http://austinontwowheels.org/2008/11/19/lets-get-visible/ The Online Magazine of Austin Cycling Culture Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:34:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://austinontwowheels.org/2008/11/19/lets-get-visible/comment-page-1/#comment-1439 Dumbest Product of the Week- 20th Edition | Austin Bike Blog Fri, 23 Jan 2009 22:50:59 +0000 http://austinbikeblog.org/?p=1562#comment-1439 [...] in one product. Now I’m all for visibility. Light yourself up like a Christmas tree and get visible. I’m not sure lasers shooting on the ground is going to work in the real world, but if they [...] [...] in one product. Now I’m all for visibility. Light yourself up like a Christmas tree and get visible. I’m not sure lasers shooting on the ground is going to work in the real world, but if they [...]

]]> http://austinontwowheels.org/2008/11/19/lets-get-visible/comment-page-1/#comment-751 Dave Hughes Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:00:53 +0000 http://austinbikeblog.org/?p=1562#comment-751 Sometimes, it doesn't seem to matter much how visible you are in the dark. Being well-lit doesn't protect you from ingorant motorists who seem to think that cyclists have to yield to cars in any circumstance. On my way to work in the norning, I pass in front of some apartments where this one woman invariably pulls out right in front of me, looking right at me (and my very well-lighted bike), apparently believing that although I actually have the right of way traveling down the street when she's pulling out of a driveway, that I'm the one who should stop, FOR HER. The last time, I stopped right in front of her car (she finally stopped when it became apparent that I wasn't stopping to let her out of the driveway), and yelled right at her, "STOP, Dammit!!!" Being well-lighted is a good thing (as well as being the law), but we still have to be on guard against driver ignorance and mustn't let ourselves get a false sense of security from our visibility. Sometimes, it doesn’t seem to matter much how visible you are in the dark. Being well-lit doesn’t protect you from ingorant motorists who seem to think that cyclists have to yield to cars in any circumstance.
On my way to work in the norning, I pass in front of some apartments where this one woman invariably pulls out right in front of me, looking right at me (and my very well-lighted bike), apparently believing that although I actually have the right of way traveling down the street when she’s pulling out of a driveway, that I’m the one who should stop, FOR HER. The last time, I stopped right in front of her car (she finally stopped when it became apparent that I wasn’t stopping to let her out of the driveway), and yelled right at her, “STOP, Dammit!!!”
Being well-lighted is a good thing (as well as being the law), but we still have to be on guard against driver ignorance and mustn’t let ourselves get a false sense of security from our visibility.

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