The Off Topic Topic

[mongers]

bicyclists are glorified pedestrian and we should treat them as such. Motorcyclists atleast have some power to build speed.

Bicyclists are way faster than pedestrians. Can't really treat them exactly the same.

Outside city centers, in a car traffic, there is no practical difference between a man walking on the road, or cycling. I'd go as far as saying a pedestrian on the edge of the road would block traffic less. yet, people are not allowed to walk there. Cyclists are free to create their own personalised traffic jams though.

Tamas now that you're a permanent resident in the UK you should read the highway code to understand more fully how our roads work. A few important points:

Pedestrians, horse riders and a few other categories have an absolute right to use public roads (other than motorways), all other users only have a license to use them.

You'll find pedestrians walking in any type of road, they're advised by the code to not walk in the direction of traffic but on the opposite side of the road, so as to walk against the flow of traffic and be able to react to bad driving.

The upshot of this is if you hit a pedestrian with your car, in practice the onus is on you to demonstrate your innocence/they were at fault and often a resulting conviction will be a criminal one rather than solely a 'motoring' offence.

So don't go hacking along country lanes and assume other users have to get out of your way and the 'law' or the 'rule' of the majority is behind you. 

Practically one should always defer to the most vulnerable road users.

[Ed Anger]

Last day of school for the kids this school year. Yay I guess.

[derspiess]

Last day of school for the kids this school year. Yay I guess.

Ours was yesterday.  I've got Tommy enrolled in every sports camp I can find.

[Ed Anger]

I'm judging your parenting. :p:

[Barrister]

Last day of school for the kids this school year. Yay I guess.

Slackers.  Ours go to the end of June.

[Tamas]

bicyclists are glorified pedestrian and we should treat them as such. Motorcyclists atleast have some power to build speed.

Bicyclists are way faster than pedestrians. Can't really treat them exactly the same.

Outside city centers, in a car traffic, there is no practical difference between a man walking on the road, or cycling. I'd go as far as saying a pedestrian on the edge of the road would block traffic less. yet, people are not allowed to walk there. Cyclists are free to create their own personalised traffic jams though.

Tamas now that you're a permanent resident in the UK you should read the highway code to understand more fully how our roads work. A few important points:

Pedestrians, horse riders and a few other categories have an absolute right to use public roads (other than motorways), all other users only have a license to use them.

You'll find pedestrians walking in any type of road, they're advised by the code to not walk in the direction of traffic but on the opposite side of the road, so as to walk against the flow of traffic and be able to react to bad driving.

The upshot of this is if you hit a pedestrian with your car, in practice the onus is on you to demonstrate your innocence/they were at fault and often a resulting conviction will be a criminal one rather than solely a 'motoring' offence.

So don't go hacking along country lanes and assume other users have to get out of your way and the 'law' or the 'rule' of the majority is behind you. 

Practically one should always defer to the most vulnerable road users.

Yeah I used the wrong word for "not let" to walk on roads, of course the rules are pretty much the same in Hungary as well. Yet nobody in their right mind walk among the cars unless they have to.

And while of course I am taking great care when driving not to hurt anyone, let alone pedestrians or cyclists (my driving nightmare is very much one of those people doing something crazy, ending up under my car, and I am facing jail), I have this personal philosophical opposition to cycling on regular roads.

Basically, it's like how some pedestrians here step down on the road/street to cross without looking around very much. I was explained this is because it's on the car driver if they hit you. Which is true (though I am hoping circumstances are checked, and car drivers don't get into trouble for pedestrians jumping off from sidewalks to in front of them as they pass, for example), sure, but still, you are taking your own safety/life and putting it into the hands of some random strangers who happen to be speeding around with a ton of metal.

It is inevitable to rely on other people's attention and common sense to avoid being hurt, of course, but I like to limit that to the minimum. If you join dozens of cars (just in your immediate area/line of sight) on a bicycle, you are entirely at their mercy - if they don't pay attention, you are dead. And that's true even when you are keeping to all the rules, which many cyclists don't do.

[Camerus]

Last day of school for the kids this school year. Yay I guess.

When do they go back?  In Canuckistan, summer holidays are usually from the end of June to Labour Day.

[mongers]

bicyclists are glorified pedestrian and we should treat them as such. Motorcyclists atleast have some power to build speed.

Bicyclists are way faster than pedestrians. Can't really treat them exactly the same.

Outside city centers, in a car traffic, there is no practical difference between a man walking on the road, or cycling. I'd go as far as saying a pedestrian on the edge of the road would block traffic less. yet, people are not allowed to walk there. Cyclists are free to create their own personalised traffic jams though.

Tamas now that you're a permanent resident in the UK you should read the highway code to understand more fully how our roads work. A few important points:

Pedestrians, horse riders and a few other categories have an absolute right to use public roads (other than motorways), all other users only have a license to use them.

You'll find pedestrians walking in any type of road, they're advised by the code to not walk in the direction of traffic but on the opposite side of the road, so as to walk against the flow of traffic and be able to react to bad driving.

The upshot of this is if you hit a pedestrian with your car, in practice the onus is on you to demonstrate your innocence/they were at fault and often a resulting conviction will be a criminal one rather than solely a 'motoring' offence.

So don't go hacking along country lanes and assume other users have to get out of your way and the 'law' or the 'rule' of the majority is behind you. 

Practically one should always defer to the most vulnerable road users.

Yeah I used the wrong word for "not let" to walk on roads, of course the rules are pretty much the same in Hungary as well. Yet nobody in their right mind walk among the cars unless they have to.

And while of course I am taking great care when driving not to hurt anyone, let alone pedestrians or cyclists (my driving nightmare is very much one of those people doing something crazy, ending up under my car, and I am facing jail), I have this personal philosophical opposition to cycling on regular roads.

Basically, it's like how some pedestrians here step down on the road/street to cross without looking around very much. I was explained this is because it's on the car driver if they hit you. Which is true (though I am hoping circumstances are checked, and car drivers don't get into trouble for pedestrians jumping off from sidewalks to in front of them as they pass, for example), sure, but still, you are taking your own safety/life and putting it into the hands of some random strangers who happen to be speeding around with a ton of metal.

It is inevitable to rely on other people's attention and common sense to avoid being hurt, of course, but I like to limit that to the minimum. If you join dozens of cars (just in your immediate area/line of sight) on a bicycle, you are entirely at their mercy - if they don't pay attention, you are dead. And that's true even when you are keeping to all the rules, which many cyclists don't do.

Well I wasn't talking about cyclists but pedestrians, the most vulnerable road users, the one's we're all legally obliged to look out for and in many circumstance defer to, for instance when they're crossing T-junctions.

Not at all sure what the emboldened part means? 

All you have to do is follow the laws relating to roads and adhere to the highway code:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Official-Highway-Code-Department-Transport/dp/0115528148

[Barrister]

As a transit user I look down my nose at both cyclists and drivers.  Why drive (or pedal) to work when someone else is willing to do it for you?  More time to read books / nap / listen to music for me!

[Tonitrus]

Meh, pedestrians are just as bad.

If not even the jaywalkers, it's those people that feel the need to practically lean out into the street while waiting for the "Walk" light.  One step back ain't going to make you miss it dude.

[CountDeMoney]

Fuck motorcyclists and their bullshit MC colors abd 1% code.  Seen enough of them scraped up with a putty knife and a contractor bag.

[Tamas]

bicyclists are glorified pedestrian and we should treat them as such. Motorcyclists atleast have some power to build speed.

Bicyclists are way faster than pedestrians. Can't really treat them exactly the same.

Outside city centers, in a car traffic, there is no practical difference between a man walking on the road, or cycling. I'd go as far as saying a pedestrian on the edge of the road would block traffic less. yet, people are not allowed to walk there. Cyclists are free to create their own personalised traffic jams though.

Tamas now that you're a permanent resident in the UK you should read the highway code to understand more fully how our roads work. A few important points:

Pedestrians, horse riders and a few other categories have an absolute right to use public roads (other than motorways), all other users only have a license to use them.

You'll find pedestrians walking in any type of road, they're advised by the code to not walk in the direction of traffic but on the opposite side of the road, so as to walk against the flow of traffic and be able to react to bad driving.

The upshot of this is if you hit a pedestrian with your car, in practice the onus is on you to demonstrate your innocence/they were at fault and often a resulting conviction will be a criminal one rather than solely a 'motoring' offence.

So don't go hacking along country lanes and assume other users have to get out of your way and the 'law' or the 'rule' of the majority is behind you. 

Practically one should always defer to the most vulnerable road users.

Yeah I used the wrong word for "not let" to walk on roads, of course the rules are pretty much the same in Hungary as well. Yet nobody in their right mind walk among the cars unless they have to.

And while of course I am taking great care when driving not to hurt anyone, let alone pedestrians or cyclists (my driving nightmare is very much one of those people doing something crazy, ending up under my car, and I am facing jail), I have this personal philosophical opposition to cycling on regular roads.

Basically, it's like how some pedestrians here step down on the road/street to cross without looking around very much. I was explained this is because it's on the car driver if they hit you. Which is true (though I am hoping circumstances are checked, and car drivers don't get into trouble for pedestrians jumping off from sidewalks to in front of them as they pass, for example), sure, but still, you are taking your own safety/life and putting it into the hands of some random strangers who happen to be speeding around with a ton of metal.

It is inevitable to rely on other people's attention and common sense to avoid being hurt, of course, but I like to limit that to the minimum. If you join dozens of cars (just in your immediate area/line of sight) on a bicycle, you are entirely at their mercy - if they don't pay attention, you are dead. And that's true even when you are keeping to all the rules, which many cyclists don't do.

Well I wasn't talking about cyclists but pedestrians, the most vulnerable road users, the one's we're all legally obliged to look out for and in many circumstance defer to, for instance when they're crossing T-junctions.

Not at all sure what the emboldened part means? 

All you have to do is follow the laws relating to roads and adhere to the highway code:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Official-Highway-Code-Department-Transport/dp/0115528148

What I mean is, when you are on your bike while cars are passing you, usually by inches because there's just no room for more, your life are 100% in the hands of those car drivers. One slip of concentration from one of them in the wrong moment and you are dead. At least in a car there is a range of scenarios for something going wrong, where you don't end up in hospital (and that's the lucky outcome)

[Grey Fox]

bicyclists are glorified pedestrian and we should treat them as such. Motorcyclists atleast have some power to build speed.

Bicyclists are way faster than pedestrians. Can't really treat them exactly the same.

why not? their speed is still much less than a car & the vulnerability remains the same.

[Savonarola]

And one for the art connoisseurs:

'Fearless Girl' joined briefly by 'Peeing Pug' statue

Fearless Girl and the Charging Bull were joined briefly on Monday morning by a third statue, a urinating dog.

The roughly-hewn pug, made partially out of papier mache, was relieving himself at Fearless Girl's feet.

The creator of "Peeing Pug," New York City artist Alex Gardega, wanted to draw attention to the fact that the Fearless Girl was commissioned by asset-manager State Street Global Advisors. The artist removed the statue after a few hours because "people were kicking it," and broke the pug's leg. The artist has since fixed the injury.

The Fearless Girl statue by artist Kristen Visbal was unveiled on March 7 and has been incredibly well received. Fans have flocked to her side to snap photos, and she's received tons of press coverage -- nearly all of which notes that the statue is backed by State Street.



Still, Gardega says not everyone is aware of the sponsorship. "I don't like when things of have a false front," he said.

Gardega adds that his dog was also meant to make a point on behalf of sculptor Arturo di Modica, who created the Charging Bull statue that stands opposite of Fearless Girl.
Related: Should 'Fearless Girl' stare down the Wall Street bull forever?

Di Modica argues that Fearless Girl is infringing on his copyright. Gardega doesn't know Di Modica personally, but was bothered by Fearless Girl's proximity to the Charging Bull.
"It's kind of like sticking something... in front of Michelangelo's David," he said. By having his pug pee on Fearless Girl, he was "showing what it was like to invade [the bull's] space."

Visbal did not immediately respond to requests for comment.



Gardega now plans to sell the repaired "Peeing Pug" on his website, Ten Dollar Art, for $10. Gardega, who says he has a problem with greed in the art world, spent $25 to make the statue. He says selling it for less is a statement in itself.

Ultimately, he worries that the Fearless Girl will be seen as comparable to the Wall Street bull, which was funded by Di Modica himself. "I would totally be pro [Fearless Girl] if it was done by some punk-rock artist," Gardega said. "That's not the case at all."

Gardega understands that Fearless Girl is important to people. "I did notice it made people happy, which is a good thing," he said. But he disagrees with the message he thinks Fearless Girl is sending. "I'm pro-feminist," he said, "but that's kind of corporate baloney feminism."

In a statement, a State Street spokesperson said "We continue to be grateful to the countless people around the world who... responded so enthusiastically to what the Fearless Girl represents -- the power and potential of having more women in leadership."

I don't understand contemporary art at all, but I thought selling out was the entire point. 

[garbon]

Reading more about Charging Bull and how it came about and what it meant for the artist, I think fearless girl is misplaced in her current location.