Oblivious!

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2013: Oblivious!
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan Killecut on Monday, July 08, 2013 - 04:57 pm:

We had our Model A out for a ride today. Followed this girl through most of the town of Sodus. She had her headphones on and was oblivious to anything around or behind her. It got to be really funny. My wife and I thought maybe she was licensed to skate, but I checked her a_ _ but found no license plate. She finally went around some glass in the road and spotted us and gave us a look like we were infringing on her space.




Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dennis Halpin on Monday, July 08, 2013 - 05:19 pm:

Yup, I run into this kind of krap all the time. I especially like the bicyclists (who pat no 'road use taxes') and ride 5 abreast in the bike lane (and half the car lane).


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jay - In Northern California on Monday, July 08, 2013 - 05:38 pm:

Last time I checked stone breaks scissors, scissors cut paper, and car crushes flesh, that is unless your young and immortal.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John W. Oder - Houston, Texas on Monday, July 08, 2013 - 05:42 pm:

The best cure for one of those is to pull up real close and lay on the air horn.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mack Cole ---- Earth on Monday, July 08, 2013 - 06:01 pm:

Ye Kaint fix stewpid.
The idea of her or bikes or walkers haveing right of way over a car is the law for whatever reason.Sadly most of the time it is the heirs of the 1 who thought right of way was cool and made them immortal that are left to deal with the loss.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Patrick on Monday, July 08, 2013 - 06:13 pm:

It's better to give way than to be dead right.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dick Lodge - St Louis MO on Monday, July 08, 2013 - 06:17 pm:

Here lies the body of Jonathan Gray
Who died defending his right of way.
He was right, so right, as he drove along,
But he's just as dead as if he'd been wrong.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kohnke Rebabbitting on Monday, July 08, 2013 - 06:51 pm:

It is not who's Right, it is who's Left!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Roger Karlsson, southern Sweden on Monday, July 08, 2013 - 06:57 pm:

Obviously there are stressed persons in modern cars who have the same or worse thoughts about people like us while getting stuck behind a slow T going uphill..


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ed in California on Monday, July 08, 2013 - 07:10 pm:

People watching probably thought the opposite of you, and figured she was your safety leader, wearing bright orange like that. You should have given her two orange flags to wave as she led you through town.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ted Dumas on Monday, July 08, 2013 - 07:13 pm:

Frankly, I never saw any advantage to being ahead of a pretty girl.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Patrick on Monday, July 08, 2013 - 07:19 pm:

How true. They wouldn't even see your T until you were far enough ahead to block what they were really looking at.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan Killecut on Monday, July 08, 2013 - 07:30 pm:

Ed, you are probably right, but I was to busy looking for that license plate.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dick Lodge - St Louis MO on Monday, July 08, 2013 - 07:39 pm:

So is this a T & A discussion? :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Terry Woods, Katy, Texas on Monday, July 08, 2013 - 07:42 pm:

Like a lot of states, Texas gives bicyclists preferential treatment when use of public roads are concerned and I, for one, can't see where they have the right, or the reasoning behind lawmakers allowing this to happen. Many of these 'sport cyclists' use the less busy Texas two lane highways to practice their sport on. This is downright dangerous. Not only does it slow down licensed vehicular traffic, it increases the risk and liability that a licensed driver has if he hits on of these 'nerds'. Unless I am wrong, public roads are for motorized vehicles like cars, trucks, and motorcycles that buy a license plate and pay for that right. Yeah, I know, pedestrians are supposed to have the right of way, but no sane pedestrian would walk parallel to the center strip in a moving lane of traffic. Here at Houston, Harris County has constructed a state of the art bicycle track, The Alkek velodrome, but apparently it isn't big enough or popular enough and the nerds take to the highways. It isn't just on the weekends, either. You'll see them in lesser numbers on weekdays. Apparently some of them don't have jobs., so its no wonder they use a vehicle that doesn't cost them anything to use. For a few years, harris County has been debating what to do with the aging, now unused, Houston Astrodome. Maybe I should suggest it be designated for a larger velodrome, but the irony is, the cyclists probably would use it either.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan Killecut on Monday, July 08, 2013 - 07:44 pm:

Dick, You got it! Would that be considered a half off topic?

Good way to put this into perspective.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ted Dumas on Monday, July 08, 2013 - 07:47 pm:

Terry,

Many folks would voice the same criticism about Model T's on the road, especially when they encounter a large group that doesn't pull over on the shoulder or leave enough space so they can hop scotch around or a long stretch of narrow two lane road with no shoulders and double striped for no passing.

I don't want my Model T restricted to my pasture. I say live and let live.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Terry Horlick in Penn Valley, CA on Monday, July 08, 2013 - 08:03 pm:

Dennis,
Paying "road use taxes" doesn't qualify vehicles for road use. In the pictured example that person is a pedestrian and needs to be off on the shoulder. Here in Califunica bicycles are vehicles which have the use of the roadway in accordance with the road laws.

If a bicycle lane is available they must stay in the bike lane. Where it isn't available the use of the full right hand lane is legally available. The problem is that in places where you have to be in a lane on a bicycle if you hug the right side the OBLIVIOUS CAR DRIVERS pass them (illegally) with microns to spare. It doesn't take long on a bike, nor many close shaves, for the rider to learn to pull out into the center of the lane in the hope that the auto drivers see the bicyclist and grant the legal use of the road. Yes, it does slow down your commute, but it just may save the rider's life and keep you from running down an innocent rider.

In at least one narrow spot in Grass Valley the city had to post a sign stating "Bicyclists Allowed use of full lane". Although the drivers are supposed to know the law, there are still a lot of idiot drivers here who will cross the double yellow center line to barely skin around a rider while blowing an air horn and waving a finger out the window... all because for about a hundred yards the pavement isn't wide enough for a safe bike lane.

That said, most (but not all ) bicyclists I know will frequently pull over to let auto traffic pass. This is exactly how I drive the T... on single lane roads I pull over often at accessible shoulders and let the line of traffic rush past.

In the above photos and story Dan is acting responsibly in his A. Not tailgating and being patient whilst the lane is taken up by a clueless scoffalaw.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Val Soupios on Monday, July 08, 2013 - 08:17 pm:

Maybe this is the new version of the English Red Flag Law!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Thode Chehalis Washington on Monday, July 08, 2013 - 08:39 pm:

In this case, in New York State, inline skates are legal on public roads.

However this skater was in violation of their state law. "If there is a bike/skate lane, you must use it. If not, you must skate as far to the right side of the street as possible so as to not interfere with traffic."

http://www.skatecity.com/nyc/law/


What fun, Dan just had an impromptu two entry parade through town.

Jim


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan Killecut on Monday, July 08, 2013 - 08:59 pm:

We weren't in a hurry, and the view wasn't that bad (well, at least for me). It was a strange parade through town


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dick Lodge - St Louis MO on Monday, July 08, 2013 - 10:36 pm:

I get irked at the "Share the road with bicycles" admonitions. I lived in the Netherlands for eight and a half years. Trust me... I know how to share the road with bicycles. The difference is that I expect cyclists to follow the traffic regulations like everyone else. There, they do. Here, they don't. I'm tired of seeing bikes blast through stop signs like they aren't even there. You want respect in traffic? Easy... act like traffic.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Henry Petrino in Modesto, CA on Monday, July 08, 2013 - 10:45 pm:

I strongly agree with you, Dick. Here in CA they sometimes light up the freeway information signs with the same nonsense about sharing the road with motorcycles. If everyone just followed the rules everything would be fine! Why should I be told to take extra caution so some idiot can do as he pleases regardless of the law and common courtesy?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Aaron Griffey, Hayward Ca. on Monday, July 08, 2013 - 10:55 pm:

It's like Dick says in Holland. When I drove all the way through Holland in '59 there were surely more bikes and mopeds than now.
They were 100% predictable because they followed the law.
Here in Oakland bike riders NEVER wait at stop signs and red lights. NEVER!

Confucius did not say: Lady who skate in front of car get tired, Lady who skate behind car get exhausted.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Erik Johnson on Monday, July 08, 2013 - 10:58 pm:

Before cars were dodging bicycles, Henry was dodging road apples:

1


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Peter Claverie on Monday, July 08, 2013 - 11:28 pm:

I grew up in the 1940's. When Sony introduced the Walkman, the first portable personal music player designed to be used with earphones rather than having a speaker, we were taught that a law had been passed making it illegal to wear headphones while driving. We understood it to be a Federal law.

The reasoning was that the driver needs to be able to hear as well as see, what is going on around them. It makes sense to me, and it makes especially good sense when you're not surrounded by a ton or more of steel - like riding a bike or skating.

Nowadays, a couple of things have changed. One, cars are as soundproof as they can be made. Two, cars have stereos that can be heard for blocks. The result is that drivers have a hard time hearing even a fire truck siren, let alone hearing another car approaching from behind.

The other thing that has changed, is that governments, especially the Federal government, have simply given up on enforcing many laws. Especially those that seem to put the "green" folks at disadvantage.

So what's the answer? Well, you'd think a person would have better sense than to skate down the middle of a busy street, while blocking their ability to hear what's going on around them, wouldn't you? Well, those of us old enough, with sufficient life experience, to understand the foolishness of that girl and all the others like her, simply have to protect her from herself.

When I see a youngster doing something as patently stupid as that, I have always just thought, "That could be my daughter." Nowadays, of course, it has changed to, "That could be my granddaughter."

So, let the young be idiots. Protect them from themselves and us, as best we can, and pray that they will grow up and understand their place in the food chain of life before they have to be taught by a catastrophe.

Here ends today's rant.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ted Dumas on Monday, July 08, 2013 - 11:46 pm:

Looks like a 2 lane highway thru a small town with no traffic except for one Model T. It was not the best place to skate, even tho it looks like a nice place to drive a Model T. We all did dumb things when we were young, do a few dumb things now, and we shouldn't be too critical.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Wells on Monday, July 08, 2013 - 11:54 pm:

Last week on the way to a parade, I experienced a different type of bicycle pest. This one was behind me. I was driving pretty fast when I noticed a strange reflection in my windshield. It was a bike helmet. This guy was drafting my T for about ten miles. I ran the car to full speed but still couldn't shake him. He never lost an inch. Must have been a weird sight. I didn't mind but, wondered what might happen if I suddenly had to stop since T's don't have brake lights. My wife took the photo below.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Terry Woods, Katy, Texas on Tuesday, July 09, 2013 - 12:10 am:

I agree with almost all of what Peter said above. Sharing a two lane road with a irresponsible bicyclist is one thing. Having to put up with the drivers, today, that think listening to a bass speaker big enough to fill the back end of a pickup, that rattles the walls of my house when they drive down the street in from of my house or rattles my brain when they pull up beside me at a light is another. Its times like that when I wish I could put a slug from a .44 Magnum through their speaker, but then I wouldn't be any more law abiding than George Zimmerman.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Danial - Veneta OR US Earth Solar System on Tuesday, July 09, 2013 - 12:13 am:

Just this very day a 17 year old young lady was killed by a train just north of here that she did not hear while walking on the tracks listening to music. A senseless tragedy.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Dewey, N. California on Tuesday, July 09, 2013 - 01:09 am:

Yes, in CA, a bicycle is consider a vehicle, but here in Oroville the DUIs with no drivers' license ride bicycles--and totally ignore the road rules. Just Sunday an older bicyclist ran the red light, riding on the sidewalk and crossing walk--and against traffic. If I were a cop, that would be 3 moving violations. Oh, yes, I nearly hit him--and I wouldn't have felt that bad about it!
Once, when I was in about 8th grade, I was coming up to a stop sign on my "English Racer"--remember those, three speeds and hand brakes!, and had my one working brake on, when the brake cable let go, forcing me to sail through the stop. Fortunately no other cars, and the filling station was just ahead, so I rolled into there and finally stopped. A CHP car pulled up, and the officer lectured me about running the stop sign. I just took the lecture, because I was afraid he would confiscate my bike as being unsafe! As I recall, the friend I was with ran the stop sign & I was yelling at him about it when my cable let go.
I'm probably more upset than most about bicyclists, because I had my own small bike repair & rental shop all through high school, and used to participate in "safe bike day" at the elementary school--My wholesaler even gave me safety flyers to hand out. I'll bet that doesn't happen today!
Boy, talk about thread drift!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Harold Schwendeman - Sumner,WA on Tuesday, July 09, 2013 - 01:27 am:

David - Yes, I remember those, at that time, called "English Racers". And that 3-speed was a Sturmey-Archer, built in England by the way! I worked in a bike shop while in about the 7th or 8th grade. I worked all summer; which was just long enough to buy a new, metallic red "Schwinn Tiger", one of those new (at that time) "middleweights"! Not the skinny tires like the "English Racers", or the big fat balloon tires, but something somewhere in between! Ahhh,...those were the days, huh? I actually used to Simonize that bike! And by the way, to keep this somewhere near on topic, most of us kids in those days were pretty good about using proper hand signals when riding out bikes! ........ harold


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tony Bowker on Tuesday, July 09, 2013 - 01:28 am:

Dan, slightly off topic but I remember Sodus back in the 1960's. We lived in Rochester, Heather was pregnant and had a craving for apples. Most of the summer weekends we would drive to Sodus to pick up a bushel. Nice upstate town, happy days.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ricks - Surf City on Tuesday, July 09, 2013 - 01:29 am:

Years ago I had to attend bike safety lectures with my sons when they were caught violating laws. Here they recommend using the sidewalk if there are no peds. Makes sense. Crossing intersections in crosswalks requires the bike to be pushed.

Even as adults, my sons have been stopped more on bikes here than in cars. We have too many cops now. They call backup for every stop - even a bicycle. One night I saw five cop cars surrounding some kids in a golf cart on the sidewalk.

I nearly got run off another forum when I complained about the spike in gas prices bringing more motocycles onto freeway commutes and into accidents. These inconsiderate motorcyclists cause traffic tie-ups when they go down, wasting everybody else's gas. And if it's a fatal, it can take hours to get the coroner out before the mess can be cleared.

Just this afternoon two of them collided with a car, tying up the southbound 405 near LAX, causing a backup all the way to Sepulveda Pass.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Dewey, N. California on Tuesday, July 09, 2013 - 03:03 am:

Harold,
Yep, Sturmey-Archers. Most of my rental bikes had them--I could tear one down and put it together with a blindfold on after a summer of repairing them! Never could do that with the Schimano (sp?) three speeds. I was also the only shop around that would work on them new-fangled derailleur 5 speed bikes (Siskiyou county was really "in the boonies" back then--still sorta is!) One time one of my bikes was stolen--cops found it down by the rail yards (all my bikes had signs on them "Cave Springs Bicycle Rentals"). Someone must have wanted to get out of town fast!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mack Cole ---- Earth on Tuesday, July 09, 2013 - 08:57 am:

Bicycles should have insurance.
I know it is a rare thing to happen but about 12 years ago in Waxhaw NC a man on a bicycle ran a stop sign and broadsided a car going about 50 mph.
It tore up the side,roof and decklid of the car.Kinda like hitting a deer that runs out beside you. The man with the torn up car was left with the repair bill. The bicyclist family was left with a funeral bill.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Henry Petrino in Modesto, CA on Tuesday, July 09, 2013 - 09:48 am:

Just a note about headphones and hearing while driving (car, motorcycle, bike, or whatever). Here in CA hearing is NOT a requirement for a drivers license. In fact, some years ago we knew a couple who were both deaf mutes. In addition, he was blind. (Not a fabrication - this is true). The wife had her drivers license and drove them wherever they needed to go regularly, but could hear nothing.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bill in Adelaida Calif on Tuesday, July 09, 2013 - 10:07 am:

Several years ago I was moving a self-propelled swather with a 12' header on a back road when I caught up with a dozen bicyclists taking up the whole road. After following them for about a mile I engaged the header. They suddenly couldn't get out of my way fast enough.
About a year ago in a nearby town a person riding his bicycle to work ran a stop sign and was hit by a gravel or garbage truck. He was taken to the local ER where he passed away because the trauma specialist was not yet at the hospital. Sadly he was at the hospital...he was the one that ran the stop sign.

Bill


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ricks - Surf City on Tuesday, July 09, 2013 - 01:18 pm:

There's dent on the forward right side of my modren from a bicycle riding on the sidewalk where I had just pulled out of a blind alley. Thankfully, the kid slid over the hood, unharmed. It was clear his bike had hit my car.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wayne Sheldon, Grass Valley, CA on Tuesday, July 09, 2013 - 04:13 pm:

There is a HUGE difference between deaf-mutes and people wearing earphones. Deaf-mutes are keenly aware of their "limitation" and often more aware of their surroundings than so-called "normal" people. People with headsets or earphones listening to music or whatever are usually in their own little cloud-bubble world and totally oblivious to anyone but themselves. For most of those idiots, oblivious is a way of life. At least until the are hit by a truck.

I see lots of signs and bumper stickers telling me to "share the road". I think we should all "share the road". That means they have to share it with me too.
Do drive carefully, and enjoy, W2


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Derek Kiefer - Mantorville, MN on Tuesday, July 09, 2013 - 04:26 pm:

Several years ago I worked with a deaf-mute. One day, he burned his eyes from welding, and drove home wearing a welding helmet.

Others are probably more "keenly aware" than this guy was. :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Henry Petrino in Modesto, CA on Tuesday, July 09, 2013 - 06:28 pm:

You are quite right, Wayne. There is a big difference. Point acknowledged.

It's kind of along the same lines as the conversation I have from time to time with my wife. She tells me I'm hard of hearing when I fail to respond or respond inappropriately to something she said. I tell her she just doesn't know the difference between hearing and listening. Then things get started.... :-) :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wayne Sheldon, Grass Valley, CA on Tuesday, July 09, 2013 - 06:33 pm:

Ouch. No one is guaranteed to not be stupid. I am sure I am not the only one that was taught by the age of four that you never stare at a bright light without proper glasses/goggles/filters.
"Most" deaf-mutes are "more" keenly aware of their "limitation" and often more aware of their surroundings than so-called "normal" people.
Thank you, Derek K, for the tale. All I can add is that I guess it takes all kinds.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan Killecut on Tuesday, July 09, 2013 - 09:33 pm:

Tony, Sodus probably hasn't changed to much. The biggest event is the Coal Trestle burned in the early 70's. There are still many apple orchards around this area. The small commercial district is still about the same. Actually that is when we came upon the girl with the inline skates. We were surprised that there were empty parking spots along the side of the road but she continued to skate right down the middle of the road. The farther we followed her the funnier it got.
The ride in and around Sodus is beautiful (especially down Lake Road)


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