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(11-02-2016, 09:09 PM)Elmira Guy Wrote: Part me of hopes that some day one of these drivers will get out to confront me on these hand gestures. Little do they realise how much disdain I have for drivers who disregard laws and willingly put others at risk. It would get ugly.
The problem with this is that you're at a bit of a disadvantage given that they have a car at their disposal. I remember one time, I slapped the rear window of some kind of SUV as it rolled through a stop sign, making a right, not having looked for me because I was "downstream" and the driver was looking left. The driver made a U-Turn, stopped, got out, said he was going to 'f-ing kill' me and yadda yadda. I replied, obviously, but then when I kept on my merry way, he got back into his car and followed me (the wrong way down a one-way, no less), all the while yelling about killing me and- most ridiculously- that the vehicle was a "2014" (I'm serious). Nuts. And, I can say, fairly stressful.
Anyway, I'm with you on traffic cams. They're cheap. I'm as concerned about privacy as anyone else, but we can put safeguards in place to make sure the recordings aren't improperly used. There's not much downside, unless you happen to be someone who dislikes stopping for stop signs.
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Yes, some people don't seem to take so well to it being pointed out they came close to killing someone. That being said, I experience far less road rage as a pedestrian than I do as a cyclist.
As for privacy, I'm not sure why anyone believes they have an expectation of privacy on a public road.
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I have to agree that the road rage I get on bicycle is on a different order than what I get on foot.
Not everyone thinks about privacy the same way, and I don't want to get off topic. But, if you support traffic cameras, saying "I'm not sure why anyone believes they have an expectation of privacy on a public road" is not going to help convince people with privacy concerns that we should use them.
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As someone who bikes all around the city, I agree that drivers need to be more aware of folks on bikes and on foot. At least twice a week I find myself in a situation that results in much eye-rolling, but I ride defensively enough now to avoid near misses for the most part.
But what is all of this nonsense about slapping cars and banging on hoods/hatches? If that was my car, i'd be pissed. All you're doing is escalating the situation, which makes you no better in my mind than the road-rage guys out there.
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(11-03-2016, 08:43 AM)Section ThirtyOne Wrote: But what is all of this nonsense about slapping cars and banging on hoods/hatches? If that was my car, i'd be pissed. All you're doing is escalating the situation, which makes you no better in my mind than the road-rage guys out there.
At least in my case, I'm doing it to get someone's attention. When you're on foot, you don't have a horn or other ways to get a motorist's attention.
Why would you get pissed off if someone slaps the hood of your car- to make sure you noticed that person, or for whatever other reason? There's almost no possibility he damaged your car.
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If someone touched my car I'd sure as hell get out and yell at them. Would you like someone slapping your backpack or kicking the tire on your bike?
100% agreed that escalating the situation with swearing and damaging people's personal property is not the solution. Certainly not a Canadian one!
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To many people, their vehicle is an extension of their self. When you slap the hood of a car, it's like you're slapping the person. So I can see why they might become upset.
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11-03-2016, 09:37 AM
(This post was last modified: 11-03-2016, 09:38 AM by MidTowner.)
(11-03-2016, 09:27 AM)Canard Wrote: If someone touched my car I'd sure as hell get out and yell at them. Would you like someone slapping your backpack or kicking the tire on your bike?
I expect you know how it's different to slap the hood of a car to get a driver's attention, versus kicking the tire of a bicycle. When someone's on foot, you can talk to them. That's not often the case when someone's in the car.
I'm really wondering why you would yell at someone who touched your car. What would you yell?
Edit: Just read timc's comment saying "To many people, their vehicle is an extension of their self." That's a bizarre notion, but I expect you're right. I hope most people don't really feel that way.
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11-03-2016, 09:50 AM
(This post was last modified: 11-03-2016, 09:53 AM by Elmira Guy.)
Slapping someone's car or yelling at them hardly strikes me as comparable in it's severity to being clipped or even a near miss by a driver.
I once ended up on the hood of a car when the driver started going forward while I was walking right in front of him in the crosswalk at a stop sign. I had no idea I was in the wrong for yelling at him. Adrenalin and fear are an odd combination and clear thinking doesn't enter into it sometimes.
Doesn't strike me as very Canadian either to look a pedestrian in the eye and then deliberately and knowingly break the law and nearly hit the pedestrian. But I guess there will always be different views of what's acceptable and what isn't.
And I stand by my opinion and think traffic cams at the busier intersections would be a great idea. The only logical (though not legitimate) argument that can be made against them is by those who are most guilty of breaking the laws. Hardly a compelling reason not to do so.
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It's a $30,000 piece of delicate equipment that I take very good care of, that's why.
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And I would like to take care of my health and existence.
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It's "delicate"? So, if someone slaps the hood with a bare hand, what, it could break apart?
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I was raised to respect other people's property and have the expectation that they'll do the same.
I guess living in a big city, those rural values don't apply.
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I wonder what would happen to the car if it actually struck a pedestrian? Would it damage it?
If the car is such an all important extension of the driver, you think they might give more consideration to not hitting a pedestrian and causing damage to their extended self. I mean that's what's important.
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11-03-2016, 09:58 AM
(This post was last modified: 11-03-2016, 09:59 AM by Elmira Guy.)
I was raised to respect other people's well-being, and to obey the laws. Yet it seems that to some here what they find most offensive is the actions of the person who is almost/was hit by a driver breaking the law.
I guess the values I was raised to respect aren't shared by everyone.
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