All runners use the sidewalk where you live? Pedestrians never cross the road? Must be different from my community.

I have no problem with cyclists carrying insurance, it'd help the many cyclists I know who were hit by uninsured drivers (or hit-and-run) pay for their hospital costs and rehabilitation, as well as equipment loss. Or in some cases, perhaps pay for their funeral costs. I'm pretty sure it would cover a dent in a car or two, also.

Yeah, maybe when I start paying for that insurance (on top of the five cars I already pay on, plus the $2M umbrella policy I'm carrying, plus my two homeowners policies and my personal medical insurance) and pay for registration (which might run $20, considering my 914 costs me $25 a year), and I obey traffic laws to the same degree as the zillions of cars I see every day who speed, change lanes without signaling, run red lights, drive unsafely, etc. (I actually try to ride more safely than that), then while I'm riding safely and legally in the bike lane, those guys wearing wifebeaters who throw full beer cans at me, flick cigarettes at me, hang out their windows screaming and cursing bloody murder at me, and try to run me down will suddenly start respecting me as a road user.

Somehow, I'm not counting on it.

BTW, if I run into your car and I'm at fault, and I dent it, I'll be glad to pay for it. And if I wasn't, you can take me to civil court. And if you see cyclists breaking the law in your community, call the cops. I've seen at least a dozen group rides effectively shut down by the cops after people rightfully called to complain about illegal behavior of the riders.

All the more reasons for the cyclist to carry their own insurance I think. Their personal injuries can be a lot worse than the damage to the car, although it is their choice to use a `dangerous` mode of transportation. When a motorcyclist on a street bike gets killed, the general consensus is that he was probably doing something stupid and that extra risk comes with the territory. Why should it be any different than for cyclist ?

When you get into an accident with me, yes you might be injured or killed, but (assuming the accident wasn't my fault) does that mean I should have to pay for my own damages?

Just seems like a good idea to make cyclist insurance mandatory as with car / motorcycles. If you already have 5 cars, then you are cycling for fun. There's plenty of biking trails that you could make use of to not have to worry about commuting cars and ****************************s on the road with beer cans and cigarettes. If you choose to use the public road, then you should `pay to play` and carry insurance. Besides, looking at the prices of some bikes nowaday ($2k+), wouldn't you want to protect that investment too ?

I work in SF, and I used to bike daily to school, so I do deal with this issue and not just speaking out of my ass.

But this is just my opinion. Sorry to steer this off topic.

Wow.
I used to think cyclying was a eco friendly means of transportation and recreation. But I now I see them for what they really are.. eco terrorist, heck bent on controlling the roadways and harrassing the good natured drivers of America. What I saw a groups of riders are really gangs of two-wheeled punks, wearing colors taking over diners for breakfast gatherings.

Thanks for the clarification. Never again will I give way to a bike, but force him off the road before bounces his head across the hood of my car in an attempt to scratch it. And then I'll ask him for his insurance card as he bleeds on the side of the road.

I ride, and I fear.... fear every car, from Porsches to Pontiacs. I recognize the tonnage rule: He who has the most tons... wins. And I also know that when I ride, I can't use my cell, text, eat Burger King and apply make-up.

So much for my rant.

In the month that I've had my ten year old, fixer-upper boxster, I've been getting all kinds of reactions along the lines of it being a rich person's car. "I didn't know you were doing so well!" and the like.

I respond with "you mean this pile of junk?" [after all the repairs it has needed, I feel that way sometimes] Also I tell people, what I've spent on this car is less than what a new Nissan Sentra costs -- would you think the same of that?

Since this thread is already all over the place ......
 

Imagine flauting the law like this ...... :D




By Bob Young

Seattle Times staff reporter

PREV 1 of 2 NEXT


CHRIS JOSEPH TAYLOR / THE SEATTLE TIMES

Since July 1, using handheld cellphones while driving has been illegal. Observers say it's been largely ignored.





Cindy Baker-Williams held a "Hang Up and Drive" banner over Aurora Avenue North in Fremont when Washington's handheld cellphone ban for drivers began on the first of July.

She and her family hoped the new law would change drivers' behavior.

It did at first. "The initial trend we saw was less people talking," said Baker-Williams.

Then cellphone use started creeping back up, said Sgt. Freddy Williams of the State Patrol, who has carried on his own informal off-duty study of driving-and-talking.

He can't think of another law that's been flouted quite like this one. "I've seen people walk out of their house and before they put their car in gear, they're talking on the cellphone," he said.

Now, he says, "we see about one in three drivers talking on a cellphone. People seem to be ignoring the law."

Lawmakers, lawbreakers, law officers and advocates of the law agree on that.

It's not for complete lack of enforcement. Statewide, troopers handed out 746 tickets for illegal driving-and-talking through November. They've socked it to teenagers and septuagenarians; but mostly men and drivers in their 20s and 30s have paid the price. Troopers also issued 1,345 written and verbal warnings.

Seattle police have written another 247 tickets, according to the Seattle Municipal Court.

But driving-and-talking is a secondary offense, meaning the police have to stop a driver for another violation before they can write a $124 ticket for holding a cellphone.

And the number of driving-and-phoning citations is tiny compared to the 127,185 speeding tickets state troopers wrote between July and December.

"The motoring public has determined that Washington state troopers aren't going to be lurking around every corner just so they can write them cellphone tickets," Williams said.

I would have to say the one that takes the "beats all I've ever seen" award was in Scottsdale AZ a few years ago...a kid on a Yamaha 600 crotch rocket, no helmet, cell phone tucked between the side of his head and his right shoulder... :eek:

Well I do have to admit that my cell, a Razor, fits nice and snug between my head and my helmet when I get a call while I'm ridding my Hog :D .

My nephew asked me to drive the Boxster on a back road ... then, while driving, he pulls out his Blackberry and starts texting !!! Test drive over.

http://www.koat.com/video/18048497/index.html

http://www.modernvespa.com/pix/uploa...0pkrie_598.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klteYv1Uv9A

the latin root of the word jealousy is ignorance...

http://books.google.com/books?id=eEXfY9SD2ycC&pg=PA61&lpg=PA61&dq=lobi+afr ica+jealousy&source=web&ots=9IoGYkIPeV&sig=K4HcJ7u 6vChouLCYR6XBDG52jA8&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&res num=2&ct=result

this will bring you up to speed...

LB,

I just laughed my a**off at the guy laughing at the guy in India, thanks.

You have it right there, Fred. I've heard it referred to as the "Who S**t In My Pants?" syndrome...

UH Huh..........And thirty years ago when I returned to my 124 Spyder to find ever panel keyed it was probably someone walking to their vehicle with keys in hand not paying attention....



LOL