Friday, October 01, 2010

In the news 10/01/2010

From the Dallas News:
Dallas woman critically injured when bicycle hits her on Katy Trail

Click here for the article while it lasts.
I'm not sure but I think that the cyclist was going way to effing fast if the woman suffered critical injuries. In the comments, someone said the woman passed away this morning. If that's true, I think there should be some form of prosecution. Cyclists want the respect and authority to ride on the streets. They should be subject to similar laws as automobiles. Basically, it could be something like negligent homicide. Yes, the jogger had on headphones but if it was a car, he'd be cited for the speeding therefore showing negligence.

At the same time, whenever I bike or walk (I hate to jog), I almost always turn to see what is coming behind me, beside me or anywhere around me for my own safety and protection. Like another commenter said, "We are surrounded by foolish people, so arm yourself with that knowledge and always play it safer. Look around you. Pay attention."

In my experience, the cyclist always thinks he/she has some God-given right to be an ass on the road/trails. It could be the cyclist minority but it seems that I am always around that minority. I've also seen tons of cyclists hauling ass on the Katy Trail.

A little tangent: Why is a person a called a cyclist when they ride a bike instead of a rider because they are riding the bike? Why not like a jogger when they jog? A swimmer when they swim or a runner when they run? Do you see the point? When you are a doer doing something the typical add on is "er," but not a cyclist. Is it dependent on the level of expertise that is required to do the activity? Like a pianist, cellist, vocalist, scientist, dentist, protagonist...do these all require some sort of special knowledge, how-to, and skill? I don't think there is something special about a cyclist compared to a runner. I don't know. Just a thought that popped into meesa head while commenting on the story.


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