIENDS) and when one group is taken away (yes TAKEN AWAY) another group takes their place.  Hopefully with video and news coverage.

I know it wont happen, but I can dream

Unacceptable

Photo Credit: ME

That is what the front tire of my bike looked like when I was run off the road in the early weeks of May. Its no big deal it has all been fixed, new tire, new tube and liner. A few weeks of antibacterial spray for the road rash and for the most part I'm Ok as well.

'For the most part'. Four very tricky words.

You see one of the longer lasting effects of my crash (aside from the ache in my shoulder and a kicking Tattoo) is that I have become sensitive to the context of being a cyclist. Perhaps "sensitized" is a better term.   Before the crash I never gave to much thought to other cyclist out there, I was in my own little world.

That has changed.

Right after the crash while I was telling my family what happened another person (someone I never knew) was struck and killed while riding his bike. Three months later I rode in the Don Parker Memorial Ride into town to ask the DA (insert name) why no charges had been filed against the driver who admitted that he was at fault.

Mike Manko lied to our faces.

This was the beginning of the end of my trust.

Time after time I have read, and seen as cyclists are forced off the road, hit, run down and killed. over and over I have heard the same thing. NO Charges, All summer long, the closest thing I have seen to charges has been a 500$ distracted driving charge.

Dr Albert Varacallo - Ghost Bike

Sunday Sept 19 - 2010

Ride of Silence in DuBois Pa and placing of a yet another Ghost Bike. Yet again it seems as if the default position of the police is that the cyclist is at fault and no charges or investigation is expected.

Things like this upset me more than I can say.

I am upset because a man was killed and the powers that be put so little value on his life.
(The person who killed Don Parker was fined 500$)

I am upset because what happened here is NOT the exception but the rule. The more I hear about these accidents the more I see the same story over and over.

I just noticed this on the Bike PGH forums as I was writing this.
MD Senate candidate is struck and killed by SUV (Read Forum Posting Here)

Here is an excerpt from the forum posting (Thanks Mick)
Interesting article

http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=112106&catid=175

Some excerps:
"Police say initial reports had not found any reflective clothing or materials near the crime scene or on Pettigrew."

*AND*

"9NEWS NOW found pieces of reflective plastic just a few feet from the accident scene as well as a reflective sneaker which Pettigrew's mother identified as the victim's."

Way to do your job, Police...
 I am upset by this not just because of them, but also because of US (Cyclists)
We want to work 'within the system'
We want to show a 'positive face'
We want to be 'respectful'

Personally I am getting tired of being 'Respectful' to people who don't respect me. I am tired of showing a 'Positive Face' in the face of verbal abuse, and dangerous actions. The past has shown us that we are not 'Within the system'.

What am I saying, Am I calling for ULock Justice?

NO.

Am I calling for groups of cyclist in black taking down the drivers who are a danger to us

NO (but it is a thought)

What I am saying is that until we as cyclists need to be more vocal and more visible. This may mean crossing the line from 'Memorial Ride' to 'Protest'. This may mean dropping the Positive Face and letting people know that we aren't going to just sit back and take it anymore.

If it means I don't have to write about another cyclist run down and then blamed for it, then I can live with that.

Another Reason

Photo Credit: Google Image Search

I was hanging out on the Bike-PGH Forums when I saw this post "Bikes Belong on LA Streets" and after reading it I realize that Pittsburgh has yet another reason to be ashamed. Actually we have 1663 reasons to be ashamed. Since LA is planning on 1663 miles of bike lanes/bike friendly streets. Along with the Idea of Education and Enforcement.  Education and Enforcement are without a doubt two of the most important things you can do to make roads and trails safe for everyone.

It is just those things (Education and Enforcement) that are so seriously lacking here in Pittsburgh. Cyclist are regularly attacked, cut off, forced off the road. Don Parker was struck and killed in the middle of May, The driver was to busy freeing his flip flops to even notice that he had hit anyone, and still no charges have been filed (Really?!?) Couple the idea that drivers have no idea how to drive around cyclist or what rights the cyclist have with the knowledge that should they hit someone with their car there won't be any legal backlash and you only have one place

Pittsburgh

Bad Biking Day

Photo Credit: Ballookey

Found this on Bike-PGH Forums.

Dear Driver of the Green Ford F150 License plate *******(removed),

Yes, I realize you're probably having a bad day, but I'd like you to consider for a moment that by running me down it would cause BOTH of us to have EXTREMELY bad days.

Yes, I know it must be frustrating to not be able to pass me on Highland Avenue between Alder and Center. I would really like to give you the room, but frankly, if I get doored, it's going to do more damage to me than the car door. Also, you may note the solid line that means it's not safe to pass in that area. That includes me, by the way.

And yes, I know it's annoying that I take the lane once it widens out. But get this - it's to protect me from people like you (well, okay, maybe not people like you, since you actually TRIED to hit me. I think most other people would only do it accidentally if I was too far right when I mean to go straight through that light).

I'd like to apologize for yelling at you, but seeing as you yelled at me first... (My "Hey!" doesn't count as it means "You are driving a 4,500lb truck, and I weigh 120lbs on a good day and if I've had a large lunch, so please do not squish me.")

You have a good point that I was going "slow" although I would argue that the 15 mph I was probably doing is not the same as the 5mph you alleged. Of course, I was at about 13 miles for the day, so I'm sorry that my downhill speed approaching a red light was inadequate to you.

I realize that screaming back "I am a legal vehicle" was probably not the most eloquent thing I could have said. Nor is it likely to cause you to reconsider your intent of apparently driving your vehicle into a person. Perhaps I should have quoted from the PA vehicle code: "Every person riding a pedalcycle [this would be referring to me, by the way] upon a roadway shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle."

Somehow though, I don't think that would have helped you realize that you tried to hit me.

You TRIED TO HIT ME. WITH YOUR TRUCK.

Seriously? What is wrong with you?

My name is Quinn. I am the oldest of 5 children. My parents live in Florida and Toronto, and they would be pretty sad if I died. I work downtown for a local business, and I ride my bike to and from work when the weather is nice. I raised $600 for Multiple Sclerosis research this year, by riding my bike. I pay my bills, volunteer my time, and attend church regularly. I'm hosting a birthday party this weekend. There is a guy that I'm kinda fond of and hoping to catch his eye. And I could have died because you're having a bad day and tried to hit me with your truck.

Thankfully you didn't.

Respectfully,
Quinn.

Quite Upsetting

Photo Credit: Turkinator

My last post ‘little of this’ I talked about how surprised I was when a teen girl told me she believed that she couldn’t ride a bike for two miles. I have been thinking about this a lot and trying (without much success) to understand how this could happen.

Today I found the answer. Karl Marx is quoted as saying “Religion is the Opiate of the Masses” I have always taken this as meeting that Religion (not faith) is what keeps people docile, controllable, predictable. While I am willing to admit that there still is an ‘Opiate of the Masses’ it is no longer Religion. Today as I sat in a booth at a local Eat-n-Park with my sister and her family (daughter, son-in-law, grand babies) I walked back to the salad bar and passed a young family with two young kids. Both kids sat staring into portable DVD players with headphones on.

My friends, you would of been proud of me. I wanted to slap the parents and call CYS and report a serious case of Child Neglect. I paused only long enough to realize that both kids were watching the same show, at a table, in Eat-n-Park, on DVD players.

These are the kids who are raised to believe in not what they can do, instead they are raised by what they can’t do. After work I usually head out, either going for a walk, or taken my bike for a ride. What shocks me about my time outside isn’t what I see, but what I don’t see.

I don’t see any other bikes outside.
I don’t see any one outside.
No kids playing.
No one walking.

Parents won’t walk the mile to the drugstore and take the car instead, this teaches the children that they can’t walk the mile. This teaches the young pretty fit teen aged girl at shop and save that not only is she incapable of riding a bike two miles to the store but there is no reason for her to ride those two miles.

After all that is what the car is for.

Tour De France

Photo Credit: Lorenzo Zaffaroni

I don't suppose anyone reading this (both of you) is surprised that I am a huge (no really look at the title of the blog) fan of the Le Tour De France or as it sometimes called simply 'the tour'. (and yes if you say it the right way people will hear the air quotes)

I am not going to get all geeky here and talk about Lance and his 'brewing' battle with Contador or how it seems like yesterday was all talk about sprints and Cavendish but no mention of his fine for causing a crash in a sprint in the tour de suisse

OK I'm fine really

I love watching 'The Tour' and last year I would come to work and throw the coverage up on my computer and keep it in the background so I could at least listen along and flip over if something sounded exciting. I can't do that this year since 'VS' the channel in the states that carries 'The Tour' has decided to charge an extra 30$ to watch it online. Considering that this year I watched the Giro online in italian, and trying to figure out when they sounded excited was a game in frustration.

So I did the only thing I could think of. I unsubscribed to the biking blogs, unfriended my biking friends on twitter and will have to wait to watch the replays when I get home.

Drastic, yes, Useful, well see. So if you wondered what happened to me and why I stopped following you, well see you in about 20 days

Litter-Bi7ch

Photo Credit: UGGBOY

I have a real problem, one that takes a normally peace loving bald man and turns me into a pissy vigilante with fantasies of violence and water boarding. Littering.

Yes I know that this isn't really a biking post and to tell the truth I'm not all that big of an environmentalist. What really set me off this morning was a young woman eating some candy while waiting for a bus. She was less than 7 feet from a trash can and yet all the papers from her candy ended up on the ground. So I have decided to call this woman Litter Bi7ch

The sheer laziness of some people just make me want to scream and yell, and piledrive this girl into a mound of broken bottles and still lit cigarette butts. I mean really, what kind of super important person are you that you need to set aside not just the law (littering is illegal) but the years of instruction you should have received  at the knee of your marginally responsible mother.

Really if you are reading this and you don't feel the need to use the nearest trashcan I want you to do two things.

1. go immediately to the doctor and have yourself sterilized, if you can't manage to learn this lesson then you can't be trusted. If you have children take them to the woods to be raised by a family of chipmunks - they will be better off.

2. Don't take the time to comment here and tell me your justification in being an Asshat, there is no justification in this and really, Your mother clearly should of followed #1 above. You would be better off with the chipmunks.