Loss of Civility
#76
Full Member
The concept of what is intelligence is an interesting question. For example, how to measure the math or music prodigy or the kid doing calculus at 8 y.o. and who graduates college at 12. My own take is that intelligence is in part used to anticipate consequences of a situation that has not yet occurred. This is often called wisdom.
#78
Escalating these situations would only make things worse. What I do (don't laugh) is to count to 10, slowly. Yes, I just count to 10 and most of my rage just goes away during that time. It only takes a fraction of a second to ruin your life. I used to carry a camping knife on my bike for utility purposes. I no longer carry it. Because there is no guarantee that a heated argument would end up in a fight and that fight would escalate to a "weaponized" **** show. If I am fine and can continue pedaling, it is all OK. You can't teach a monster to act like a human being. It doesn't matter if you use civility or brute force, that person is a lost cause. You will only harm yourself in the process.
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#79
Member
"Move outta da way Faget!"
Hey All,
I ride in the Sun Coast of Florida and in my riverside city there are a number roads that have bicycle lanes clearly marked for us.
We have people here from all over the Northern States that we call "Snow Birds" and they flock here once the bitter cold takes hold of their areas.
I am an avid cyclist that ride a 1984 Motobecane Mirage Sport I restored. My riding attire is the "era correct" Motobecane-La Redoute Jersey and tights.
I am New York City born, raised, educated and an ex-Ranger that served in the Indochina Conflict.
I am a heterosexual New York Liberal and respect all people regardless of their sexual preferences, religion, national origin or race. . . so here goes my story. . .
I was starting to pedal across an intersection after having stopped for the red light. When I was one quarter way into the intersection, a car pulled up to my side, slightly blocking my progress that forced me to stop. The guy, not much younger than me rolled down his electric passenger side window and yelled at me - "Hey Faget, get outta da way or I'll run you over!" in his heavy Brooklyn accent that startled me. I gave him the famous (or infamous) middle finger salute that came out of me as if it were a normal reflex.
He opened his door, got out and came around the front of the car muttering all kinds of obscenities. I got off the bike and leaned it against the passenger car door and took up the defensive close quarters combat stance I was taught by our DI at the 75th Infantry Regiment training base. Over the years I have used this tactic whenever I was physically threatened.
The guy was tall, overweight and smelled of stale cigarette smoke. When he came around and saw me standing my ground; he walked slowly backwards, moving back around to the drivers side of the car. He opened the car door, got in, waited until I moved my bike off the door and drove off. We never said a word to each other during the confrontation. As the car pulled away, I just stood there watching the New York license plate disappear around the corner, thinking that I may be a victim of a hit and run later that afternoon. Luckily, I never saw him again.
This happens as we all know, but we should never let ourselves become victims of careless or senseless drivers. We have to confront them either with a smile on our faces or a clenched fist ready to strike.
Ride hard, ride safe.
J.
I ride in the Sun Coast of Florida and in my riverside city there are a number roads that have bicycle lanes clearly marked for us.
We have people here from all over the Northern States that we call "Snow Birds" and they flock here once the bitter cold takes hold of their areas.
I am an avid cyclist that ride a 1984 Motobecane Mirage Sport I restored. My riding attire is the "era correct" Motobecane-La Redoute Jersey and tights.
I am New York City born, raised, educated and an ex-Ranger that served in the Indochina Conflict.
I am a heterosexual New York Liberal and respect all people regardless of their sexual preferences, religion, national origin or race. . . so here goes my story. . .
I was starting to pedal across an intersection after having stopped for the red light. When I was one quarter way into the intersection, a car pulled up to my side, slightly blocking my progress that forced me to stop. The guy, not much younger than me rolled down his electric passenger side window and yelled at me - "Hey Faget, get outta da way or I'll run you over!" in his heavy Brooklyn accent that startled me. I gave him the famous (or infamous) middle finger salute that came out of me as if it were a normal reflex.
He opened his door, got out and came around the front of the car muttering all kinds of obscenities. I got off the bike and leaned it against the passenger car door and took up the defensive close quarters combat stance I was taught by our DI at the 75th Infantry Regiment training base. Over the years I have used this tactic whenever I was physically threatened.
The guy was tall, overweight and smelled of stale cigarette smoke. When he came around and saw me standing my ground; he walked slowly backwards, moving back around to the drivers side of the car. He opened the car door, got in, waited until I moved my bike off the door and drove off. We never said a word to each other during the confrontation. As the car pulled away, I just stood there watching the New York license plate disappear around the corner, thinking that I may be a victim of a hit and run later that afternoon. Luckily, I never saw him again.
This happens as we all know, but we should never let ourselves become victims of careless or senseless drivers. We have to confront them either with a smile on our faces or a clenched fist ready to strike.
Ride hard, ride safe.
J.
#80
Senior Member
Parking space as in street parking next to a single wide sidewalk. I’m sitting on the single wide sidewalk with my feet over the edge of the curb and my bike and parts on the sidewalk. Car starts backing into the space while I’m sitting on the curb. I should also point out there are plenty of other spaces available in the area, he could have chosen from 10 other spaces. But he chose to back into me. Now it takes me all of 10 minutes max to change out a flat even on a back wheel. So if for some bizarre reason he absolutely positively needed to be in that space and not one of the 10 others available in the area then fine, I could have picked up all of my stuff and moved to another spot to accommodate this guy. But he could have asked first before just backing into me.
#81
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Melbourne, Oz
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519 Posts
The concept of what is intelligence is an interesting question. For example, how to measure the math or music prodigy or the kid doing calculus at 8 y.o. and who graduates college at 12. My own take is that intelligence is in part used to anticipate consequences of a situation that has not yet occurred. This is often called wisdom.
A highly intelligent person isn't necessarily particularly wise; they may make terrible life choices due to various factors, but the thing that makes them intelligent is the ability to solve the sort of problems that can be explicitly defined on paper that would melt a normal person's brain. The sort of problems that wisdom deals with are usually more vague and fuzzy than that, and tend to require a more intuitive approach than stepwise rationality.
#83
Two events, One day apart...
One: 18 wheeler approaching from behind, 30 mph, uphill curve to the right, little to no pavement past the white line. Drives me off the road, onto a grassy bank. I bailed before the trailer span clipped me in the shoulder/neck area. Not injured, but couldn't catch the truck at the next light.
Two: same route today...the stretch is after my ride, 1/4 mile from house...
Guy in a pick-up with his passenger window down driving along beside me.
Tells me he got a picture of the truck, and if I pull over he'd send it to my email.
I thanked him, but declined.
Not shy today: took the lane.
Two: same route today...the stretch is after my ride, 1/4 mile from house...
Guy in a pick-up with his passenger window down driving along beside me.
Tells me he got a picture of the truck, and if I pull over he'd send it to my email.
I thanked him, but declined.
Not shy today: took the lane.
Last edited by chainwhip; 09-10-19 at 06:43 PM.
#84
Senior Member
One: 18 wheeler approaching from behind, 30 mph, uphill curve to the right, little to no pavement past the white line. Drives me off the road, onto a grassy bank. I bailed before the trailer span clipped me in the shoulder/neck area. Not injured, but couldn't catch the truck at the next light.
Two: same route today...the stretch is after my ride, 1/4 mile from house...
Guy in a pick-up with his passenger window down driving along beside me.
Tells me he got a picture of the truck, and if I pull over he'd send it to my email.
I thanked him, but declined.
Not shy today: took the lane.
Two: same route today...the stretch is after my ride, 1/4 mile from house...
Guy in a pick-up with his passenger window down driving along beside me.
Tells me he got a picture of the truck, and if I pull over he'd send it to my email.
I thanked him, but declined.
Not shy today: took the lane.
#88
Senior Member