http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LessIsMore/message/6255  currently is:

From: gbarrett@ccil.org 
Date: Thu Dec 5, 2002 11:56 pm
Subject: Re: [LessIsMore] My husband is becoming a fanatic

"A woman was standing outside the door smoking a cigarette. "Isn't it too cold 
to be riding a bicycle?" she asked incredulously. My husband, who took 
etiquette lessons on the web from David, said, "Obviously not. I'm *here*, 
aren't I?""

Good story, Diane. I think it interesting that a woman is standing outside in 
the cold -- just standing, SMOKING (which actually reduces blood flow to the 
extremities) -- and questioning whether someone ELSE should be exercising 
(riding a bicycle) in the cold. 

About your husband's being in the right as a pedestrian, you might ask your 
husband if he would like that engraved on his gravestone should a similar 
situation arise again. But you might check your highway laws first. In our 
area, a biker on a public road must observe most laws of the highway that 
automobile drivers observe -- including who has the right of way. 

Gary Barrett 

Quoting "Fitzsimmons, Diane" <dcfitzsimmons@ou.edu>:

> Yes, another my-husband-is-riding-a-bicycle story.
> 
> I've noticed more and more that my husband is really getting into his
> bicycle. He's starting to display all the worst characteristics of an
> arrogant driver -- and I'm exaggerating only a little.
> 
> Last week we were making a shopping trip. I was on my bike; he was on his
> bike and pulling the empty trailer. We tend to be like "pedestrians" (on
> sidewalks and using crosswalks) in really heavy and fast traffic. We
> crossed the east-west crosswalk, and then my husband immediately made a
> right turn and went across the north-south crosswalk. The traffic all ways
> was at a stop, as it was supposed to be a left-turn-only time. When my
> husband began across the north-south crosswalk, there was no car in the
> left-hand lane. But by the time he was about halfway across, here came
> a car. The driver was extremely perturbed at having to stop for him and
> honked at him
> 
> When I eventually caught up with him, I asked him whose fault that was. 
> "It doesn't matter. Pedestrians always have the right of way."
> 
> "That is not much comfort when the other person is driving a two-ton
> car."
> 
> "If they hit me, it will be their fault."
> 
> "Yes! But you'll be dead! You're starting to sound like those fanatics
> on the car-free list-serv who think any driver who causes a vehicular
> death should be charged with first-degree murder."
> 
> My husband was intrigued by that idea and asked to know more. I explained
> that these people believe that causing a vehicular death was similar to
> a person who waves a gun around and shoots it in a crowd. The person may
> not have intended any deaths but was showing such lack of regard for human
> life it was still first degree.
> 
> I noticed a gleam in his eye. That means it's an idea he is rolling
> around in his head.
> 
> Yesterday he *was* hit by a car, although it was definitely not his fault.
> A cable-guy truck just rolled into him at a stop. Neither my husband or
> the bike was hurt, but you better believe I've been onto him to be careful.
> 
> But it is a tension out there when riding a bike. It seems like some
> drivers are *too* careful -- such as sitting and sitting and sitting even
> though it's their turn to go and then motioning you to go on -- while
> others are too eager to get past us -- rolling a stop so they can get a
> jump on getting past a bicycle.
> 
> And I must admit I am getting tired of people like the one in this story
> my husband told me today. It's in the 30s and pretty nasty out, but my
> husband rode the bike to the library. A woman was standing outside the door
> smoking a cigarette. "Isn't it too cold to be riding a bicycle?" she asked
> incredulously. My husband, who took etiquette lessons on the web from
> David, said, "Obviously not. I'm *here*, aren't I?"
> 
> I often get questions like that from co-workers. "You're not going to
> ride in this weather, are you?"
> 
> I don't know if I mentioned that my husband has lost 8 pounds since he
> began riding, so he has even more motivation.
> 
> I will keep you posted.
> 
> Diane Fitzsimmons
> Norman, Okla.
> 

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