In our little burg, we have a 3-mile segment of old Route 66 comprising, for most of its length, 2 one-way streets. A couple of years ago the city marked out bike lanes on the right-hand of each of these streets.
There have always been cyclists heading the wrong way on these streets (almost all adults). Now there is a rather narrow bike lane in which we are approached by these scofflaws. Last year the city added directional arrows. No change.
There really isn’t time to engage in any dialogue as we approach at a combined 30 mph. Sometimes there is hardly enough time to pick a line that might not cross theirs!
That’s why I love this strip. Idle’s response exemplifies the responses we get when we try to point out the error of their way. How do you spell “clueless?”
don’t worry … cyclists everywhere appear to like ghost riding (sp? heading the wrong way).
It’s a bleedin’ miracle people don’t have accidents that way, but that might be because we’re used to cyclists over here.
I can’t imagine wanting to ride like that in a country that isn’t as used to bikes unless you’ve got a death wish …
She’s got one of those “stylish” helmets. Totally fits her personality.
I’m personally against a mandatory helmet law but I do comply with the one where I live. I just wish there were more designs of helmets to choose from. I knew about the Yakkay helmets (and we can get them here in Canada) but just discovered some from France that don’t seem to be sold in North America. Hopefully they will be. Casqu’en ville http://www.casquenville.com/
Troxel used to make equestrian helmets that looked like a derby and a cowboy hat but they discontinued them because they looked to big and making them thinner didn’t pass some certification. Too bad. http://www.troxelhelmets.com/service/faq
I’ve had the opportunity to ask people, often, why they are cycling against traffic. Time and again they percieve it as safer. They ride along moving off the road (often just crossing temporarily to the other side) when a car comes their way. They want to see the oncoming traffic in front of them to more easily judge it’s speed and get out of it’s way more efficiently. There was a while, in my early biking days, when I used this technique at night because I had no lights. It’s slower because you’re constantly getting out of the way, but you only do it on a few spots where you can’t get a quieter alternate street. I only used it in winter when there was no safe place out of traffic to ride and I had no lights nor money to pay for lights. I didn’t understand the other reasons it’s dangerous (cross traffic for instance) and it felt safer.
Additionally, as children on rural roads without sidewalks we’re taught to walk against traffic for these very reasons, it’s natural to extend that when you shove wheels under your butt. There simply isn’t enough education advertising (nor money to make and post the ads) to teach the general public why it’s NOT safer.
In some jurisdictions it’s required to bike against the flow of traffic when biking. Also required to ride on the sidewalk. In some places you’re not allowed to do these things. It’s no wonder that there’s so much variation of cycling behaviour as people are discovering biking after having not done so since a child.
To make comparisons with the car world, if there was a different set of laws that were fundamentally different like this, in one province or state to another it would be considered time to “harmonize” them. Is there anything going on like this with cycling?
It’s good to see her again – are we going to get her thread unravelled?
I can see I’m going to have to finish reading my books so I know who Ms. Crossing is.
I had to do a quick search and find her in the archives myself. Now I remember, though. It’ll be interesting to see where this goes…
At last! A story arc begins.
Didn’t we see this one before, during the “fill in the blanks” days last fall? Or it is deja vu again.
You’re correct. We used this as a test comic when we were setting up.
Goes to show how strips stay in the stable until the right time to bring them out.
I thought I’d seen it before. Now do we get to find out what happens?
Is she Thistle’s long lost half sister?
Evil bleached twin.
In our little burg, we have a 3-mile segment of old Route 66 comprising, for most of its length, 2 one-way streets. A couple of years ago the city marked out bike lanes on the right-hand of each of these streets.
There have always been cyclists heading the wrong way on these streets (almost all adults). Now there is a rather narrow bike lane in which we are approached by these scofflaws. Last year the city added directional arrows. No change.
There really isn’t time to engage in any dialogue as we approach at a combined 30 mph. Sometimes there is hardly enough time to pick a line that might not cross theirs!
That’s why I love this strip. Idle’s response exemplifies the responses we get when we try to point out the error of their way. How do you spell “clueless?”
don’t worry … cyclists everywhere appear to like ghost riding (sp? heading the wrong way).
It’s a bleedin’ miracle people don’t have accidents that way, but that might be because we’re used to cyclists over here.
I can’t imagine wanting to ride like that in a country that isn’t as used to bikes unless you’ve got a death wish …
She’s got one of those “stylish” helmets. Totally fits her personality.
I’m personally against a mandatory helmet law but I do comply with the one where I live. I just wish there were more designs of helmets to choose from.
I knew about the Yakkay helmets (and we can get them here in Canada) but just discovered some from France that don’t seem to be sold in North America. Hopefully they will be.
Casqu’en ville
http://www.casquenville.com/
Troxel used to make equestrian helmets that looked like a derby and a cowboy hat but they discontinued them because they looked to big and making them thinner didn’t pass some certification. Too bad.
http://www.troxelhelmets.com/service/faq
That line is from “Planes, trains, and automobiles” (1987) spoken by John Candy with Steve Martin. I still crack up at it 25 years later.
I remember Love it!
Thanks, that’s been bothering me for days. Genius.
a east she has a helmet
Just finished reading about “salmons” in BikeSnobNYC’s new book. Nice touch to have Idle Crossing wearing a salmon pink top!
I’ve had the opportunity to ask people, often, why they are cycling against traffic. Time and again they percieve it as safer. They ride along moving off the road (often just crossing temporarily to the other side) when a car comes their way. They want to see the oncoming traffic in front of them to more easily judge it’s speed and get out of it’s way more efficiently. There was a while, in my early biking days, when I used this technique at night because I had no lights. It’s slower because you’re constantly getting out of the way, but you only do it on a few spots where you can’t get a quieter alternate street. I only used it in winter when there was no safe place out of traffic to ride and I had no lights nor money to pay for lights. I didn’t understand the other reasons it’s dangerous (cross traffic for instance) and it felt safer.
Additionally, as children on rural roads without sidewalks we’re taught to walk against traffic for these very reasons, it’s natural to extend that when you shove wheels under your butt. There simply isn’t enough education advertising (nor money to make and post the ads) to teach the general public why it’s NOT safer.
In some jurisdictions it’s required to bike against the flow of traffic when biking. Also required to ride on the sidewalk. In some places you’re not allowed to do these things. It’s no wonder that there’s so much variation of cycling behaviour as people are discovering biking after having not done so since a child.
To make comparisons with the car world, if there was a different set of laws that were fundamentally different like this, in one province or state to another it would be considered time to “harmonize” them. Is there anything going on like this with cycling?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fr9bY0_JB8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fr9bY0_JB8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fr9bY0_JB8