Reckless, Aggressive Drivers: Homegrown Terrorists
donquijote1954
go looking for trouble, trouble looks for me, and sometimes for those
near me.
Anyway, the first "accident" (see book "It's No Accident") happened to
a neighbor of mine who, like me, rides a scooter. Well, she started
from the green light when a car ran the light and... smashed leg and
who knows what else. Beautiful lady, beautiful no more. And she was
lucky it wasn't an SUV with their raised "macho" bumpers... Well, the
guy did stop (wasn't she lucky?) and was very sorry. But chances are
he was speeding, or on the cell phone or trying to beat the light or
everything at once. Everybody does it, right?
Well the second incident was really minor compared to this one, but
happened to my girlfriend with whom I was riding bike on the road...
First thing a car comes real close to her and cuts her off while
turning. I guess people riding bikes are not worth losing a few
seconds, and they are simply ignored. Well sometimes they get
noticed... Second thing she gets yelled at from an SUV, "Asshole!"...
and my girlfriend gives her the finger (yes, she does it too) before
doing the smart move (?) and taking the sidewalk.
It would be so easy to put speed cameras on traffic lights and catch
all those terrorists with a License to Kill. And that would take some
politicians who make an issue out of traffic safety... or a revolution
(see below), but that's another issue. ;)
In the meantime here's a debate from the past about terrorists and
speed cameras in civilized places like Germany...
"Red light camera solution?"
"Big Boy" <bigboy6...@aol.comgoaway> wrote in message
news:20021106022800...@mb-fw.aol.com...
: These systems intrigue (and disgust) me.
:
: I was doing a deja.com search and noticed
: that they have them in Arizona. I am
: in Idaho where fortunately we don't have
: scum taking away even more of our
: freedom.
Freedom to speed and run red lights? What is there about "breaking the
law"
that you don't understand? Are you against the idea of security
cameras in
your place of business to protect you and your property?
Or are you one that figures "if I make it through and don't kill
anyone else
I haven't really violated the law"?
The real solution is very simple - obey the law. Then you can drive
with a
clear conscience and not have to worry about getting your picture
taken. You
can even save the cost of the hair spray...
---
jb3
***
http://atom.smasher.org/streetparty/?l1=Coming+Soon%3A&l2=the&l3=Banana+Revolution%21&l4=
WHY THE BANANA REVOLUTION?
http://webspawner.com/users/bananarevolution
.
wrote:
> I've vowed to fight terrorism... ROAD TERRORISM. It's not even that I
> go looking for trouble, trouble looks for me, and sometimes for those
> near me.
Hey, Donkey Hotay. Fidel Castro finally resigned, now Raul is running
the country.
With any luck, you can pedal your bicycle back to Havana soon.
Do ya think Raul will end communism in Cuba, or is he going to be the
new Lion in the Jungle?
donquijote1954
> On Feb 19, 8:52�am, donquijote1954 <nolionnoprob...@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > I've vowed to fight terrorism... ROAD TERRORISM. It's not even that I
> > go looking for trouble, trouble looks for me, and sometimes for those
> > near me.
>
> Hey, Donkey Hotay. Fidel Castro finally resigned, now Raul is running
> the country.
I'm waiting for Bush to resign too. His brother is better, I think.
>
> With any luck, you can pedal your bicycle back to Havana soon.
Cuba will never amount to anything good. Too far from Europe and too
close to, you know... ;)
>
> Do ya think Raul will end communism in Cuba, or is he going to be the
> new Lion in the Jungle?
He's an old lion himself, but you see a lion for what he is. No
camouflage like Castro who's more of a fox. Only hope is the Banana
Revolution.
Speeders & Drunk Drivers are MURDERERS
terrorists. Your chances of being killed or maimed by a speeder or
DUI are a thousand times greater than by some mad bomber. Americans
are such idiots for buying into this arab terrorism crap.
David White
"Speeders & Drunk Drivers are MURDERERS" <bet...@earthlink.net> wrote in
message
news:7d9e4b9f-ed19-49f6...@q70g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...
My family have been a victim of both. I had a cousin killed on 9/11, and his
father was killed by a mindless driver who ran a red-light. I only have to
know that the first one exists. The second, I have to worry about, and watch
for on a daily basis. Especially when I'm traveling on 2 wheels.
donquijote1954
> "Speeders & Drunk Drivers are MURDERERS" <beta...@earthlink.net> wrote in
> messagenews:7d9e4b9f-ed19-49f6...@q70g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...
>
> > I've been saying for years that criminal drivers are the real
> > terrorists. Your chances of being killed or maimed by a speeder or
> > DUI are a thousand times greater than by some mad bomber. Americans
> > are such idiots for buying into this arab terrorism crap.
>
> My family have been a victim of both. I had a cousin killed on 9/11, and his
> father was killed by a mindless driver who ran a red-light. I only have to
> know that the first one exists. The second, I have to worry about, and watch
> for on a daily basis. Especially when I'm traveling on 2 wheels.
There's no consolation for the victims of 4 wheeled-terrorists.
Victims just make it to the horror show (the 6 o'clock news), at best.
And not even the word "accident" does any justice to their plight...
(letter to Lisa, author of 'It's No Accident: The Real Story Behind
Senseless Death and Injury on Our Roads')
Dear Lisa,
David Townsend, Tia's father, gave me a copy of "It's No Accident"
this spring, nearly a year after my son Dominick was hit in a Seattle
crosswalk. Your book told our family's story and the stories of so
many other families of pedestrian victims - from the devastating news,
to the insurance companies, to meetings with the local county and city
prosecutor's offices.
Your book helped me understand that $490 fines and no drivers
education or loss of license for the drivers in these deadly crashes
are the norm. That deadly crosswalks like the one where Dominick was
run over frequently are left by the cities with no lights, no traffic
calming, no sign of the lives lost there. Before I read your book I
thought it was perhaps just our family or just Seattle and King
County.
We are so blessed that Dominick lived and is recovering steadily -
recovering from traumatic brain injury is a long long road. We are
appalled to see all the families we know now who have lost a child or
are trying so hard to restore their child after being hit by a car.
Lisa, thank you for putting together the stories and the statistics
into such a powerful book. I have bought copies to give to some of our
community and state leaders. I hope that your speaking schedule brings
you out to Washington. I think it would be so very important for our
local and state leaders to hear from you.
Desiree Douglass
HEADSTRONG
Seattle, WA
.
wrote:
> He's an old lion himself, but you see a lion for what he is. No
> camouflage like Castro who's more of a fox. Only hope is the Banana
> Revolution.
So, why don't you take your Revolting Bananas back to Cuba where you'd
be closer to the action?
What's the point in complaining about traffic conditions *here* while
your cousins are living under the communists?
donquijote1954
> On Feb 19, 12:06�pm, donquijote1954 <nolionnoprob...@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > He's an old lion himself, but you see a lion for what he is. No
> > camouflage like Castro who's more of a fox. Only hope is the Banana
> > Revolution.
>
> So, why don't you take your Revolting Bananas back to Cuba where you'd
> be closer to the action?
In Cuba they don't let you talk like here. No freedom of speech. Here
the case is different... no democracy.
"Freedom is when the people can speak, democracy is when the
government listens" -Alastair Farrugia
>
> What's the point in complaining about traffic conditions *here* while
> your cousins are living under the communists?
I'm complaining about the sad state of affairs in the world. Why
should I worry about the puppet, when we need to change the puppeteer?
donquijote1954
http://atom.smasher.org/highway/?l1=We+are+the+sheep+&l2=who+feed+the+beast%21&l3=&l4=
Would you like a T-shirt too?
donquijote1954
wrote:
> Doesn't this sign make sense?
>
Maybe the T-shirt came out wrong...
donquijote1954
if Nader took up the issue?
(addressed to one of Nader's workers)
Hey, Melanie, I've the issue that can make Ralph stand out before the
other look alikes...
Please read this:
This is very much Nader's tradition... TRAFFIC SAFETY, the issue of
the century!
Speeders & Drunk Drivers are MURDERERS
> "Speeders & Drunk Drivers are MURDERERS" <beta...@earthlink.net> wrote in
> messagenews:7d9e4b9f-ed19-49f6...@q70g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...
>
> > I've been saying for years that criminal drivers are the real
> > terrorists. Your chances of being killed or maimed by a speeder or
> > DUI are a thousand times greater than by some mad bomber. Americans
> > are such idiots for buying into this arab terrorism crap.
>
> My family have been a victim of both. I had a cousin killed on 9/11, and his
> father was killed by a mindless driver who ran a red-light. I only have to
> know that the first one exists. The second, I have to worry about, and watch
> for on a daily basis. Especially when I'm traveling on 2 wheels.
That's my point. Most of us have never been endangered by a terrorist
but we are endangered by by criminal drivers every day. And yet which
is the idiot american most concerned with.?
Bob
|>> terrorists. Your chances of being killed or maimed by a speeder or
|>> DUI are a thousand times greater than by some mad bomber. Americans
|>> are such idiots for buying into this arab terrorism crap.
|>
|>My family have been a victim of both. I had a cousin killed on 9/11, and his
|>father was killed by a mindless driver who ran a red-light. I only have to
|>know that the first one exists. The second, I have to worry about, and watch
|>for on a daily basis. Especially when I'm traveling on 2 wheels.
Which is why I think all people who can, should ride a M/Cycle to
prove they can drive adequately....failing the test can mean a failure in a
close casket.....not much to add to that...
Although some need a 4 wheeler for cargo space, 90% of them don't,
and gobble up the city's parking spaces horrendously. In my City, the meter
maids and insurance companies dump on the M/C guys big time, in a vain
attempt to cause as much damage as possible to the environment and keep the
accident flow coming their way.....
A trike is usually the limit for me, since it's easy to parallel
park, and can carry a heftier cargo than a plain MC, but the prices start at
$15,000, but a sidecar Scooter is a better investment, depending on the
method of add-on/removal capacity.....
donquijote1954
Exactly right. The statistics won't lie: 3,000 at the Towers (a one
time event) vs. 40,000 on the road every year, of which 25,000 could
be saved if we were to have the safety rates of Sweden.
Yet people are told that the issue is terrorism and not road
terrorism. They take the picture of your ass going through the
airport, but fail to put a speed camera at troublesome spots. It's
like they don't care...
Bob Myers
"Bob" <rk...@rkba.info> wrote in message
news:5qknr3dr9050n6dhi...@4ax.com...
> Which is why I think all people who can, should ride a M/Cycle to
> prove they can drive adequately....failing the test can mean a failure in
> a
> close casket.....not much to add to that...
>
> Although some need a 4 wheeler for cargo space, 90% of them don't,
> and gobble up the city's parking spaces horrendously. In my City, the
> meter
> maids and insurance companies dump on the M/C guys big time, in a vain
> attempt to cause as much damage as possible to the environment and keep
> the
> accident flow coming their way.....
Just wait for gas to get even pricier than it is now, and
I think we'll start to see a lot more cagers looking
longingly at two-wheeled transportation. In the
cities, probably be a lot more scooters - even seen,
say, downtown Taipei during rush hour?
Bob M.
Bill Sornson
> Which is why I think all people who can, should ride a M/Cycle to
> prove they can drive adequately....failing the test can mean a
> failure in a close casket....
^^^^^^
Calling Dr. Freud, calling Dr. Freud...
Bill "or did you mean /closed/ casket?" S.
donquijote1954
> "Bob" <r...@rkba.info> wrote in message
Yeah, but prices are not nearly high enough to make people move into
scooters. Maybe above $8.
Parking spaces could be another factor. Small compact cities like Key
West (pop. 25,000) rely a lot on scooters and bikes.
And last but not least the factor that keeps most people from trying
two wheels is... FEAR. In the land of the dinosaurs, the little furry
animals must be very careful. :)
cuh...@webtv.net
people into little bitty so called cars and the cars are to little for
big folks like I am.Either that, or get everybody pushing bicycle pedals
or simply walking to wherever.
cuhulin
donquijote1954
You are not very clever, are you?
The UN receives a large chunk of their budget from the US, and the US
Federal Govt. just wants you to spend more, so they can get a larger
piece of the pie.
Do you know what's wrong with a jungle that produces War,
Environmental Recklessness and SUVs?
"In a society dominated by the fact of commercial competition, money
is necessarily the test of prowess, and wastefulness the sole
criterion of power." -Upton Sinclair, book 'The Jungle'
***
Yet I don't see any reason that you may feel threaten by bicycles. The
opposite is true though.
DennisTheBald
motors are for wimps, or people that don't come equipped with anything
else between their legs.
DennisTheBald
no kidding, 44k each year... more than all the homicides with a gun, a
knife, a candlestick put together.
More people die at the hands of motorists each year than have died in
Iraq & Afghanistan during both Bushes' tenure, hell throw Somalia &
Clinton's watch into the totals too - still the grim reaper arrives in
a Ford.
Not to diminish the brave men & women of our armed forces who
volunteer for duty in harm's way, but the numbers say that our
highways rack up a greater loss. Just the other day there was an
article in the local snooze about a soldier, home from his second tour
of someplace sandy, who died in a MVC, it's a shame - but it's the way
it is. If you want to make our streets to be safer you need not worry
about guns, focus on automobile control and get more bang for yer buck.
DennisTheBald
> On Feb 19, 12:06�pm, donquijote1954 <nolionnoprob...@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>
denizen
Hey it's just sensible, Cuhulin. Walk when you can and take public
transit or bicycle for long trips. Scooters are a mostly unnecessary
luxury but I love mine :-) .
d.
P. Roehling
"donquijote1954" <nolionn...@hotmail.com> wrote
> You are not very clever, are you?
And then...
> Yet I don't see any reason that you may feel threaten by bicycles. The
> opposite is true though.
Now: exactly who was it you were accusing of being "not very clever"?
Matthew T. Russotto
Hmm... I have to admit, I've never tried it, but I really don't think
that works well for transportation.
--
There's no such thing as a free lunch, but certain accounting practices can
result in a fully-depreciated one.
Tom Sherman
> On Tue, 19 Feb 2008 20:34:55 GMT, "David White" <wligh...@att.net> wrote:
>
> |>> terrorists. Your chances of being killed or maimed by a speeder or
> |>> DUI are a thousand times greater than by some mad bomber. Americans
> |>> are such idiots for buying into this arab terrorism crap.
> |>
> |>My family have been a victim of both. I had a cousin killed on 9/11, and his
> |>father was killed by a mindless driver who ran a red-light. I only have to
> |>know that the first one exists. The second, I have to worry about, and watch
> |>for on a daily basis. Especially when I'm traveling on 2 wheels.
>
>
> Which is why I think all people who can, should ride a M/Cycle to
> prove they can drive adequately....failing the test can mean a failure in a
> close casket.....not much to add to that...
>
> Although some need a 4 wheeler for cargo space, 90% of them don't,
How well does the motorcycle work in the snow, ice and cold? I have not
seen anyone on a motorcycle around here for over three months.
--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful
Tom Keats
donquijote1954 <nolionn...@hotmail.com> writes:
> I've vowed to fight terrorism... ROAD TERRORISM.
That's a laudable quest, but how exactly
are you going to go about it? What means
and methods have you toward that end?
What is your strategy?
It has to be more effective than just
playing Usenet prophet.
You'd have to be something like RoboCop,
going around & fscking up road terrorists
("Freeze, scum.")
If you could make spike belts shoot out
of your wrists like Spiderman, than would
be something.
Watch out for The Green Hornet (& Kato.)
He /is/ a road terrorist. And I have my
suspicions about The Punisher and
Fat Freddie's cat.
Thank goodness we have anti-road-terrorist
guys like you to defend us good people.
--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca
donquijote1954
You got a point there:
"No doubt about it: When you want to have fun put a bicycle between
your legs. Some substitutions are allowed..."
(check front of T-shirt)
http://www.zazzle.com/ride_shirt-235520928427805825
And about the frugal scooters? They only got a little motor...
"A little motor can be a lot of fun between your legs. And it saves a
lot of gas!"
donquijote1954
The banana is for the hungry beast. It's the only weapon the monkey
got. ;)
donquijote1954
> "donquijote1954" <nolionnoprob...@hotmail.com> wrote
You don't even have to be clever to get it.
It means in plain English that bicycles, scooters and motorcycles are
threatened by SUVs and not the other way around it.
donquijote1954
wrote:
> Bob wrote:
>
> - Show quoted text -
Sorry you live in Siberia. Come to Key West and you'll seem them all:
bicycles, scooters, EVs, cars, and, of course, Supersized Unnecessary
Vehicles (mostly from Miami).
But you have a summer too, don't you?
donquijote1954
> In article <a1580a78-86f8-4e20-9d97-109c22dc2...@e6g2000prf.googlegroups.com>,
Short of calling Superman or Batman, we can catch the bad guys in SUVs
by sticking together. Same strategy developed by the sardines 300
million years ago. Bicycles can get together and ride the lane, just
like any other vehicle. Similar to Critical Mass but without
antagonizing the motorists who in the end are also trapped in the
cages. And also, unlike Critical Mass, we would ride the road every
day for real transportation.
This T-shirt can fit the bill (I've renounced to any profit on it)...
http://www.cafepress.com/burncalories
Then if everything fails, we call on Clark Kent. ;)
donquijote1954
> On Thu, 21 Feb 2008 01:35:57 -0800, tkeats2...@hotmail.com (Tom Keats)
>
> >> I've vowed to fight terrorism... ROAD TERRORISM.
>
> >That's a laudable quest, but how exactly
> >are you going to go about it? What means
> >and methods have you toward that end?
> >What is your strategy?
>
> --
Sure, road safety is garbage only if you drive a supersized SUV. Why
don't you try riding a bike in traffic and then report back?
donquijote1954
working so hard to make a glorious and safe future possible)
Someone with a lot of faith says...
> You are assuming that speed is the main cause of road deaths which is
> extremely unlikely. So you don't have any approach to reduce road deaths.
>
> What is being developed and will be on the market in five or so years is car
> to car digital communications. The communications between cars will be
> used to prevent accidents and deaths.
>
> Like commercial aircraft, the drivers will be warned to take evasive action
> an what action should be taken. In extreme cases the electronics in the
> cars will automatically take actions to control the cars to prevent the
> accidents.
>
> Instead of "Its like they don't care..." we have exactly the opposite where
> people care a lot and are putting a lot of money into developing solutions
> industry wide to make driving potentially very safe.
>
> In your ignorance of present activities, you have done nothing while the
> world has many people actually solving the problems.
Well, you ain't seen nothing yet. In the future people will travel
through the telephone lines!!! Imagine all the space left open on our
congested roads. And, of course, then bicycles and scooters will not
only be safe, they'll also be redundant.
Did you see "The Matrix," how the lady disappears right on time to
escape the bad guys through the telephone lines? And all that
technology is being developed at this very minute by a Republican
Administration that knows the future is up in the air. ;)
donquijote1954
> Martin Edwards wrote:
> > Tom Sherman wrote:
> >> Jack May wrote:
> >>> "Tom Sherman" <sunsetss0...@REMOVETHISyahoo.com> wrote in message
> >>>news:fpiv5h$g12$5...@registered.motzarella.org...
> >>>> Jack May wrote:
> >>>>> "donquijote1954" <nolionnoprob...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> >>>>>news:41f30ecb-9b61-46f4...@b29g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...
>
> >>>> How will this prevent the cagers from squishing cyclists,
> >>>> pedestrians and animals? Will all of the latter have to be equipped
> >>>> with transponders?
>
> >>> Probably. I think we are talking about a single chip. Since most
> >>> people carry a cell phone with them these day with location
> >>> electronics, maybe the law requires a transponder capability like the
> >>> law now require location to be determined by each cell phone for 911
> >>> responses.
>
> >>>> If motor vehicles are developed that will not hit each others, that
> >>>> will make the cagers even more careless about cyclists and pedestrians.
>
> >>> We are heading to the where the car will not be able to easily hit
> >>> anything with a transponder, including people and pets. The car
> >>> will automatically brake for example to keep from hitting a child
> >>> that runs out into the road. That should not be hard once
> >>> transponders become common.
>
> >>> Congress people really want the capability for "zero deaths" on the
> >>> road that they can brag about pushing when running for reelections.
> >>> Zero death is probably impossible even though we are getting near
> >>> that for large passenger jets.
>
> >> All that is needed is adding microphones and cameras to the
> >> transponders - then the government can achieve the long awaited goal
> >> of regulating behavior of people in their homes behind closed doors.
>
> > Scheiss, imagine Jack's tv shouting out, "Mr May, stop that or you will
> > go blind!"
>
> That would only happen during a GM commercial. WTF is this thread doing
> in a transit group anyway? Jack's a troll.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
Sorry, but we are trying to develop alternatives (bikes, public
transportation) for the moment when 70% of drivers are banned from the
road...
Driving tests and real-life driving
(...)
Politically, it is unpopular to suggest somebody who is physically
impaired, who is emotionally unbalanced, or who is just plain stupid
should not drive. But the fact is; bad driving causes lethal accidents
and huge traffic jams every day, all across America. Bad driving
wastes millions of gallons of fuel and adds tons of pollutants to our
air.
America's urban freeways are no place for the incompetent, and it is
thousands of times less expensive and more effective to get lousy
drivers off the road than it is to build ever-wider freeways and more
elaborate junctions. A more difficult driving test will accomplish
this. Driving tests can also reinforce common sense, patience, and
respect for others... things which are increasingly rare on American
roads.
Current driving tests measure rudimentary knowledge of the rules of
the road. At some point in a driver's life-usually very early- you
must prove your ability to operate a vehicle under minimally difficult
circumstances. Once licensed, many Americans are not road tested again
for dozens of years. Adding cellular phones, babies, fast food,
gigantic Sport Utility Vehicles, and other distractions on top of a
general increase in traffic and average speeds-only brews more
gridlock and carnage.
(...)
America must not shrink from hard decisions about where, when and who
is fit to drive. We must get the incompetent, the angry, the
thoughtless and the decrepit off the road. At the same time, we must
provide the opportunity to learn driving skills for people who need to
drive and are able to do it well, regardless of income level.
Giving people options
Increased transportation options for people who cannot drive must
coincide with efforts to weed out lousy drivers. Forcing people out of
their cars, with no way to get to work, breeds outlaws and
joblessness. Some ways include:
electric scooter and bicycle programs
bike-trains
high-speed rail
By eliminating the small percentage of drivers who, for whatever
reason, simply cannot cope with modern driving, we can reduce the
estimated 6.6 billion gallons of gasoline wasted by Americans who were
waiting in traffic in 1997, reduce the air pollution associated with
that colossal waste, and reduce the amount of frustration on our roads
in general.
Bob Myers
"Tom Sherman" <sunset...@REMOVETHISyahoo.com> wrote in message
news:fpiuhu$g12$3...@registered.motzarella.org...
> How well does the motorcycle work in the snow, ice and cold? I have not
> seen anyone on a motorcycle around here for over three months.
Look more closely. Cold is no reason not to ride; I ride 12
months out of the year, here in northern Colorado. If the roads
are covered with snow or ice, that's another story, but simple
cold weather won't stop a LOT of riders. Even snow and ice
can be dealt with, but most riders don't need to. (We have
alternate forms of transportation, and it's just too much trouble
to either prep the bike for those conditions or to keep one
dedicated for that sort of riding; even if we did, there's a
much greater risk in riding on public roads under those
conditions, due to the typical poor ability of OTHERS on
the road then.)
Bob M.
donquijote1954
htttp://webspawner.com/users/elections2008) we are launching a
campaign to get unncessary drivers (particularly the bad ones) off the
road, not by 6% in 15 years, but by 60%...
Oh yes, perfectly doable if there's the political will... and
transportation OPTIONS. We are waiting for Ralph Nader for our
challenge to take up the issue, but if not you know the party...
Banana Revolution.
Funny, Nader made cars so much safer, but never worked on preventing
accidents. I hope he's reading... ;)
A drive toward fewer cars
There are other ways to get from A to B
By JANE HADLEY
P-I REPORTER
Steep gas prices.
Flabby bodies cruising for diabetes and heart trouble.
Global warming.
Air pollution.
If the pitfalls of automobiles aren't already enough to make you think
about chucking your car for other ways of getting around, consider the
growth that is in store for Seattle.
In the next 19 years, the city expects 22,000 new housing units and
50,000 new jobs.
Assuming the same percentage of people continued driving alone to
work, the city estimates it would have to build 20 city blocks of 10-
story parking garages downtown.
"Nobody wants to do that," says Patrice Gillespie-Smith, chief of
staff of the city's Department of Transportation. "We are very
motivated to offer incentives to get people out of their cars."
In 2000, 61 percent of all Seattle work trips were by someone driving
alone. By 2020, the city's transportation strategic plan wants to
knock that down to 55 percent. People tend to become more interested
in shifting out of their cars if gas or parking prices escalate, and
if alternatives to the car are reliable, affordable and convenient,
experts say.
But it often takes something unusual to inspire or shake people into
the awareness of those alternatives, said David Allen, senior
transportation planner for the city.
A city program called "One Less Car Challenge" aims to do just that,
Allen said. The program encourages people to give up use of one car
for one month, offering commuters tips on getting around by bus, bike
or foot and also providing the free use of a Flexcar when needed.
Of the 86 people who signed up initially in the fall of 2003, 20
percent decided to give up a car and the rest have vowed to drive
less, Allen said. "It proved people could do it," he said.
And the city is hoping to encourage people to use cars less by making
it more difficult to find places to park.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/transportation/258737_nocar08.html
DennisTheBald
wrote:
> On Feb 20, 6:30 pm, DennisTheBald <DennisTheB...@gmail.com> wrote:
zle.com/ride_shirt-235520928427805825
>
> And about the frugal scooters? They only got a little motor...
>
yes, a little motor can only suck a little. Scooters suck <WAY/> less
than cars, in fact they're almost as cool as bikes... if they were
electric motors they would probably suck even less.
Alan Baker
<368cf42f-4c77-4b27...@d21g2000prf.googlegroups.com>,
DennisTheBald <Dennis...@gmail.com> wrote:
Riiiiight....
...good luck getting your kids to their hockey game on a scooter.
--
Alan Baker
Vancouver, British Columbia
"If you raise the ceiling four feet, move the fireplace from that wall
to that wall, you'll still only get the full stereophonic effect if you
sit in the bottom of that cupboard."
DennisTheBald
wrote:
Geeze lousie, you're so close you could almost touch it... But then
you fall off and end up right back in the middle of the "get >them<
the hell outta my way" camp. The problem isn't a small percentage of
motorists, it's motorists. Now it is far beyond the point where any
governmental regulation can solve the problem, we must kill and eat
them, all of them.
Give up the petrol or die pig!
Christopher von Volborth
"donquijote1954" <nolionn...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:e581e322-eb6f-4149...@m23g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
> By eliminating the small percentage of drivers who, for whatever
> reason, simply cannot cope with modern driving, we can reduce the
> estimated 6.6 billion gallons of gasoline wasted by Americans who were
> waiting in traffic in 1997, reduce the air pollution associated with
> that colossal waste, and reduce the amount of frustration on our roads
> in general.
>
> more...
> http://webspawner.com/users/donquijote44
So who is the ultimate judge of who is and who isn't capable of dealing with
the challenge of American motorized traffic? The Germans had a great idea
for dispensing with analogous social issues...they were called
concentration camps. The soviets under Stalin were no less ambitious in
formulating the perfect society. No, the answer must be that everyone gets
the same opportunity to benefit from all that our culture has to offer. For
that reason we live in a society ruled by laws to ensure that we don't
descend into anarchy. Those who break the law risk getting caught and
paying the consequences. Some may not get caught, causing damage to others;
that is the inherent risk in humans being social animals. Therefore
intellectually motivated social engineering has, as far as I can glean from
my reading of human history, been a major repeated disaster. By contrast,
Homo sapiens, like any other species, evolves by natural selection as it
strives to meet the challenges of environmental pressure, and that includes
the pressures of motorized traffic. The call for "...eliminating the small
percentage of drivers...who cannot cope with driving," must also be mindful
of potential broader consequences that are as yet unforseeable. For the
present, if you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen...if you're
afraid of traffic stay off the road.
frkr...@gmail.com
> In article
> <368cf42f-4c77-4b27-8446-54a7b6197...@d21g2000prf.googlegroups.com>,
>
> DennisTheBald <DennisTheB...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > On Feb 21, 7:59 am, donquijote1954 <nolionnoprob...@hotmail.com>
> > wrote:
> > > On Feb 20, 6:30 pm, DennisTheBald <DennisTheB...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > zle.com/ride_shirt-235520928427805825
> >
> > than cars, in fact they're almost as cool as bikes... if they were
> > electric motors they would probably suck even less.
>
> Riiiiight....
>
> ...good luck getting your kids to their hockey game on a scooter.
If your kids can't get themselves to their own hockey game, there's
something seriously wrong.
- Frank Krygowski
Dan...@gmail.com
>
> - Show quoted text -
One of my coworkers lives in a small town. They borrow a neighboring
towns police force, and fire is volunteer. Nice town. His 12-year-
old son plays hockey. Some games are at 6AM, in Boston. Even if the
kid could get to the nearest train station, 10 miles away, with all of
his gear, there are no trains running that early. Other games are in
Plaistow, NH - there's no way to get there by train. Others are out
west, and if he makes the playoffs he'll be traveling out of state.
He's too young to work, and too young to drive. How do you suggest he
gets himself and all his equipment to his games?
.p.jm@see_my_sig_for_address.com
You're an idiot, Frank.
--
Click here every day to feed an animal that needs you today !!!
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/
Paul ( pjm @ pobox . com ) - remove spaces to email me
'Some days, it's just not worth chewing through the restraints.'
'With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine.'
HVAC/R program for Palm PDA's
Free demo now available online http://pmilligan.net/palm/
donquijote1954
> In article
> <368cf42f-4c77-4b27-8446-54a7b6197...@d21g2000prf.googlegroups.com>,
>
> > On Feb 21, 7:59 am, donquijote1954 <nolionnoprob...@hotmail.com>
> > wrote:
> > > On Feb 20, 6:30 pm, DennisTheBald <DennisTheB...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > zle.com/ride_shirt-235520928427805825
>
> > > And about the frugal scooters? They only got a little motor...
>
> > >http://www.zazzle.com/scooter_shirt-235994025243531447
>
> > yes, a little motor can only suck a little. Scooters suck <WAY/> less
> > than cars, in fact they're almost as cool as bikes... if they were
> > electric motors they would probably suck even less.
>
> Riiiiight....
>
> ...good luck getting your kids to their hockey game on a scooter.
>
Just don't have so many kids. Or have them all ride bikes to the
hockey game.
Hey, a van sometimes is necessary. Nobody is preaching kicking the
addiction altogether.
donquijote1954
>
> - Show quoted text -
I'm for "live and let live." Then things naturally fall into place. A
good example is Key West. It's smart to ride a bike or scooter and
most people do so. A good way to do that is restrict parking. When you
are too ambitious nobody buys into it, and cannibalism is not the
way. ;)
donquijote1954
>
> - Show quoted text -
Maybe they are driven there against their will. ;)
donquijote1954
<cavolbo...@cinci.rr.com> wrote:
> "donquijote1954" <nolionnoprob...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>
> news:e581e322-eb6f-4149...@m23g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
>
> > By eliminating the small percentage of drivers who, for whatever
> > reason, simply cannot cope with modern driving, we can reduce the
> > estimated 6.6 billion gallons of gasoline wasted by Americans who were
> > waiting in traffic in 1997, reduce the air pollution associated with
> > that colossal waste, and reduce the amount of frustration on our roads
> > in general.
>
> > more...
> >http://webspawner.com/users/donquijote44
>
> So who is the ultimate judge of who is and who isn't capable of dealing with
> the challenge of American motorized traffic?
The jugde is common sense. Just get in line with what's being done in
Western European countries.
The Germans had a great idea
> for dispensing with analogous social issues...they were called
> concentration camps.
So you think the SUV drivers are the poor victims of discrimination?
The Germans also felt they were a superior race that was entitled to
special rights --just like American consumers do.
The soviets under Stalin were no less ambitious in
> formulating the perfect society.
You don't have to be ambitious, just practice the democratic principle
that everyone is entitled to reasonable safety when doing the right
thing. Not only they stay away from moral judgement, they make it
impossible for those who want to do something (eg. ride a bike) for
the environment.
They Soviets are also spoke about a future that never came, just like
Bush and his future "development of alternative energies," whatever
that means. If he were a real leader he would encourage the people to
SAVE and GET IN SHAPE. Why not? It's simply better to invade Iraq.
No, the answer must be that everyone gets
> the same opportunity to benefit from all that our culture has to offer. For
> that reason we live in a society ruled by laws to ensure that we don't
> descend into anarchy.
The laws in my state says that bicycles are vehicles, which conflicts
with the reality of unreasonable fear imposed on those who dare
challenge our lawless roads.
Those who break the law risk getting caught and
> paying the consequences.
When the possibilities are only 1 in 1000, people take chances.
However if you were to put speed cameras, then would see real change.
Some may not get caught, causing damage to others;
> that is the inherent risk in humans being social animals.
Some animals have much greater armor (SUVs) than others. Then you have
to protect the little animals with special laws, not the big ones.
They do it in Holland, for example.
Therefore
> intellectually motivated social engineering has, as far as I can glean from
> my reading of human history, been a major repeated disaster.
Are you talking about nation building in Iraq?
By contrast,
> Homo sapiens, like any other species, evolves by natural selection as it
> strives to meet the challenges of environmental pressure, and that includes
> the pressures of motorized traffic.
Evolution is denied. New challenges have risen... only to be ignored
by the powers that be. Case in point, CLIMATE CHANGE. The dinosaurs
are ignoring this important law proposed by Darwin himself...
"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most
intelligent, but the one most responsive to change."
The call for "...eliminating the small
> percentage of drivers...who cannot cope with driving," must also be mindful
> of potential broader consequences that are as yet unforseeable.
Sure, a total catastrophe where the whole country could look like Key
West at worst and Holland at best.
For the
> present, if you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen...if you're
> afraid of traffic stay off the road.
Me? I've got my stationary bike. The bikes are gathering rust. But
still ride my scooter. Too much fun.
Matthew T. Russotto
They won't be doing it on a scooter. Or a bicycle.
donquijote1954
>
> - Show quoted text -
We are talking about retiring drivers that don't have any need for
cars other that long trips. Most trips in America fall in the short
range category, easily covered by bikes, scooters and public
transportation.
donquijote1954
the little animals --even when it means life or death to them?
"United States - The death toll on our highways makes driving the
number one cause of death and injury for young people ages 5 to 27.
Highway crashes cause 94 percent of all transportation fatalities and
99 percent of all transportation injuries, yet *traffic safety
programs receive only one percent of the funding of the U.S. DOT
budget*. The staggering loss of life and the incidence of life-
threatening injuries occurring each year is best described as a public
health crisis."
http://www.safecarguide.com/exp/statistics/statistics.htm
Here's the story of the lion... ;)
HOW THE LION BENEFITS FROM THE LITTLE ANIMALS' POVERTY
One day all the little animals went up to the King of the Jungle and
complained about their poverty, and in particular about the fact that
every time, during the dry season, they had to travel long distances
to drink the precious fluid, and demanded a WATER WELL be built for
them... They cited how the resources that they contributed to the
kingdom were wasted in WARS and EXTRAVAGANT PROJECTS to the tastes of
the King... He, however, replied with all kinds of excuses: the lack
of resources, that it wasn't a matter of him not wanting it, but that
it was a matter of "priorities" --which was one of his favorite
words...
Meanwhile, an Owl --who had very good eyes-- had been observing life
in the jungle, and thought this way: "Every time there's a dry season
the little animals must come to the little dirty waterhole where the
Lion waits for them... Had they been well fed and strong, he would
have had to run after them and even risk resistance. And, more
importantly, the little animals are forced to fight the Lion's wars as
the quick way out of poverty..."
And that's how the Owl landed an important --and well paid-- post in
the brand new Astronomy Department created by the King of the Jungle --
to the effect of exploring life in other planets...
Alan Baker
They can just walk 15 miles on their own? At age 9?
Alan Baker
<5be99937-f1e3-4fcb...@72g2000hsu.googlegroups.com>,
donquijote1954 <nolionn...@hotmail.com> wrote:
No.
Just making the subtle assumption that it *is* an addiction; something
bad and to be eliminated.
Personal vehicles are one of the greatest forces for personal liberty
and quality of life ever invented.
frkr...@gmail.com
>
> >- Frank Krygowski
>
> You're an idiot, Frank.
Hmm. A person lacking courage to identify himself, hurling a juvenile
insult, while posting zero intelligent content. Not very impressive!
- Frank Krygowski
frkr...@gmail.com
>
> frkry...@gmail.com wrote:
> >
>
> > If your kids can't get themselves to their own hockey game, there's
> > something seriously wrong.
>
I didn't propose they walk 15 miles on their own, and not only because
I didn't know what the distance was. I simply said there is
_something_ seriously wrong with that situation.
Possibilities are many. For example, there are serious problems with
neighborhoods in which kids can't safely get around on their own.
Isn't it foolish to build a world where a kid has to be transported
everywhere by car? Yet that's the standard model for American
suburbs.
But beyond that: there's frequently something wrong with tying kids to
a regimented sports schedule. I've seen firsthand the effects of
demanding coaches and pushy parents. I think nine-year-old kids
should be out exploring the world, and/or arranging pick-up games in
their own neighborhood, not signed up for formal team sports.
But in general, I think if a kid has to be regularly transported 15
miles by car, it's likely that _someone_ made a mistake - perhaps in
planning, perhaps in objectives, perhaps in priorities. The mistake
could have been made by government agencies, or by housing developers,
or by voters, or by parents. But the situation is not good.
I think the switch from kid-powered transportation to car-powered
transportation has removed lots of opportunities for kids - and added
lots of body fat and other health problems.
- Frank Krygowski
Brian Huntley
> > If your kids can't get themselves to their own hockey game, there's
> > something seriously wrong.
> towns police force, and fire is volunteer. Nice town. His 12-year-
> old son plays hockey. Some games are at 6AM, in Boston. Even if the
> kid could get to the nearest train station, 10 miles away, with all of
> his gear, there are no trains running that early. Other games are in
> Plaistow, NH - there's no way to get there by train. Others are out
> west, and if he makes the playoffs he'll be traveling out of state.
> He's too young to work, and too young to drive. How do you suggest he
> gets himself and all his equipment to his games?
The somthing that's seriously wrong there is the hockey league, that
expects kids and their parents to drive all over creation like that.
If they must travel that far to find competition, why the heck doesn't
the team meet at the local arena and have a team bus or something? Or
better, why travel so darned far?
donquijote1954
>
> - Show quoted text -
When you notice all the couch potatoes behind the wheel stuck in
traffic jams, you know they are addicted to gas. Even Bush admitted
it, didn't he?
David White
Come to So. Calif. Public transportation is a joke. Our jobs are upwards of
50 miles from our homes. Please tell us what you consider a "Short Range"
trip.
David White
<frkr...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:fecb2939-fd98-475f...@v3g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
I'm not afraid, Frank.
You're an idiot.
David White
"Scott in SoCal" <scotte...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:0jdsr31tcp6q3mh2m...@4ax.com...
> On Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:36:51 GMT, Alan Baker <alang...@telus.net>
> wrote:
>
>>In article
>><200eb468-e0bf-408b...@e60g2000hsh.googlegroups.com>,
>> frkr...@gmail.com wrote:
>>
>>> On Feb 21, 1:01 pm, Alan Baker <alangba...@telus.net> wrote:
>>> > In article
>>> > <368cf42f-4c77-4b27-8446-54a7b6197...@d21g2000prf.googlegroups.com>,
>>> >
>>> > DennisTheBald <DennisTheB...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> > > On Feb 21, 7:59 am, donquijote1954 <nolionnoprob...@hotmail.com>
>>> > > wrote:
>>> > > > On Feb 20, 6:30 pm, DennisTheBald <DennisTheB...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> > > zle.com/ride_shirt-235520928427805825
>>> > >
>>> > > ... Scooters suck <WAY/> less
>>> > > than cars, in fact they're almost as cool as bikes... if they were
>>> > > electric motors they would probably suck even less.
>>> >
>>> > Riiiiight....
>>> >
>>> > ...good luck getting your kids to their hockey game on a scooter.
>>>
>>> If your kids can't get themselves to their own hockey game, there's
>>> something seriously wrong.
>>
>
> used to be a corn field he wouldn't be 15 miles away from everything.
If I didn't, my kids would be going to the worst schools on the planet, and
getting shot at every other day. I choose to live where I do to keep my
family safe.
> --
> Please don't give financial rewards to trolls -
> DO NOT CLICK on any URLs containing "calrog.com"
David White
On Feb 20, 11:35 am, "Bob Myers" <nospample...@address.invalid> wrote:
> "Bob" <r...@rkba.info> wrote in message
>
> news:5qknr3dr9050n6dhi...@4ax.com...
>
> > Which is why I think all people who can, should ride a M/Cycle to
> > prove they can drive adequately....failing the test can mean a failure
> > in
> > a
> > close casket.....not much to add to that...
>
> > Although some need a 4 wheeler for cargo space, 90% of them don't,
> > and gobble up the city's parking spaces horrendously. In my City, the
> > meter
> > maids and insurance companies dump on the M/C guys big time, in a vain
> > attempt to cause as much damage as possible to the environment and keep
> > the
> > accident flow coming their way.....
>
> Just wait for gas to get even pricier than it is now, and
> I think we'll start to see a lot more cagers looking
> longingly at two-wheeled transportation. In the
> cities, probably be a lot more scooters - even seen,
> say, downtown Taipei during rush hour?
>
> Bob M.
>Yeah, but prices are not nearly high enough to make >people move into
>scooters. Maybe above $8.
>Parking spaces could be another factor. Small compact >cities like Key
>West (pop. 25,000) rely a lot on scooters and bikes.
>And last but not least the factor that keeps most people >from trying
>two wheels is... FEAR. In the land of the dinosaurs, the >little furry
>animals must be very careful. :)
But, there are those who have not the co-ordination to ride motorcycles.
David White
On Feb 20, 8:12 pm, "P. Roehling" <nowayj...@uh-uh.edu> wrote:
> "donquijote1954" <nolionnoprob...@hotmail.com> wrote
>
> > You are not very clever, are you?
>
> And then...
>
> > Yet I don't see any reason that you may feel threaten by bicycles. The
> > opposite is true though.
>
> Now: exactly who was it you were accusing of being "not very clever"?
You don't even have to be clever to get it.
It means in plain English that bicycles, scooters and motorcycles are
threatened by SUVs and not the other way around it.
And you know this how???
Bill Sornson
What business is it of yours?
Bill "Nanny State here we come" S.
Bill Sornson
>> <200eb468-e0bf-408b...@e60g2000hsh.googlegroups.com>,
>> frkr...@gmail.com wrote:
>>
>>> On Feb 21, 1:01 pm, Alan Baker <alangba...@telus.net> wrote:
>>>> In article
>>>> <368cf42f-4c77-4b27-8446-54a7b6197...@d21g2000prf.googlegroups.com>,
>>>>
>>>> DennisTheBald <DennisTheB...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>> On Feb 21, 7:59 am, donquijote1954 <nolionnoprob...@hotmail.com>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>> On Feb 20, 6:30 pm, DennisTheBald <DennisTheB...@gmail.com>
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>> zle.com/ride_shirt-235520928427805825
>>>>>
>>>>> ... Scooters suck <WAY/> less
>>>>> than cars, in fact they're almost as cool as bikes... if they were
>>>>> electric motors they would probably suck even less.
>>>>
>>>> Riiiiight....
>>>>
>>>> ...good luck getting your kids to their hockey game on a scooter.
>>>
>>> If your kids can't get themselves to their own hockey game, there's
>>> something seriously wrong.
>>
>
> used to be a corn field he wouldn't be 15 miles away from everything.
What business is it of yours?
donquijote1954
> On Thu, 21 Feb 2008 13:16:40 -0500, "Christopher von Volborth"
>
> <cavolbo...@cinci.rr.com> wrote:
> >So who is the ultimate judge of who is and who isn't capable of dealing with
> >the challenge of American motorized traffic?
>
> --
> Please don't give financial rewards to trolls -
> DO NOT CLICK on any URLs containing "calrog.com"
The DMV issues nowadays something that may be called a License to
Kill...
"Current driving tests measure rudimentary knowledge of the rules of
the road. At some point in a driver's life-usually very early- you
must prove your ability to operate a vehicle under minimally difficult
circumstances. Once licensed, many Americans are not road tested again
for dozens of years. Adding cellular phones, babies, fast food,
gigantic Sport Utility Vehicles, and other distractions-on top of a
general increase in traffic and average speeds-only brews more
gridlock and carnage."
very interesting website
http://www.sustainableenterprises.com/Community/drivtest.htm
donquijote1954
> "donquijote1954" <nolionnoprob...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>
> - Show quoted text -
Going to the supermarket. How many Americans use a bike to go for
grocery store? I do... Actually, that's the only place I can go
without facing the beasts out there.
You may also should be able to go places in your community, if any.
donquijote1954
> "donquijote1954" <nolionnoprob...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>
> - Show quoted text -
True, then they can ride scooters or bicycles. By the way, I'll be
getting my hands shortly on a used Harley, borrowed then who knows.
Exciting, no? Never had anything bigger than 450cc, and this is like
1200cc or something. But the convinience of a scooter is hard to
match. And how about the economy?
donquijote1954
> "donquijote1954" <nolionnoprob...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
Well, tell when in the collision between motorcycle and SUV, the SUV
comes out destroyed and then I'll reconsider my statement.
donquijote1954
>
> As I said to you previously there is a lot of money and work going into
> developing cars that radically drop the death and accident rates. You have
> presented nothing that will be anywhere near as effective as what is now
> being developed.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
Well, the Germans and Nordics seem to emphasize *safety now*, not in
some distant future. People are needless dying now as we speak. AND WE
EVEN HAVE SOME HIGH TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE *NOT* PUT TO USE. Case in
point is the steering wheel immobilizer that senses the alcohol in
your breath. That would be a nice way to prevent DUIs, but like the
book "It's No Accident" states, the government turns a blind eye to
it. Too much money --and too many lawyers and MADD-- involved in that
business.
Brian Huntley
> Brian Huntley wrote:
> > The somthing that's seriously wrong there is the hockey league, that
> > expects kids and their parents to drive all over creation like that.
> > If they must travel that far to find competition, why the heck doesn't
> > the team meet at the local arena and have a team bus or something? Or
> > better, why travel so darned far?
>
> What business is it of yours?
Well, if that were the case here, it would prevent my son from playing
hockey because I don't have a car.
Meanwhile, I share the planet with your son's team and the 30-odd cars
that drive around for every game they play.
That's what business it is of mine.
N8N
Well, at least you've got him beat in one respect (assuming you're
posting under your real name.)
donquijote1954
> > > Wow you really insist on showing the world how you are unable to comprehend
> > > anything about society and the real world.
>
> > Why don't you take a vacation in Europe? They are also part of the
> > real world. Actually, America is the only one that is different among
> > developed nations. I wonder why.- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> I guess I just don't understand the whole concept of debating whether
> cars are good or bad. They are what they are: good for some and
> useless for others. And while I don't try to impose my view on you
> (speaking broadly here), I don't understand what right you have to
> impose your view on me. I like Rocky Road ice cream. That doesn't
> mean that you should too. It's personal preference and affordability
> and need and a phethora of other things.
Pat, I'm sure I told you before that I don't question the fact you
drive a vehicle, not even the fact that you live in the boondocks
(remember the word?), just that I assert my right to travel on two
wheels in relative safety. And what I see out there is intimidating,
intimidating enough to make my girlfriend take the sidewalk, and me
give up the bicycle sport as an intolerable blood sport...
>
> The gov't can clearly set some type of emissions standards for cars
> and can enforce them, although it is tougher to impose them
> retroactively on older cars. The government can control useage
> through tax policy.
Exactly. You got enough money to waste on gas, then pay a hefty price
for SUVs. Call it "Global Warming tax" if you will.
>
> The government can also subsidize alternatives and promote research
> into alternatives.
Sure. That tax above would pay for the subsidies.
>
> But when all is said and done, it is the individual consumer who
> decides what to buy and where to drive and how to use their vehicles.
> Market forces are incredibly hard to overcome.
Market forces are business forces manipulated from above. Nothing
democratic about it. Other peoples drive smaller cars following
"market forces," or better said, following higher gas prices.
>
> Since I am on a rant, one more pet peeve. Whoever it is who keeps
> saying they ride a scooter and therefore such-and-such. It's a real
> problem to consider yourself as riding a scooter. You're riding a
> motorcycle. Get it, a motorcycle. It's legal no different than a
> Harley or crotch-rocket (at least in the state's I am familiar with).
> If it's got a motor and two (or three) wheels and a license plate then
> it's a motorcycle. If it doesn't have a plate, then it can't be on
> the road. If it's a motorcycle, then ride it like one. Get out in
> the lane. Maintain road speed. Use your lane to your advantage.
> Don't hug the shoulder. Otherwise, get off the road -- you're too
> dangerous. I have a fairly big bike but ride on expressways quite a
> lot and have to deal with tractor trailers and cars all the time.
> I've had very little trouble. In fact, I'd say that trucks are
> particularly careful around a bike. Thinks like overside loads with
> escort vehicles pay particular attention to bikes to make sure they
> don't hit the wind-blast wrong. But by the same token, when a truck
> doesn't have a covered load and has gravel coming off, I get on my CB
> and tell them. They normally apologize and don't realize what they
> are doing. Most promise they will rectify the problem and I believe
> them.
Truck drivers are real drivers. The best drivers in America. They have
special license and training.
>
> For all the worrying about inattentive SUV drivers, I wonder if you
> aren't part of the problem. I've never found that to be an issue.
I guess you don't know because you don't live in an urban environment.
They are threat to others, just by being oversized. But the solution
is NOT to ban them, but to have them get a truck license like above.
Aren't SUVs trucks?
donquijote1954
question mark. Consider it a rough draft for the revolution's traffic
safey policy, or simply an impossible dream for America)
As to what should constitute gross negligence on the part of
motorists, this is obviously the stikiest part of the equation. Some
of what I believe constitutes gross negligence is perfectly legal
right now. Other such behaviors net little more than a slap on the
wrist. However, if our society is ever to get truly serious about
elimination avoidable crashes on our roads, it is essential that we
begin to distinguish between crashes that result from honest mistakes
and those that result from INTENTIONAL DISREGARD FOR SAFETY. [my
emphasis]
Accordingly, any definition of gross negligence would, at minimum,
include crashes that involve the following:
- talking on a hand-held or hands-free phone, watching TV, reading a
newspaper, or operating a laptop computer while driving [!]
- driving more than 14mph over the speed limit
- driving more than 9mph over the speed limit AND engaging in anyone
of the following behaviors: taigating, attempting to pass another
vehicle that is already traveling at the speed limit [?]*, running a
solid red light, or running a stop sign
- hit and run, etc...
* I don't think anyone should play vigilante. Besides we can put speed
cameras that do the job better, with less road rage.
I'd add my own:
- zigzagging around cars
- driving too slow (15mph under the limit)
- installing equipment that imperil other people, such as macho
bumpers
Bill Sornson
> On Feb 22, 1:42 am, "Bill Sornson" <as...@ask.me> wrote:
>> Brian Huntley wrote:
>>> The somthing that's seriously wrong there is the hockey league, that
>>> expects kids and their parents to drive all over creation like that.
>>> If they must travel that far to find competition, why the heck
>>> doesn't the team meet at the local arena and have a team bus or
>>> something? Or better, why travel so darned far?
>> What business is it of yours?
> Well, if that were the case here, it would prevent my son from playing
> hockey because I don't have a car.
But it's not the case there (your there, not the other person's there, where
it is the case). HTH
> Meanwhile, I share the planet with your son's team and the 30-odd cars
> that drive around for every game they play.
I don't have a son, but otherwise great comment.
> That's what business it is of mine.
Drive Nanny.
cuh...@webtv.net
my van insurance.Coming back home (in my van) on the I-55 frontage road,
a woman driving a car with her cell phone glued to her ear nearly ran
into my van when she was coming around an underpass on I-55.
I wish all cell phones woud be outlawed in America.I don't on a cell
phone and I don't ever want a cell phone either.
cuhulin
donquijote1954
what the color code on our roads is...
(quoted from 'It's No Accident')
Since the September 11th terrorist attacks, officials in the Bush
Administration have been issuing routine reminders about the threads
posed by terrorists and urging us to be on the lookout for suspicious
activity. In March 2002 the Department of Homeland Security introduced
a color-coded terror system to alert law enforcement officials and the
general public to increases in the level of "chatter" the goverment
intercepts from suspected terror cells. We are urged to take extra
precautions when the threat level is elevated.
(...)
Such efforts to alert the public to the potential for future attacks
and encourage us to be prepared may indeed save some lives. On a day-
to-day basis, however, the greatest threat to our individual safety is
the same as it was before September 11th: DANGEROUS DRIVERS. If a
color-coded system were adopted today to warn Americans of the risk of
impending death or injury while traveling the nation's roads, we would
have to be on CODE RED alert every single day.
In spite of this reality, the government makes little effort to inform
the public about the high crash rate on our roads, remind motorists of
the rules of the road, warn them of the risks inherent in all forms of
dangerous driving, encourage safe driving, or condemn dangerous
driving.
[Warning: These terrorists are on the loose]
denizen
wrote:
> (Quoted from 'It's No Accident." The items I disagree with...
I tend to agree with you about drivers, Don.
However it N. America your posts on this subject amount to tilting at
windmills. I guess that explains the nym, eh? LOL!
d.
donquijote1954
Sort of. ;)
In Europe they are redundant, and in America they fall on deaf ears.
Should I take the revolution to So. America or Africa? There's a
better chance of them listening...
Banana Revolution sounds tropical, doesn't it?
Tom Sherman
> On Feb 21, 1:01 pm, Alan Baker <alangba...@telus.net> wrote:
>> In article
>> <368cf42f-4c77-4b27-8446-54a7b6197...@d21g2000prf.googlegroups.com>,
>>
>> DennisTheBald <DennisTheB...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> On Feb 21, 7:59 am, donquijote1954 <nolionnoprob...@hotmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>> On Feb 20, 6:30 pm, DennisTheBald <DennisTheB...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> zle.com/ride_shirt-235520928427805825
>>>
>>> ... Scooters suck <WAY/> less
>>> than cars, in fact they're almost as cool as bikes... if they were
>>> electric motors they would probably suck even less.
>> Riiiiight....
>>
>> ...good luck getting your kids to their hockey game on a scooter.
>
> If your kids can't get themselves to their own hockey game, there's
> something seriously wrong.
>
It is a sick society that thinks a two ton steel cage is needed to haul
a child around.
--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful
Tom Sherman
> [...]
>> We are talking about retiring drivers that don't have any >need for
>> cars other that long trips. Most trips in America fall in >the short
>> range category, easily covered by bikes, scooters and >public
>> transportation.
>
> Come to So. Calif. Public transportation is a joke. Our jobs are upwards of
> 50 miles from our homes. Please tell us what you consider a "Short Range"
> trip.
Working at a job 50 miles away from one's residence is the real joke.
Tom Sherman
>>> - Frank Krygowski
>> You're an idiot, Frank.
>
> Hmm. A person lacking courage to identify himself, hurling a juvenile
> insult, while posting zero intelligent content. Not very impressive!
>
> - Frank Krygowski
Usenet would be greatly improved if everyone had to use his/her real name.
Of course, some people still mistakenly put their email address in their
user-name field. Sheesh!
Tom Sherman
All indications are that Frank Krygowski is a real person.
Tom Sherman
That is what you think. However, your unsustainable lifestyle (combined
with that of others living the same way) will leave a world for your
children that is a living hell.
The population of the world WILL severely decrease within the next
century, and it will not be pleasant.
Tom Sherman
> In article
> <5be99937-f1e3-4fcb...@72g2000hsu.googlegroups.com>,
> donquijote1954 <nolionn...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>> On Feb 21, 1:01 pm, Alan Baker <alangba...@telus.net> wrote:
>>> In article
>>> <368cf42f-4c77-4b27-8446-54a7b6197...@d21g2000prf.googlegroups.com>,
>>>
>>> DennisTheBald <DennisTheB...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> On Feb 21, 7:59 am, donquijote1954 <nolionnoprob...@hotmail.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>> On Feb 20, 6:30 pm, DennisTheBald <DennisTheB...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> zle.com/ride_shirt-235520928427805825
>>>>> http://www.zazzle.com/scooter_shirt-235994025243531447
>>>> yes, a little motor can only suck a little. Scooters suck <WAY/> less
>>>> than cars, in fact they're almost as cool as bikes... if they were
>>>> electric motors they would probably suck even less.
>>> Riiiiight....
>>>
>>> ...good luck getting your kids to their hockey game on a scooter.
>>>
>> hockey game.
>>
>> Hey, a van sometimes is necessary. Nobody is preaching kicking the
>> addiction altogether.
>
> No.
>
> Just making the subtle assumption that it *is* an addiction; something
> bad and to be eliminated.
>
> Personal vehicles are one of the greatest forces for personal liberty
> and quality of life ever invented.
>
The personal vehicle should be a bicycle.
Tom Sherman
> On Thu, 21 Feb 2008 18:01:33 GMT, Alan Baker <alang...@telus.net>
> wrote:
>
>> Riiiiight....
>>
>> ...good luck getting your kids to their hockey game on a scooter.
>
> kid, none of the kids got chauffeured around everywhere like they do
> today. Of course, when I was a kid, parents weren't buying McMansions
> on the Urban Fringe that were so far from everything that kids who
> can't drive need rides in order to do ANYTHING. The phrase "play date"
> wasn't even in the lexicon back then - when you wanted to play at your
> friend's house after school, you friggin' WALKED OVER THERE. When you
> were done, you WALKED HOME.
>
> My family had ONE car; my dad walked to the train station and rode the
> train to work, I walked to school, my mom walked to the corner grocery
> store, and the car sat idle most of the time. I wonder how much of our
> current demand for foreign oil comes from parents driving their kids
> around everywhere...
That was a better time in many ways - fewer people, less traffic and
better quality of life.
Tom Sherman
<http://www.twike.com/english_informations.html>. If mass produced the
price would drop dramatically.
Tom Sherman
> "Tom Sherman" <sunset...@REMOVETHISyahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:fpiuhu$g12$3...@registered.motzarella.org...
>> How well does the motorcycle work in the snow, ice and cold? I have not
>> seen anyone on a motorcycle around here for over three months.
>
> Look more closely. Cold is no reason not to ride; I ride 12
> months out of the year, here in northern Colorado. If the roads
> are covered with snow or ice, that's another story, but simple
> cold weather won't stop a LOT of riders. Even snow and ice
> can be dealt with, but most riders don't need to. (We have
> alternate forms of transportation, and it's just too much trouble
> to either prep the bike for those conditions or to keep one
> dedicated for that sort of riding; even if we did, there's a
> much greater risk in riding on public roads under those
> conditions, due to the typical poor ability of OTHERS on
> the road then.)
>
Yes, if we could keep the cagers off the road, it would be safe to ride
anywhere on a bicycle with studded tires.
donquijote1954
wrote:
> Alan Baker wrote:
> > In article
>
> - Show quoted text -
It should, at least 75% of the time. Drivers who defend the status quo
(car monopoly) fail to understand that so many more bikes out there
means so many fewer cars. It's basic arithmetic that 3rd graders would
understand.
Matthew T. Russotto
Tom Sherman <sunset...@REMOVETHISyahoo.com> wrote:
>
>Yes, if we could keep the cagers off the road, it would be safe to ride
>anywhere on a bicycle with studded tires.
Yeah, and if your legs are the size of tree trunks, maybe you'll
actually cover 15 miles in a day riding through slush and ice on those
studded tires.
--
There's no such thing as a free lunch, but certain accounting practices can
result in a fully-depreciated one.
DennisTheBald
this is so whack, all those SUVs are destroying the ice cap faster
than anything outside of China and the whole reason you claim to need
one is to enable yer kid to skate around playing some silly game...
get yer kid a lacrosse stick and let him do his checking on the turf.
DennisTheBald
wrote:
>
> Indeed. When I was a child, we walked or rode our bicycles to get places.
>
> It is a sick society that thinks a two ton steel cage is needed to haul
> a child around.
>
> --
> Tom Sherman -
Roger that, and when I was a kid there weren't a whole lot of fat
kids, maybe theres a connection between being hauled around in MVs and
the percentage of fatties in the grammar schools?
We only played hockey when the ponds froze over, maybe having adults
structure and organize their games is a contributing factor, as well.
I certainly feel more empowered without having to pay daily homage to
the auto/oil complex. Kids ain't any dumber than their parents, just
shorter; I'm sure being hauled around to play games set up by their
parents, destroying their autonomy, weakens their sense of self
esteem. If it doesn't it surely should. So what can they do to
repair their broken sense of self worth - I know, buy a really
expensive car! that'll fix everything.
donquijote1954
This sounds to me like trying to convince a dinosaur to evolve...
Here's an actual interview with one:
Q: What's up. How does it feel to be on the verge of extinction?
A: Nah, there will never be one.
Q: All the reports point to a mass extinction.
A: Don't pay attention to that. Those are rumors spread by those
little furry mammals...
Q: But your behavior is obviously stupid. All that voracity and
violence...
A: Only necessary to keep the size that I've got.
Q: And why do you need that size?
A: Because I rule the jungle.
Q: And why do you need to rule the jungle?
A: You ask too many questions... Remember I've got a pea-sized brain.
(And here the interview was terminated. Then the dinosaur killed a few
more mammals, and went to sleep --65 million years ago)
Tom Sherman
> In article <fpo9sf$clk$5...@registered.motzarella.org>,
> Tom Sherman <sunset...@REMOVETHISyahoo.com> wrote:
>> Yes, if we could keep the cagers off the road, it would be safe to ride
>> anywhere on a bicycle with studded tires.
>
> Yeah, and if your legs are the size of tree trunks, maybe you'll
> actually cover 15 miles in a day riding through slush and ice on those
> studded tires.
It sounds like the exercise would do a lot of people good. Besides,
there is something fundamentally wrong with people who do not like
riding a bicycle.
Matthew T. Russotto
Tom Sherman <sunset...@REMOVETHISyahoo.com> wrote:
>Matthew T. Russotto wrote:
>> In article <fpo9sf$clk$5...@registered.motzarella.org>,
>> Tom Sherman <sunset...@REMOVETHISyahoo.com> wrote:
>>> Yes, if we could keep the cagers off the road, it would be safe to ride
>>> anywhere on a bicycle with studded tires.
>>
>> Yeah, and if your legs are the size of tree trunks, maybe you'll
>> actually cover 15 miles in a day riding through slush and ice on those
>> studded tires.
>
>It sounds like the exercise would do a lot of people good.
Contrary to the beliefs of certain trainers, there's a difference
between exercise and self-torture. Riding a bike in the cold through
ice and slush falls into the latter category.
>Besides, there is something fundamentally wrong with people who do not like
>riding a bicycle.
There's something fundamentally wrong with people who don't like
driving.
Tom Sherman
> In article <fppmco$ns6$1...@registered.motzarella.org>,
> Tom Sherman <sunset...@REMOVETHISyahoo.com> wrote:
>> Matthew T. Russotto wrote:
>>> In article <fpo9sf$clk$5...@registered.motzarella.org>,
>>> Tom Sherman <sunset...@REMOVETHISyahoo.com> wrote:
>>>> Yes, if we could keep the cagers off the road, it would be safe to ride
>>>> anywhere on a bicycle with studded tires.
>>> Yeah, and if your legs are the size of tree trunks, maybe you'll
>>> actually cover 15 miles in a day riding through slush and ice on those
>>> studded tires.
>> It sounds like the exercise would do a lot of people good.
>
> Contrary to the beliefs of certain trainers, there's a difference
> between exercise and self-torture. Riding a bike in the cold through
> ice and slush falls into the latter category.
>
on the road. Studded tires, proper clothes and proper attitude are all
that are needed.
>> Besides, there is something fundamentally wrong with people who do not like
>> riding a bicycle.
>
> There's something fundamentally wrong with people who don't like
> driving.
Most USians must not like driving too much, since they buy large, ill
handling vehicles, and then focus more on their phone conversations than
driving. People who actually like driving would benefit by getting all
these cagers off the road.
Do you enjoy driving in congested traffic with a bunch of clueless
cellphone yakkers?
max
> >> Yeah, and if your legs are the size of tree trunks, maybe you'll
> >> actually cover 15 miles in a day riding through slush and ice on those
> >> studded tires.
Who said that? Who the fuck said that? Who's the slimy little communist
shit, twinkle-toed cocksucker down here who just signed his own death
warrant? Nobody, huh? The fairy fucking godmother said it.
Out-fucking-standing. I will PT you all until you fucking die. I'll PT
you until your assholes are sucking buttermilk.