Re: When are you too old to drive?

Brian Nystrom wrote:

> > When they come to stop signs they just blow right through them, one
after
> > another.  Most of them don't even slow down.   I almost hit a single
> > cyclist with my car last fall at a four way stop. I came to a stop and
then
> > started to go, assuming that he was going to stop. He didn't.  A few
weeks
> > early an entire gaggle of old cyclist blew a stop sign and pulled
right in
> > front of me. To make matters worse, they puled right out into the far
left
> > to make a left turn, and then one of the dumb bastards yelled at me
for
> > honking at them.
> >
> There's no excuse for them being stupid and inconsiderate. I admit that
> I don't always follow the law when I'm out riding, but I would never do
> what you describe, as I value my life more than that.


I will admit to running the odd stop sign too. I slow down and drop a gear
or two. If there are no cars in sight I will keep going. If there is a car
at or approaching the intersection I come to a full stop.  For a cyclist
to
blow a stop sign when there are cars around is downright suicidal, and I
have seen the results of a few collisions between bikes and cars. The cars
always win. FWIW... about 10 years ago I was hit by a lady who pulled out
in front of me at a stop sign. She was turning on to the road I was on.
She
stopped at the stop sign. I hd no sign. I signalled my turn and was
halfway
around when the old biddy pulled out. He thought it was my fault saying "I
stopped and yielded the right of way and you pulled in front of me while I
was executing my turn."

Lucky for me I was not hurt.  My big was a mess, but I was okay. The other
collisions I have seen always seem to leave the cyclists bloodied.