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Old 03-25-19, 11:52 AM
  #149  
banerjek
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Originally Posted by mjac
I propose we fly you and your recumbent down to New Orleans, saddle you up in Chalmette and point you toward the CBD on Claiborne Ave. so you can add to your list of "little" annoyances ( keeping with the theme of the thread as instructed by PC Archwhorides) like as when you approach Brad Pitt's Make it Right Development at the foot of the Claiborne Bridge in the Lower Nine the sound of whizzing bullets. The Lower Nine makes Chicago's Southside look like Disney Land.
Note that if the bullets aren't aimed at you, the only way to get hit is bad luck. Gunfire is a common occurrence in many rural areas. But you remind me of another annoyance for the list -- morons (sometimes drunk) shooting too close to the road and without sufficient attention to what's behind the target. Have encountered this a number of times over the years.

BTW, sometimes these clowns might point their guns at you as a joke. It's happened to me.

Originally Posted by Skipjacks
I'll go a step further to say that the people new at riding on the road are more aware of their surroundings than someone who's been doing it for years. When I first rode on the street with traffic I remember being HYPER AWARE of my surroundings because it was all new and scary. Now that I'm comfortable with it I'm still paying attention but I'm not laser focused on every possible danger due to fear.

People who've been riding for 25 years and feel totally safe.....that's a big danger. You should never feel totally safe when riding in traffic. Never. There should always be that element of "If I lose focus on the road, I die." Fear does remarkable things to keep you alive. Complacency is your enemy. And new riders are usually not complacent.
Being calm and being complacent have nothing in common. One is essential for safety and flows from understanding threats and one's ability to work with them. The other reflects a critical lack of mindfulness. What makes a situation safe or unsafe is a function of someone's ability to manage risk -- not the same as what that situation "is."

Research indicates that people who ride more crash much less -- and that a huge percentage of those getting killed are doing things that are clearly dangerous such as drinking and riding at night. Knowing what you're doing, knowing how to read and respond to situations, and having skills keeps you safe.

Fear is your spidey sense telling you that you're in a situation you're not equipped to handle. As such, it gives you useful guidance over what you should and should not be doing. Fear causes all kinds of problems -- tunnel vision causing people to miss some threats, respond too early or late, and overresponding. There is absolutely no way I'd take a beginner on a number of roads I ride every day.

I do a couple other dangerous sports and I don't know anyone who would consider going out with someone who is afraid. When I'm in a group, we never go anywhere where even one person expresses reservations -- when it happens (fairly common), we change the plan. Such a person is going to make mistakes and won't be able to respond appropriately when something goes wrong. Even if someone is very technically skilled, if they become fearful in a critical situation, we no longer take them on trips where they can get exposed to that threat. It's just too dangerous.

Stuff happens. Just so happens I was paddling off the coast this weekend. The first picture is me taking an unlucky hit from a wave. The second resulted when I lost control in a large wave and crashed into a buddy -- it's decidedly inconvenient to have a massive hole punched in your boat when you're 1/2 mile out in heavy seas. Everyone was calm, no one was ever in danger, and we had a great time. React with fear in a situation like that, and you're in real danger.



Last edited by banerjek; 03-25-19 at 04:12 PM.
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