Why America can have better bicycling than Europe
His Highness the TibetanMonkey, Creator of the Movement of Tantra-Hammock
communities may be an opportunity for a different kind of bicycling
than Europe: FAST BIKING. Our streets are better and wider, so IF WE
GET A TRAFFIC LANE we really could go places far and away.
Not all people like this type of cycling though. I go as far as a road
bike with flat bar. I got one. I also own local cruisers, choppers and
foldables. Sidewalk cycling should be banned, period.
We may break away from our dependency in the car and public
transportation, which more often than not sucks. I mean they should
invest money into it, but it ain't happening.
I have a campaign also that puts together two important issues: BIKE
LOCALLY, BUY LOCALLY. That should be the bottom line, but the sky is
the limit.
We are just waiting for a signal from above. Or is it coming from the
bottom?
-----------------------------------------------------------
His Highness the TibetanMonkey, Creator of the Movement of Tantra-Hammock
On Aug 2, 8:53 pm, "_ MARK ORTIZ AUTOMOTIVE"
<markortiza...@windstream.net> wrote:
> I live in a semi-rural area, just outside of a small town that is becoming
> an outer-ring bedroom community of a metropolis. I have a part-time job 21
> miles from where I live. I do almost all of my commuting and shopping by
> bicycle, even though I have two cars. I expect to get about 4,000 miles of
> transportation bicycling this year, and put about 1,000 miles on my cars.
>
> Is this excessive mileage? Not for me. I'm looking good to reach 10,000
> bike miles this year. As a stretch goal, I might have a shot at 12,000. I
> will get the extra 6 to 8 thousand by just going out and doing training
> loops in the country.
>
> I'm 60 years old, and have a bad leg.
Praise may be laid upon you!
>
> There are no bike lanes on any of the roads I will use to do this, except
> for a few silly ones on-campus at UNC Charlotte, where all the roads have a
> 20mph speed limit. I won't need to monopolize a car-width travel lane,
> either. I will be passed thousands of times by cars and trucks, sometimes
> in the same lane. I don't have any problem with any of this. All that will
> be necessary for me to complete all of this without getting hurt is for all
> concerned to pay minimal attention to the task at hand, and steer.
Let me ask you: DO YOU TAKE THE LANE? Are you comfortable squeezing in
with a car in the same lane?
>
> The notion that high density, plus segregated facilities, is a necessary
> precondition to make transportation bicycling viable comes from people who
> put more energy into making excuses for not riding than they put into
> riding, and/or make money off promoting segregated facilities, and/or have
> cronies who do.
Once upon a time I thought bike lanes --well laid out the bike lanes--
could be the solution, but then I saw them popping up all over the
place WITHOUT CONNECTION, and realized they were counting miles, not
convenience or safety. They start in one place and disappear when you
least expect it. That's a mystery worth investigating. ;)
>
> In the US at least, when most transportation was muscle-driven, most people
> did not live in metropolises. They lived in small towns 10 to 20 miles
> apart, or on farms between those small towns. Not only is suburban sprawl a
> product of cheap fossil fuels and internal combustion engines, the
> urbanization that only briefly preceded suburbanization was too - for
> urbanization was the product of the mechanization of agriculture.
But the SUV opened the last frontier, and we are almost coexisting
with the alligators of the Everglades. Here the great expansion
occurred in the last 30 years. Actually we are taking over the
agricultural land as most produce comes from abroad.
Everything comes from abroad.
His Highness the TibetanMonkey, Creator of the Movement of Tantra-Hammock
On Aug 3, 5:36 am, Kenneth O'Brien <kob22...@mac.com> wrote:
> On Aug 3, 2010, at 8:26 AM, His Highness the TibetanMonkey, Creator of the Movement of Tantra-Hammock wrote:
>
>
>
> > Once upon a time I thought bike lanes --well laid out the bike lanes--
>
> No such beast.
Oh yes, some could be well laid out for the uninitiated. Or for kids
or something. But that's only a Plan B, Plan A being TAKING THE LANE.
>
> > could be the solution, but then I saw them popping up all over the
> > place WITHOUT CONNECTION, and realized they were counting miles, not
> > convenience or safety. They start in one place and disappear when you
> > least expect it. That's a mystery worth investigating. ;)
>
> When bikelanes disappear - those are the good times. You aren't going to find me complaining about their disappearance.
>
> Kob
Yeah, why make them in the first place? Aren't you concerned about
Obama's money being dumped? ;)
Most mortals though stay away from roads without bike lanes, precisely
because they are mortal.
His Highness the TibetanMonkey, Creator of the Movement of Tantra-Hammock
> Europe also can have, should have and does have better cycling than
> "Europe". Europe is not just the Amsterdam museum district you
> Americans love to frequent. Even Amsterdam is de facto just an
> arrondissement in conurbation Zaanstad, with Europe's busiest
> motorways connecting it to other "blocks" of the "town". It's true
> that some parts of Europe have shorter median home-to-work distances
> (or whatever) than other parts of Europe or US on the average. But
> that doesn't give warm feeling to those who live in the parts of
> Europe that have longer distances or those who have long distances in
> parts with short median distances. It might be politically effective
> for you to say that "European" style cycling suits the people in
> Europe, but thats wrong. "European" style of cycling suits only those
> people in Europe it suits and it would suit a number (much smaller
> than some parts of Europe) of people in US.
Trying to bring European cycling to America is like bringing an
European car to America... And yet some people insist on the very
best.
What a waste of car!
The fact that "European"
> style suits large share of people in some specific parts of Europe
> doesn't compensate for the fact it doesn't suit some people in those
> parts and and large share of people in other parts of Europe.
Well, you seem to agree with me. We may be different, and maybe better
by leaving the 3 spd Dutch bike home, and taking off in an aggressive
road bike, not long haul or "pro," just medium distance, say under 10
miles (that's 20 miles R/T).
Of course, we need SPACE. A bicycle needs space to be safe, even
taking into account that someone falls into traffic. A bike lane
barely cuts it, but it doesn't go everywhere. Notice there's no pure
system even in Paris where they started the program. Some people --
kids, families-- bike paths, not mixed paths like we find around here.
The latter adds aggravation and danger to other users.
So we need to TAKE THE LANE if bicycling is ever to take off.
>
> And what's up with calling it "European" style? Last time I checked,
> the light of proper cycling was brought to you by a Europen man, at
> time your culture was record deep in ignorance of proper cycling. The
> man himself has later concluded that his attempts have been like
> forcing a snake in to the barrel of the gun; trying to insert a
> component profoundly incompatible with your culture. Just take a look
> at your national cyclist organisation; fighting proper cycling like
> pest. Meanwhile back in Europe; UK goverment dept4Trans says that
> "bikeability level 3 will enable you to cycle anywhere in London".
I admit that our organizations are caught up in conflicts and
contradictions. Even the Florida Bicycle Association banned me a long
time ago because my comments could hurt those associated with the
Republican Party. Imagine, the party that wastes a fortune in war,
trying to bring nation building to America. ;)
Notice that my taming of the beast takes more than creating space for
bicycles, and deals with TAMING TRAFFIC, EASING OUR WAR ON DRUGS, etc,
which in turn could free funds for bike facilities.
>
> Mr Monkey, you're right that change has to start from the bottom, but
> you have not quite grasped what that means and in fact your
> suggestions are of opposite. Until the big payback comes (never), your
> society will give cyclists bad laws and bad intepretations of good or
> neutral laws.
You probably agree with me that "we have the best laws money can buy."
Traffic tickets are a milking cow and so are "accidents" and DUI's.
What can we do?
So asking society to do good to cyclist is not going to
> be any good. The change can start only within the cyclists and that
> means you. First you should quit being scared of traffic.
Who me, scared of traffic? Well, I'm just afraid of drivers with
overwhelming power to take me out.
That's not a good strategy for SURVIVAL IN THE JUNGLE. Actually there
are some Darwin Awards for those who die because of stupidity. Not me,
remember I'm wise... and I'm waiting for the new program to kick in,
September 15th.
You know
> what's antidote to being scared of traffic? You should also learn to
> make distinction between feeling of fear and actual danger. Always
> keep in mind the history and purpose of the fear. Learn to analyze the
> fear mongering writings like the ones you posted links to here;
> dissect them into componenets of fear and danger and learn how they
> work against you.
They are not fear mongering, but an attack on the jungle that keeps us
from enjoying life and fighting Climate Change.
The revolution is that cyclists will learn that
> cycling IS safe and quit being scared.
The revolution starts when there's coordination. A few people around
the world TAKING THE LANE is all it takes.
You should not ask motorists to
> give you the lane; motorists' view of cyclists is and will be that
> they are roadway obstacles that should be removed. Only cyclists have
> the cyclists view and is their job to nurture it. Motorists will
> accept cyclists using as much of the roadway they need, when they
> realize they can not do nothing about it. That's why you should be an
> overhelming force.
Again, the overwhelming force in numbers. We don't want bazookas. ;)
Ditch the buses and get on your leather hammock;
> FEEL the safety of riding properly like Keri's flip-flop guy; use as
> much of the roadway you need for safe and comfortable travel as if
> your name was Ken O'Brien.
>
> Kalle
> Europe
The leather hammock is missing in my collection. But I can always go
in search of the hunter-gatherer within me and go walking. WALK, WALK
UNTIL YOU DROP.
Thank you, European Man!
His Highness the TibetanMonkey, Creator of the Movement of Tantra-Hammock
On Aug 3, 8:41 am, Kenneth O'Brien <kob22...@mac.com> wrote:
> Begin forwarded message:
We are not going to let the cyclists at the mercy of the reckless
drivers who claim the road is theirs, right?
"Bike lane or full lane" is the deal we have for the drivers.
His Highness the TibetanMonkey, Creator of the Movement of Tantra-Hammock
On Aug 3, 11:01 am, Kenneth O'Brien <kob22...@mac.com> wrote:
> On Aug 3, 2010, at 1:49 PM, "His Highness the TibetanMonkey, Creator of the Movement of Tantra-Hammock"<comandante.ban...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Aug 3, 8:41 am, Kenneth O'Brien <kob22...@mac.com> wrote:
> >> Begin forwarded message:
>
> > We are not going to let the cyclists at the mercy of the reckless
> > drivers
>
> Each and everyone of us who get near a public way in which a vehicle is being driven is at the mercy of reckless drivers.
You don't prefer the scraps to the full lane, do you? The problem with
"riding to the right/left" is that you don't have your "turf," and
conflict erupts. They blow the horn, they pass you within inches, THEY
IGNORE YOU...
Give me a full lane over half lane all the time.
>
> That's why we need to find them and then either fix them or remove them from the population of drivers.
That ain't happening in America. There's such a big industry around
the automobile that even an idiot can drive. LANE DISCIPLINE is the
first thing you need to change in America. Slow traffic on the
right... SAFER CYCLING.
>
> > who claim the road is theirs, right?
>
> No wrong. The truly reckless are too few in number (and their population numbers are at least to some degree self limiting) such that they don't have enough power to claim something as big and important as the system of public ways.
If you are talking about America they ain't that few...
'It's No Accident: The Real Story Behind Senseless Death and Injury on
Our Roads'
Actually THEY ARE A MAJORITY, including those chatting on the phone
paying little attention to cyclists and pedestrians.
>
>
>
> > "Bike lane or full lane" is the deal we have for the drivers.
>
> Sorry. Not a deal I will be signing on to. The primary thing I need as a bicyclist is legal access to roadway portion of public ways.
>
> Ken
That's technical wording for having a fair share of the road? I'm all
for it.
His Highness the TibetanMonkey, Creator of the Movement of Tantra-Hammock
On Aug 4, 6:17 pm, Kenneth O'Brien <kob22...@mac.com> wrote:
> >>> The 99% of the American people who do NOT dare ride a bike on the road
> >>> probably agrees with me.
>
> > I'm actually overstating the number, since the share of commuters by
> > bike is 0.4%.
>
> Look that over. You just mixed two different things. 1) Americans who don't dare ride a bike on the roadway and 2) commuting share by bike. You do realize that is two entirely different things, yes? And you realize if you jump around like that you can't make any kind of sensible point, yes?
I do not care about training cyclists looking for fun, performance or
whatever on a bike. They don't care about others either. That's a
hobby. The revolution is for the SUB (Sport Utility Bike).
>
>
>
> > But you should never trust the sheep to be right, such as in the case
> > of religion or Chavez in Venezuela.
>
> Sorry. You lost me on that one. Point?
>
> Ken
People are happy with whatever you throw at them. Case in point is the
fancy MIXED PATH around here that has sucked up so much money and yet
it only goes for a mile. People are happy with it. I cite the dangers
of mixing cyclists, dogs and kids, blinding lights, etc, and they
still reply the same mantra: "People are happy with it."
His Highness the TibetanMonkey, Creator of the Movement of Tantra-Hammock
On Aug 4, 6:20 pm, Kenneth O'Brien <kob22...@mac.com> wrote:
> > See, that's a mistake. In the jungle you must keep your eyes open for
> > every possible predator, including those coming from above. (Say a
> > bottle thrown from an overpass).
>
> Serge and Mr. Hunt, please note this. This helps make my point.
>
> I think there is only a very minor difference between your style of riding that continually wastes attention and mental evaluation to things behind you, with His Highness's need to continually scan for things falling from the sky above.
>
> Ken
You are wrong. I'm just laying before you the greatest model for
survival under any conditions: THE JUNGLE. I forgot to mention the
dangers from below, the potholes that make you fall while you pay too
much attention to the beasts behind the wheel.
Actually 100% of your energy should be concentrated on riding the
bike, not watching your back.
WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE
His Highness the TibetanMonkey, Creator of the Movement of Tantra-Hammock
On Aug 4, 7:05 pm, Kenneth O'Brien <kob22...@mac.com> wrote:
> On Aug 4, 2010, at 2:35 PM, Willie Hunt wrote:
>
> > You justify your “one sized fits all” argument
>
> Actually you have that exactly backwards. My way of looking at it incorporates the varying capabilities of the public.
>
> Few to no drivers have the Kreskin/Uri Gellar-like mental/psychic powers to can first: divine that someone approaching behind is either a homicidal maniac or so outrageously incompetent that they have missed seeing a predictable visible bicyclist in the road ahead along a roadway leg; then second: can Obiwan-Kenobi-predict exactly which last instant emergency response will avoid this menace; and finally: can Maverick/Goose/Top-Gun perform that maneuver in the blink of an eye.
>
> Because the full population of drivers includes a wide spread, I want to build into the system - and build into education about the system - the margin represented by everybody devoting all their attention forward whenever they can. I don't want everybody doing 360 degree continual scans (or as His Highness would have it, maybe - 4pi steradian continual scans [since I suspect he might want me to continually scan for volcanic eruptions at my feet as well as bottles from above.]) I don't want folks in the full population of drivers/bicyclists tricked into thinking they are Kreskin, Uri Gellar, Obiwan Kenobi or Maverick. I want them to recognize that often, they are just Gus... not very bright... not at the top of their (or most anybody else's) physical game... and they need all the margin we can give them - Meaning devoting their attention where it is needed when it is needed only.
>
> >But I do know that “wasted mental
> >processing” is not a waste for me, nor does it stress me out. In fact
> >the opposite is true. If I do not watch what’s going on behind me
> >then I get stressed out.
>
> There is a difference between the bliss of injecting heroin, and not stressing/fatiguing your your physical capabilities - especially during a task in a potentially dangerous system that needs you neither stressed/fatigued nor blissed out on an opiate.
>
> I recognize it is hard to get past the idea that you have little or no power to protect yourself from the homicidal maniac or the truly grossly incompetent. But I recommend you and Serge get past the illusion you can control such a thing. recognizing this is liberating and likely will help your (and everybody else's, because you are not wasting your attention where it is not needed, and you therefore represent less of a hazard for the rest of us) safety level.
>
> I suspect your lack of respect for the " targeted/focused attention where it is needed when it is needed" idea goes a long way towards explaining why you don't understand you do your students a great injustice when you refuse to educate them that bikelanes are a bad idea.
>
> Ken
The problem is cyclists are the easiest target for road rage. And
there's a lot of it out there. Luckily most of the time it doesn't
lead to a bloody incident, but just to spoiling the day for the
cyclist.
(I quote)
Ranking No. 1 was Orlando, Fla., of all places.
"Yes, Orlando, home of the Magic Kingdom and mandated happiness," the
Men's Health article on the survey said. "Who knows? Maybe living in
Goofyville wears thin after 35 years."
Following Orlando were St. Petersburg, Fla.; Detroit; Baltimore;
Nashville; Wilmington, Del.; Miami; Memphis; Jacksonville; and St.
Louis.
But what about Los Angeles with its freeway traffic jams and high-
pressure lifestyles? They're way down at No. 36.
And how about New York City, where the rush is constant, the crowds
are crushing, and the high rents, small spaces and busy schedules can
make for plenty of stress? The Big Apple isn't even in the top 50.
They come in at No. 57.
http://cbs2chicago.com/watercooler/chicago.11th.angriest.2.1834103.html
***
NYC which is known as the "asphalt jungle" is down at #50. The Deep
Jungle is elsewhere.
I think we should bring the National Guard out (or back from Iraq and
Afghanistan).
His Highness the TibetanMonkey, Creator of the Movement of Tantra-Hammock
On Aug 5, 7:59 am, Kenneth O'Brien <kob22...@mac.com> wrote:
> On Aug 5, 2010, at 10:22 AM, "His Highness the TibetanMonkey, Creator of the Movement of Tantra-Hammock"<comandante.ban...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Aug 4, 6:17 pm, Kenneth O'Brien <kob22...@mac.com> wrote:
> >>>>> The 99% of the American people who do NOT dare ride a bike on the road
> >>>>> probably agrees with me.
>
> >>> I'm actually overstating the number, since the share of commuters by
> >>> bike is 0.4%.
>
> >> Look that over. You just mixed two different things. 1) Americans who don't dare ride a bike on the roadway and 2) commuting share by bike. You do realize that is two entirely different things, yes? And you realize if you jump around like that you can't make any kind of sensible point, yes?
>
> > I do not care about training cyclists looking for fun, performance or
> > whatever on a bike. They don't care about others either. That's a
> > hobby. The revolution is for the SUB (Sport Utility Bike)
>
> OK. But the commuting share isn't at whatever it is because 1 minus that number fraction of the public wouldn't DARE ride their bike on the road. There is a million and one things that add up to commute share.
>
> Ken
Yeah, but the big factor is F-E-A-R.
I had job just TWO miles away, and I just hesitated to do it. I also
hesitate to do that distance in any other direction.
The big hope is the new Velib program coming to Miami Beach, and
rescuing the reputation of the cyclist. H-O-P-E-F-U-L-L-Y.
Around here, people just ride crappy bikes on the sidewalk, and the
occasional pro cyclists darting by on weekends.
His Highness the TibetanMonkey, Creator of the Movement of Tantra-Hammock
On Aug 3, 10:23 pm, Serge Issakov <serge.issa...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I too must agree with Ken and Bob. The only time I ever came close
> to a collision with a car in over 40 years of bicycling, was when I
> was in a bike lane passing congested motor traffic that was on my
> left. But that's before I learned the techniques and practices
> espoused on this list, including never passing on the right someone
> who can and might turn right. In my case that someone was a woman in
> a mini van who suddenly decided to pull out of the jam and turn right
> across the bike lane into a side street, right in front of 20 mph
> (downhill) me. Miraculously, somehow my instincts caused me to
> "instant turn" into the side street, before I ever heard of the term.
>
> Serge
When an SUV roars past you... you wonder what the hell you are doing
on that road with such beasts. They look intimidating, they sound
intimidating, and are often driven by alpha male/female drivers.
Then the sales pitch of the stationary recumbent sounds appealing:
'Despite the competition from trendy new fitness inventions, exercise
bikes continue to be popular options for home exercise. They offer the
same aerobic benefits of riding a bicycle at any time, in any weather,
without leaving the comfort and safety of home. Exercise bikes don't
take up much space, require little or no balance or coordination, and
can provide an effective workout for all levels of users, from
beginners to serious competitors. While the same could be said for a
number of other types of home fitness equipment, the exercise bike is
one of the few that allows you to watch television or read a magazine
while you work out.'
His Highness the TibetanMonkey, Creator of the Movement of Tantra-Hammock
> On 8/5/10 5:57 PM, His Highness the TibetanMonkey, Creator of the
> Movement of Tantra-Hammock wrote:
> > This is about claiming our SPACE, not providing another anonymous
> > victim for the grinding machine.
> Your SPACE is where your body is, and YOUR body isn't riding bike.
Listen, if Osama leads a holy war from a cave, I can lead an unholy
campaign from a hammock, comprende?
His Highness the TibetanMonkey, Creator of the Movement of Tantra-Hammock
Jens Müller
the Movement of Tantra-Hammock:
> Our curse could be our blessing. The sprawl that killed our
> communities may be an opportunity for a different kind of bicycling
> than Europe: FAST BIKING. Our streets are better and wider, so IF WE
> GET A TRAFFIC LANE we really could go places far and away.
Ah, like in Berlin. But what do you mean by "GET A TRAFFIC LANE"? Are
there no traffic lanes in your wide streets?
His Highness the TibetanMonkey, Creator of the Movement of Tantra-Hammock
Oh I meant TAKE THE LANE. There's no other solution for America where
SUVs are wider and bicycles are very low in the food chain (often
below cats and dogs).
What's the approach in Berlin?
His Highness the TibetanMonkey, Creator of the Movement of Tantra-Hammock
On Aug 7, 12:05 am, Kalle Mustonen <kalle.musto...@gmail.com> wrote:
> If you are reading the list via e-mail client, you can spam-filter the
> monkey out.
>
> For example in gmail web-client: Click "Create a filter"...
>
> I just added a monkey filter, which is kind of a pity cause I think
> the brother has some potential.
> Shame that he chooses to be SUV-mans little friend, cherishing the
> fear culture designed to keep lower class road users out the way of
> the SUV-man.
The gorilla (aka SUV-man) keeps the mundane monkeys down if they are
disorganized. It actually denies democracy and it feeds our wildest
and basest instincts, even though the efforts of the establishment to
look civilized.
His Highness the TibetanMonkey, Creator of the Movement of Tantra-Hammock
> If you are reading the list via e-mail client, you can spam-filter the
> monkey out.
>
> For example in gmail web-client: Click "Create a filter"...
>
> I just added a monkey filter, which is kind of a pity cause I think
> the brother has some potential.
> Shame that he chooses to be SUV-mans little friend, cherishing the
> fear culture designed to keep lower class road users out the way of
> the SUV-man.
>
And I've placed so much faith in you being the European-Man, a sort of
civilized homo sapiens, unselfish enough to reach out across the
Atlantic and illuminate us with your wisdom.
OK, fuck Europe, we look for wisdom elsewhere. They are badly
overcrowded and are selfish monkeys that think their Paradise can be
sustained in isolation from the jungle. Well, then they complain about
having too much immigration, but they are not clever enough to put two
and two together.
The revolution must be aimed at the South where the injustices are
multiplied by 100 and the source of immigration is. And it will not be
motorized.
Chief Thracian
TibetanMonkey, Creator of the Movement of Tantra-Hammock"
>Everything comes from abroad.
Well, babies do, that's for sure. Don't know about everything else. :P