Re: Montana: "Let's make stupidity mandatory!"

On Thu, 16 Jan 2025 04:23:07 -0500, Catrike Ryder
<Soloman@old.bikers.org> wrote:

On Wed, 15 Jan 2025 21:54:51 -0500, Frank Krygowski
<frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>

On 1/15/2025 9:18 PM, John B. wrote:

 

On Wed, 15 Jan 2025 10:51:19 -0500, Frank Krygowski
<frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>

On 1/14/2025 7:30 PM, John B. wrote:

>
One thing that it is important to remember is that in a conflict
between a bicycle and a auto the auto nearly always wins :-(
There is even a poem, dating from the early 1900's:
>
      Here lies the body Of William Jay,
      Who died maintaining His right of way.
      He was in the right As he sped along,
      But he's just as dead As if he'd been wrong.

>
It's a cute little poem, but like "always pretend you're invisible," its
useless as practical advice for a bicyclist.
>
A bicyclist who never used his right of way would be unable to
practically ride anywhere except on totally isolated bike paths.

 The problem isn't whether you use a "right of way" it is what happens
if the auto, truck, whatever, doesn't see you or simply ignores your
right of way?
 I even posted reference to two women who seized the lane, as Frank
suggests.The truck apparently did every thing he could do to avoid
them but hit them. One woman and one baby killed in the collision.
 Frank's reaction? "Oh, they did it wrong."

>
That's true. As I recall, they were on a motor scooter and they pulled directly out in front of a tractor trailer. Nobody here has ever advocated that.
>

 One might ask, "If doing it wrong causes your death how will you ever
learn how to do it correctly?"

>
:-)  Good question! How can anyone learn to do it correctly? My, what a puzzle!
>
Answer: For the bare basics (all most people require) you might be able to find some instruction online. Something like this, for example:
https://www.bicyclinglife.com/SafetySkills/FrankNFred004.htm
>
You might try buying and reading a copy of _Street Smarts_ by John Allen. It's a slim volume, but it actually has more detail than most people need. (This really isn't rocket science, John.)
>
If you want videos instead of reading, you could go to
https://cyclingsavvy.org/  They have quite a bit of information available online, both videos and well done animations.
>
If you want to become much more expert, or if you need even more guidance - say, because you're really nervous about this - you could sign up for a real live course from Cycling Savvy. And if you're not in the U.S., there are similar organizations in places like Britain and Canada, and probably other countries that offer instruction courses. Google is your friend.
>
Finally, if you really want deep learning on these topics and techniques, you can buy a copy of _Cyclecraft_ by John Franklin. He has editions for drive-on-the-left places like Britain, and drive-on-the-right places like U.S. and Canada.
>
Whatever you do, don't throw up your hands and pretend its impossible. Try to remember that there are plenty of people competently and confidently bicycling in conditions you pretend are impossible.

>
Good grief. If, indeed, she had, stupidly pulled out directly in front
of a big truck, which I seriously doubt, no lessons are going to cure
that level of stupidity. On the other hand, how do you seize the lane
if you do not pull out into the traffic?

You do notice that all the recommended educational literature is just
something that some guy wrote. I see no studies based on long term
studies. Example, Frankie recommends seizing the lane, but here it is
illegal and the last time I looked highway deaths for bikes was neck
and neck for the lowest (heavy trucks were the other) numbers of
deaths.
But perhaps he is someone we should feel sympathy for. After all he
never mentions friends, seldom mentions his wife and, if he has any
children,has never, to my memory, mentioned them.
Just a grouchy old man without a friend, who's main activity (re his
posts) seems to be riding a bicycle to the library and home again..
--
Cheers,
John B.