More institutional anti-cyclist bias . . .

[BumbleBeeDave]

This is great. It's a shame that someone has to go to these lengths simply to be able to ride on the street. I guess you could interpret this as this guy is just looking for a fight, but you could also see it as someone who is so fed up with being f*cked with that he does something about it.

BTW, Bob Mionske for President!

BBD

http://www.velonews.com/article/71866

[Blue Jays]

We've got a person in our group that rides with a video cam and a 4GB card. It's mainly for laughs, but I suppose it could come in handy one day if a driver chooses not to behave.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . to always carry my camera when I ride. I just have this gut feeling that sooner or later it's going to come in very handy.

BBD

[Ray]

. . . to always carry my camera when I ride. I just have this gut feeling that sooner or later it's going to come in very handy.

BBD
I always ride with a cell-phone with its built-in camera. I've only been in one situation where I felt it was worth using it. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get QUITE close enough to capture the license number of the offending car. Took a couple of shots and had identified the vehicle type, but didn't get the license. Given that this happened once in the many years I've been riding, I don't think its worth carrying a better camera just for this possible eventuality.

-Ray

[BumbleBeeDave]

Lots of good pictures out there to get of all sorts of stuff--the "Oh, I really wish I'd brought my camera" moments.

BBD

[Lifelover]

If this guys continues to ride in an area that is so unsafe that he feels he needs to video tape every ride than he is an idiot!

Being "right" is not as important as "staying alive".


Edit; After further consideration I have changed my mind. There should be no "if" in the my first sentence.

Being from Va Beach I can't sat for sure but I suspect the mark of a good snow plow driver is his ability to hold a tight line right on the edge of the lane. As a driver I don't want the snow bank to suddenly swerve out 3 feet because the plow driver had to pass a cyclist. Nor should the plow have to slow down to 10 MPH until the cyclist turns.

[Ray]

Lots of good pictures out there to get of all sorts of stuff--the "Oh, I really wish I'd brought my camera" moments.

BBD
I do the same when I'm riding in new areas, touring, etc. But I've photographed the areas I generally ride in enough over the years that I'd never think to take a camera normally.

-Ray

[BumbleBeeDave]

If this guys continues to ride in an area that is so unsafe that he feels he needs to video tape every ride than he is an idiot!

Being "right" is not as important as "staying alive".


Edit; After further consideration I have changed my mind. There should be no "if" in the my first sentence.

Being from Va Beach I can't sat for sure but I suspect the mark of a good snow plow driver is his ability to hold a tight line right on the edge of the lane. As a driver I don't want the snow bank to suddenly swerve out 3 feet because the plow driver had to pass a cyclist. Nor should the plow have to slow down to 10 MPH until the cyclist turns.

. . . and look at some of the other videos where he's almost been clocked. They were on just regular old streets or on roads with adequate shoulders. Same places you and I ride. But yeah, I think you have a point. There are probably safer places to ride around his neck of the woods. But if he's trying to be a crusader, this seems to be a slightly more intelligent way to do it than holding critical mass rides and antagonizing drivers overtly. He seems to be doing his best to work within the enforcement system that exists.

BBD

[bronk]

He's a crusader but what he apparently doesn't understand is that this type of publicity and self-righteous attitude only hurts the image that the average Joe has of cyclists. Show some common sense and publicize that.

[MarleyMon]

This is a tough one, because I think he was harassed, and also, I think he's nuts!
Do you wanna be happy (safe and alive) or do you wanna be right?
I'm on the wimpy side as far as riding busy streets; I've just had too many close calls and do not have enough energy to change the car culture. I cringe when I read some of the descriptions on this forum of riders confronting motorists, 'cause people are nuts in their cars and there are alot of guns out there. But, I'm a wimp about confontation w/ someone (or something) that out weighs me by more than 10x and is piloted by someone who, 1 in 10 times, is drunk.
"He who lives to ride away, lives to ride another day."

[Chad Engle]

Again, just because it is legal, it doesn't make it smart.

The snowplow operator did not go out looking for an incident, but it appears the cyclist did. It seems he is more worried about his rights than his safety. For the record, the snowplow operator is a d1ckhead, and his behavior was incredibly dangerous and he should be cited for failing to maintain the safe distance.

I think the camera idea is great. I think riding on a snow route after a snow storm is incredibly foolish.

I think you could have just as enjoyable a ride on a side street.

[djg]

If this guys continues to ride in an area that is so unsafe that he feels he needs to video tape every ride than he is an idiot!

Being "right" is not as important as "staying alive".


Edit; After further consideration I have changed my mind. There should be no "if" in the my first sentence.

Being from Va Beach I can't sat for sure but I suspect the mark of a good snow plow driver is his ability to hold a tight line right on the edge of the lane. As a driver I don't want the snow bank to suddenly swerve out 3 feet because the plow driver had to pass a cyclist. Nor should the plow have to slow down to 10 MPH until the cyclist turns.

I get the first part, but not the second. Taking on a bit of risk to take a stand -- I get that -- but choosing routes that routinely seem highly dangerous, in a "they're going to run me over" sort of way, nope, not so much. I don't want to be prone in the film at 11 coverage.

But look, no driver's right of way extends through a human person. And no public servant driving a very large vehicle, day after day, in dodgy conditions, ought to drive in a way that makes it significantly likely that he or she is going to hit a cyclist or a pedestrian. Yes, it's annoying to slow down to 15 mph, or whatever, but you do not run people off the road for the sake of keeping a schedule. Do it a lot, and you might well kill somebody some day. Honestly, there are likely to be opportunities to pass within a few blocks, if that -- an intersection, a wide shoulder or turning lane, the cyclist turns, the driver's route turns, whatever. In the end, though, it doesn't matter. Even if the driver was right to be annoyed, he was not right to drive as he did.

[ekk]

The plow's function is to clear the road for ALL vehicles, including the cyclist.
What is wrong with the cyclist either waiting until roads are plowed [ like a motorist might ]?
A cyclist is always at more risk regardless of weather.
It seems that someone who is smart enough and prepared enough to ride with video equipment should be smart enough to know that bad things can happen when large vehicles, poor visibility, darkness, slippery roads, etc mix.
Should plows try to avoid people, cars, bikes, etc? Of course, but have you ever driven a plow? My guess is that it's not that easy.
This cyclist should not be out on the roads during a snowstorm, and if he must be out, then he should accept the risks and indignities bad weather cause. Even if he is a zealot.