> Perhaps cyclists had tried, but they had all been run over.
I'm an American cyclist, and I'm trying to do my part commuting to work by bike.
But I got whacked in the elbow a few weeks ago by the mirror of a car who was offended by having to slow down briefly and go around me... I'd say that 75% of drivers are conscientious, crossing over when there's a gap in the opposite lane to give me more than the 5 feet of space required by local laws (3 feet required by state law). Another 20% don't have a clue what to do around a cyclist and either white-knuckle past me close by, with a shouted "sorry" with their wheel just on the centerline (and no one in the opposite lane) follow a car's length behind my wheel for a mile (at 15-20 mph on 35, 45, or 55mph roads, building a traffic jam of frustrated other motorists who are far more likely to drive aggressively).
Some 5% are actively hostile. I've been whacked in the butt and shoulder by mirrors of people trying to run me off the road, had half-empty beer cans thrown at me, been enveloped many times in the black smoke off of one of many diesel mall-crawlers with the tuner kit that allows them to "roll coal" when they step on the throttle. Some shout "get off the road" as if my road bike would work in the ditch.
I think it's what needs to be done, so I'm doing my part because I'm an able, healthy adult, but it's definitely an activist/enthusiast thing, not a reasonable solution for the vast majority of my state who use 5,000 lbs of steel to move 200 lbs of human to work and back. I will say that I'm happy to see more e-bikes on the handful of trails in the area (yes, even when driven by people who don't know proper etiquette and who are using throttle-only on trails that are supposed to be non-motorized), because it means you don't have to have a VO2 max of 50+ mL/kg/min or an FTP of 3 W/kg to get out of the car.
I've been reading "The Ministry for the Future" by Kim Stanley Robinson. It's inspiring, but what strikes me the most is how unreasonable it is. Floridians and Americans and Europeans alike simply do not respond rationally to the reality of climate change.
PS:
> Moving to Mars is a pipedream for 99.9999% of the population.
I think you're missing a few nines there, multiplying by 8 billion suggests that 8,000 humans could reasonably live on Mars. I'd love to see a manned mission of 2-5 astronauts (supported by a nation-state or international effort) get some science done on Mars within my lifetime, but the idea of an elites-only glass dome city being erected on Mars for billionaires to run away to while Earth wastes away is not even close to reasonable.
> I think it's what needs to be done, so I'm doing my part because I'm an able, healthy adult, but it's definitely an activist/enthusiast thing, not a reasonable solution for the vast majority of my state who use 5,000 lbs of steel to move 200 lbs of human to work and back.
Thank you for being part of the solution. I am 100% sincere, not facetious. This is a tragedy of the commons, and american leadership has no courage for top down intervention. The only thing left to do is that the good ones will wrestle the solution out of the ground with their own bare hands.
Anecdata: I used to cycle and run a lot, even went through a phase of biking to work ~14 miles.
It seems to be that the wealthier the area you're in, the more people think you as a pedestrian should yield to them, even if you are in a crosswalk at a stop sign and they are trying to blow the stop sign.
Less wealthy areas, people watch out and seem more courteous of cyclists and people on foot.
There were some scientific studies done that support exactly what you suggest. People in expensive cars are less likely to yield. However the research may have been done by some of the behaviour economists recently busted for cheating. ;0)
I'm not sure that's accurate across the board. I live in a very violent, very poor area of the city and the drivers here are very aggressive and rude towards cyclists.
> the idea of an elites-only glass dome city being erected on Mars for billionaires to run away to while Earth wastes away is not even close to reasonable.
Wait, I thought that was the plan to get rid of them? They can have their red wasteland and we can finally have peace on earth.
Didn’t that movie push conspiracy theorists as the only ones to believe and trust? If I remember well the media, government and scientific establishment were all onboard the “don’t look up” train. Only two crazy mistrusted psychos running around telling everybody “the end is nigh”.
Not sure this was the best message in this day and age. Pretty funny movie otherwise.
I'm curious: what was the message you took from it? Who should you trust when all the media, politicians, President, scientists, billionaires - they all tell you something. And only a couple of disgruntled, cancelled ex-scientists on YouTube tell you something else.
The message I took away, is that we are screwed as long as we continue to let those with power make decisions based off their short term interests. 'genius' billionaires especially.
I think you misunderstand human nature. The problem isn't them. They problem is us. That is, it's humans in general, not just the billionaires.
If all the billionaires left for Mars, we would not have peace on earth. We'd have a bunch of people fighting tooth and nail to be the ones to replace them.
Ah, I see. Well, there was no /s tag, and I've seen similar views here stated seriously - that it's all the elites' fault, and if we could get rid of them, we'd have paradise. So... yes, I misunderstood.
Also a cyclist / commuter. I spend 10-12+ hours a week on my bike. It's wild out there. I follow all the laws, including Colorado's safety stop law. And I get yelled at constantly. Meanwhile every Ram 3500/F-350 that's rolling coal and jacked 3 miles in the air is going 95MPH in a 45, blasting through red lights and stop signs and turning right in front of me. I also love how I'm simultaneously an "elitist cyclist" and "too poor to drive" I get both of those yelled at me all the time, sometimes from the same person. There's also a clear "othering" of cyclists campaign going on. Everyone from Barstool sports to rightwing commentators are joking constantly about how it would be fun to run over cyclists, how cyclists deserve to die, etc...
Just yesterday, I was riding through the town of Morrison in the foothills outside Denver heading towards the mountains. I came up to a red light, stopped and then continued because it was clear. A few seconds later a Camaro with a ~65YO guy pulls up next to me and this guy is fucking livid. Red face, yelling, and the first thing I hear clearly is "I'm gonna smear you on this bumper f***t." I ignore and continue on and wee hit another red light, he's in the left turn lane. He continues to berate me, I ignore him, and he turns and I continue on. But I see that he turns left but immediately pulls an illegal u-turn into the grass and is using the oncoming traffic exit to re-enter the road. I forget to mention that a cop was also at the last light next to me. I just stopped, waved frantically at the cop and started pointing at the wacko. Thankfully, the cop stopped. Had they not been there not sure what I would've done.
As a Brit in the USA, I find drivers here much less agreeable to cyclists. They will often drive aggressively towards me and there is an awful lot of honking.
One driver caused me to come off badly the other day and mash my face into the road pretty badly.
I'm an American cyclist, and I'm trying to do my part commuting to work by bike.
But I got whacked in the elbow a few weeks ago by the mirror of a car who was offended by having to slow down briefly and go around me... I'd say that 75% of drivers are conscientious, crossing over when there's a gap in the opposite lane to give me more than the 5 feet of space required by local laws (3 feet required by state law). Another 20% don't have a clue what to do around a cyclist and either white-knuckle past me close by, with a shouted "sorry" with their wheel just on the centerline (and no one in the opposite lane) follow a car's length behind my wheel for a mile (at 15-20 mph on 35, 45, or 55mph roads, building a traffic jam of frustrated other motorists who are far more likely to drive aggressively).
Some 5% are actively hostile. I've been whacked in the butt and shoulder by mirrors of people trying to run me off the road, had half-empty beer cans thrown at me, been enveloped many times in the black smoke off of one of many diesel mall-crawlers with the tuner kit that allows them to "roll coal" when they step on the throttle. Some shout "get off the road" as if my road bike would work in the ditch.
I think it's what needs to be done, so I'm doing my part because I'm an able, healthy adult, but it's definitely an activist/enthusiast thing, not a reasonable solution for the vast majority of my state who use 5,000 lbs of steel to move 200 lbs of human to work and back. I will say that I'm happy to see more e-bikes on the handful of trails in the area (yes, even when driven by people who don't know proper etiquette and who are using throttle-only on trails that are supposed to be non-motorized), because it means you don't have to have a VO2 max of 50+ mL/kg/min or an FTP of 3 W/kg to get out of the car.
I've been reading "The Ministry for the Future" by Kim Stanley Robinson. It's inspiring, but what strikes me the most is how unreasonable it is. Floridians and Americans and Europeans alike simply do not respond rationally to the reality of climate change.
PS:
> Moving to Mars is a pipedream for 99.9999% of the population.
I think you're missing a few nines there, multiplying by 8 billion suggests that 8,000 humans could reasonably live on Mars. I'd love to see a manned mission of 2-5 astronauts (supported by a nation-state or international effort) get some science done on Mars within my lifetime, but the idea of an elites-only glass dome city being erected on Mars for billionaires to run away to while Earth wastes away is not even close to reasonable.