Also, I am not a fan of bicyclists, but mainly because I see so many of them doing stupid s+#@. Like tonight on the way to work I saw two different cyclists out at ~10:30pm on poorly lit roads with no lights on their bikes. One of them didn't even have reflectors. Even the reflectors normally built into pedals had been covered up or removed. And I can't even begin to count the number of times I see cyclists run stop signs, or charge through red lights (even when there are cars actively going through the intersection), or make left-hand turns across traffic causing the oncoming cars to have to slam on their brakes, or other b#*+$%%@ like that. I know that most cyclists aren't like that, but I see the bad ones so often that it sours me on all of them.
reflectors only really work if you have street lights to back up the illumination- headlights arent going to do it until it's too late. Bike lights powerful enough for drivers to see have only been affordable relatively recently. It may just be my bad luck, but all the times I have almost been hit at night was when I had lights on, the drivers I spoke to afterwards said they just saw pinpricks of light and didnt know it was a bike. Spoke lights make me a LOT more visible, but they die too quickly.
If I am at a stop sign I usually stop, unless noone is coming. I always stop at an all way stop, because drivers are forced to not be a@&@&~&s at those. I usually obey traffic lights unless I am the only person on the road or someone is chomping at the bit to make a right hand turn- in that case I go as soon a I am able to.
Left hand turns are a challenge, but I usually wait for the other cars to go first and then turn. If I can, I bear left and get near the double line so people know I am going to turn left.
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You're also nekkid when you cycle but I suppose that's to be expected.
if you wear a helmet I will cycle clothed.
I'd cycle to work, except a) it's two miles uphill; b) I couldn't read the paper while doing so; c) I'd have to wear a helmet, but I couldn't wear this helmet
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Ah yes, I get to go to Arena today, land of ten billion mosquitoes.
Where we get to (wait for it) install a wall for a pond.
Surely that won't enable the spawning of countless new mosquitoes.
Ah yes, I get to go to Arena today, land of ten billion mosquitoes.
Where we get to (wait for it) install a wall for a pond.
Surely that won't enable the spawning of countless new mosquitoes.
damn.
Also I'm pretty sure I'll be out of range for using my phone data so this is probably the last you'll hear from me until tonight.
Ok. Be safe.
I have organic cruelty free free range bug spray, I'll be fine.
And I got some cool new safety glasses that turn everything yellow.
Getting the block we'll need for our wall.
Then it's a long ass drive loaded down with block and pulling a big f+*~ing trailer.
I get to drive through Mazomanie, maybe I'll stop by the nude beach.
Quiet day.
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I'm back at work today. My mom is with Aiymi. Aiymi's mom is on her way up from Texas. I think. Yesterday on the phone with her she couldn't decide if she was going to drive or take the train, and she doesn't like flying, but you know, maybe she's not up for the drive anymore either...
Me: Take whatever method of travel you are the most comfortable with.
Mom-in-Law: Well, I just don't know if I should drive it. I don't think my body is up for that kind of trip again.
Me: Ok. So take the train.
MIL: Well, if I do that, that drops off in Bloomington. Will I need to wait there until after you get off work or is there a bus, or...you know what, the coffee shop is just down the street from there, so I'll be fine waiting for you, even if it is several hours.
Me: You will not be waiting for several hours. Just tell me what time your train is scheduled to arrive and I'll take care of the rest.
MIL: Oh, you would do that?
Me, In My Head: You are not going to be the least bit helpful when you're here. My wife, who can't remember 10 of the 16 days we've had in July, and who is having trouble using the entire right side of her body, is going to have to babysit you while I'm at work. This is going to be great. Just great.
Meh. Another freeze-crash.
Meh-ish...
I could get a new-new computer but it would eat most of my current savings. I need some extra cash for this... Anyone needs a bestiary or two written? A setting? A set of short stories?
In case of emergency I'll probably buy ultra-cheap laptop just to be able to write and be in contact with the rest of the world.
Meh. Another freeze-crash.
Meh-ish...
I could get a new-new computer but it would eat most of my current savings. I need some extra cash for this... Anyone needs a bestiary or two written? A setting? A set of short stories?
In case of emergency I'll probably buy ultra-cheap laptop just to be able to write and be in contact with the rest of the world.
I'd love to help but Impus Minor is undergoing a Major Curse:
So Impus Minor has been media-free for nearly two weeks now. At least he's getting lots of exercise.
But the amount of time it takes to tell people, "Your hardware died within the warranty period. Replace it," is appalling.
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Nice experience today. I went to a shop, and on my way there, just a few steps away from my home I encountered a fox sitting on a sidewalk. I looked on the fox, the fox looked on me, a pair of folks came asking if it might be rabid and I explained that it's probably not rabid as the urban foxes will come close to people with only a basic level of wariness. The fox went its way and I went to shop.
Quiet day.
Nothing to say.
Also, going to be a busy week for me for a change.| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
"Hi Karleen, what stupid, petty sh!t would you like to complain about this particular hour of your life?"
"I'm getting email in my junk folder!"
I just can't bring myself to give a flying fk about these people today.
Hi John!
John!
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I'm sorry, Vany.
Maybe if you tell her that Zelda has offered to put her up and drive her around, she'll stay home and leave Aiymi free to recuperate in peace?
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I'm sorry, Vany.
Maybe if you tell her that Zelda has offered to put her up and drive her around, she'll stay home and leave Aiymi free to recuperate in peace?
That would be funny. Anytime Zelda comes up in conversation mother-in-law tries to change the conversation.
Like it or not, MIL, you are going to meet Zelda. Probably this coming weekend.
I'm sorry, Vany.
Maybe if you tell her that Zelda has offered to put her up and drive her around, she'll stay home and leave Aiymi free to recuperate in peace?That would be funny. Anytime Zelda comes up in conversation mother-in-law tries to change the conversation.
Like it or not, MIL, you are going to meet Zelda. Probably this coming weekend.
I remember you telling me about the difficulties family members had understanding your lifestyle. I hope they keep their mouths shut and focus on helping Aiymi recover.
Ok, I am trying to get to bed today at "reasonable" hour, that is just before midnight...
Any guesses when I will be up?
The rainy weather makes me headache-ish. And it is here since the last Tuesday.
But first!
Bard preview. Apparently it was posted 36 seconds before I clicked on Paizo Blog button to check if there is anything new about 2nd edition playtest...
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Nice experience today. I went to a shop, and on my way there, just a few steps away from my home I encountered a fox sitting on a sidewalk. I looked on the fox, the fox looked on me, a pair of folks came asking if it might be rabid and I explained that it's probably not rabid as the urban foxes will come close to people with only a basic level of wariness. The fox went its way and I went to shop.
I'd look at the fox too. I'm pretty calm around wild animals, just ask Hi. A monitor lizard walked by us in sungei buloh and I was chill.
Full occult casters. Performances are basically cantrips... We'll see how it will work in practice.
Nice experience today. I went to a shop, and on my way there, just a few steps away from my home I encountered a fox sitting on a sidewalk. I looked on the fox, the fox looked on me, a pair of folks came asking if it might be rabid and I explained that it's probably not rabid as the urban foxes will come close to people with only a basic level of wariness. The fox went its way and I went to shop.I'd look at the fox too. I'm pretty calm around wild animals, just ask Hi. A monitor lizard walked by us in sungei buloh and I was chill.
I am used to urban foxes - there was a whole bunch of them living on the grounds of the museum where I was working last Summer.
Ok, off to bed, until I get up.
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And, speaking about wild animals, yesterday, I learned that one of the deer near my house is a buck, with at least two points on his rack.
*salivates*
Oh bucky bucky , I have a recipe for you!
I love nature! Because it's good to eat!
It's not about avoiding them. It's about the fact that one bike on the road causes all traffic to drop to ~15 MPH in the area in what is theoretically a 40 MPH zone. Because a bike can't match the speed of the actual flow of traffic AND is a much more fragile piece of equipment, and thus everyone gets hyperparanoid about the slightest thing going wrong and plummets their speed down to sub-20, causing all traffic around and behind them to do likewise, putting the absolute kibosh on getting anywhere in a reasonable amount of time until the bike is out of the way.So...
...I totally understand your frustration. But is it fair to blame the bicyclist because the drivers are too timid/stupid to pass them?As both a driver and a cyclist such drivers incense me. "Excuse me? Mr. Driver? If I couldn't handle cars coming within 10' of me, I wouldn't be in the street. PLEASE just drive!"
A car won't crumple into a bloody twisted mass of flesh and aluminum at a slight tap from another car going 40. A bike and cyclist will.
More importantly, regardless of who's truly at fault, the blame legally is very likely to be thrown onto the driver of the vehicle, not the cyclist. I don't know if that's just a local law, a state thing, or just a mistaken assumption, but it seems to be the reason - regardless if true or not - that people around here get extremely skittish when cyclists are around.
That is the crux of my entire complaint. A cycle cannot keep up with the flow of traffic and is a hazard to themselves and other vehicles trying to avoid them when present on a car-dominated road. I don't have a solution to the problem, since a lot of places don't have sidewalks and a lot of places that do have deemed them not places for bikes for some god-awful reason. But wherever they belong, it is not in the same flow of traffic as actual motorized vehicles, where they cannot keep up and are a danger to themselves and others if the slightest little thing goes wrong.
For myself I solve this by refusing to use the damn things.
I can understand why MIL would be coming to visit, afterall her daughter was just hospitalized and she'd be one concerned parent.
No, not begrudging her that. Just that she can't even be clear and decisive about how and when she's coming. Her conversation was so circular that it made Aiymi physically dizzy. I hate to think about the consequences of Aiymi trying to get lunch.
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I can understand why MIL would be coming to visit, afterall her daughter was just hospitalized and she'd be one concerned parent.No, not begrudging her that. Just that she can't even be clear and decisive about how and when she's coming. Her conversation was so circular that it made Aiymi physically dizzy. I hate to think about the consequences of Aiymi trying to get lunch.
Meh my mom tends to be a tad that way too and typically I don't have much patience with that. Just tell me what you want straight to the face.
Is there anyone at home taking care of Aiymi, even if it's Zelda?
Apparently, Tennessee's “Due Care Law” is very broad, making it a lot easier for a cyclist or cyclist's lawyer to claim that the vehicle driver was being negligent in some way and thus pin the blame on them for any collisions that occur between the two.
Compounding this, bike lanes are not common in Tennessee, pretty much nonexistent outside the central portions of larger cities, and where they exist they tend to be narrow, as are most of our streets. As a result, bikes very very often take up whole lanes rather than just a typical bike lane off to the right side of a street.
So yes, it seems the public perception that collisions between bikes and motorized vehicles very strongly favor the cyclist is at least founded in truth. Which goes a long way to explaining why drivers here are immensely skittish around them.
And, speaking about wild animals, yesterday, I learned that one of the deer near my house is a buck, with at least two points on his rack.
There is sexual innuendo in there somewhere...
It's not about avoiding them. It's about the fact that one bike on the road causes all traffic to drop to ~15 MPH in the area in what is theoretically a 40 MPH zone. Because a bike can't match the speed of the actual flow of traffic AND is a much more fragile piece of equipment, and thus everyone gets hyperparanoid about the slightest thing going wrong and plummets their speed down to sub-20, causing all traffic around and behind them to do likewise, putting the absolute kibosh on getting anywhere in a reasonable amount of time until the bike is out of the way.So...
...I totally understand your frustration. But is it fair to blame the bicyclist because the drivers are too timid/stupid to pass them?As both a driver and a cyclist such drivers incense me. "Excuse me? Mr. Driver? If I couldn't handle cars coming within 10' of me, I wouldn't be in the street. PLEASE just drive!"
A car won't crumple into a bloody twisted mass of flesh and aluminum at a slight tap from another car going 40. A bike and cyclist will.
More importantly, regardless of who's truly at fault, the blame legally is very likely to be thrown onto the driver of the vehicle, not the cyclist. I don't know if that's just a local law, a state thing, or just a mistaken assumption, but it seems to be the reason - regardless if true or not - that people around here get extremely skittish when cyclists are around.
That is the crux of my entire complaint. A cycle cannot keep up with the flow of traffic and is a hazard to themselves and other vehicles trying to avoid them when present on a car-dominated road. I don't have a solution to the problem, since a lot of places don't have sidewalks and a lot of places that do have deemed them not places for bikes for some god-awful reason. But wherever they belong, it is not in the same flow of traffic as actual motorized vehicles, where they cannot keep up and are a danger to themselves and others if the slightest little thing...
taken scrapes/bumps at 30-40 before.
Being doored did more damage to both me and the bike(unless I ended up underneath the wheels of the actual vehicle, which would kill me even at lower speeds, black manliness or no), and the car was stationary.
You know what gets turned into a twisted hunk of metal and aluminum from a slight tap? A pedestrian on the sidewalk and the cyclist they collided with, even at astonishingly low speeds.
Apparently, Tennessee's “Due Care Law” is very broad, making it a lot easier for a cyclist or cyclist's lawyer to claim that the vehicle driver was being negligent in some way and thus pin the blame on them for any collisions that occur between the two.
Compounding this, bike lanes are not common in Tennessee, pretty much nonexistent outside the central portions of larger cities, and where they exist they tend to be narrow, as are most of our streets. As a result, bikes very very often take up whole lanes rather than just a typical bike lane off to the right side of a street.
So yes, it seems the public perception that collisions between bikes and motorized vehicles very strongly favor the cyclist is at least founded in truth. Which goes a long way to explaining why drivers here are immensely skittish around them.
serious question:
If your lanes are THAT narrow, how do you not trade paint/lose your driver's side mirror to oncoming traffic in the opposite lane?
I have gained some weight over the years, but there is no way I am as wide as a car on a bike.
I can understand why MIL would be coming to visit, afterall her daughter was just hospitalized and she'd be one concerned parent.No, not begrudging her that. Just that she can't even be clear and decisive about how and when she's coming. Her conversation was so circular that it made Aiymi physically dizzy. I hate to think about the consequences of Aiymi trying to get lunch.Meh my mom tends to be a tad that way too and typically I don't have much patience with that. Just tell me what you want straight to the face.
Is there anyone at home taking care of Aiymi, even if it's Zelda?
Zelda has work and she's coordinating an event for this weekend. Plus her kids. She simply can't help out more than she already has. My mother came over from the other side of the state and is with Aiymi during the day until Aiymi's mom gets here. Whenever that may be.
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Bleh. Summer's nearly gone, and I'm only now entering vacation mode where I have no motivation to work.