Bicyclists - Best way to punish drivers who endanger you

wrote:
> Matt O'Toole wrote:
> > Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
> >
> > > You might want to ask a Japanese what they think of the
roundeyes'
> > > burger breath some time ;-)
> >
> > This is true -- and of southeast Asians as well -- Vietnamese,
> Burmese, etc.
> > Their stereotype of Americans is that we're all stinky, dirty, fat
> slobs.
> >
> > The fat stereotype about us is pretty universal, actually, followed
> by loud and
> > rude.
>
> The "fat" stereotype is quite accurate, actually.
>
> The last time I was in Britain (for 9/11/01, as it turned out), I was
> struck by the difference in girth. Actually, I was struck when I
> returned to the states and waited at the airport for transportation.
> My business associate and I had just been hanging around a British
> airport, so our memories were fresh. The number of overweight
> Americans was appalling, by contrast with the British. And the
British
> press is claiming that _they_ are overweight!
>
> The more you sit, the wider you grow.


Yes Americans, are outrageously fat.
But I love there armchair's you can get two non-American people in one

armchair great for a romantic film and a quick ****.





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On Mon, 21 Feb 2005 12:42:34 -0500, "Matt O'Toole" >
wrote in message >:

>The fat stereotype about us is pretty universal, actually, followed by loud and
>rude.

Sadly true. The Aussies are steadily catching you up in the lard
stakes but for some reason the popular image of the Aussie is till the
Bondi beach bum.

I have a copy of Fat Land, scary stuff. And I must confess to having
watched a recent schlockumentary about Texas, apparently the fattest
state in the fattest country in the world. One guy is apparently an
eating champion, he eats more at each sitting than my entire family
get through in a day. And to hear a woman so obese that she can't
stand up complaining about discrimination against "people of size" -
well, it left me a bit bemused, I can tell you. Suddenly all those
protestations about "full-size cars" started to fall into place.

Still and all, just as most of the individual French people I know are
not, in fact, surly and rude, most of the Americans I know are
perfectly nice and not built like the Amoco Cadiz :-)

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:

> On Mon, 21 Feb 2005 12:15:55 -0600,

> (Matthew Russotto) wrote in message
> >:

>>> Bikes are fine for commuting. And picking up groceries and....
>> If you are willing to pick up one or two bags at a time.

> http://www.bikesandtrailers.com/bike-trailers/

> Now please stop telling us what we can't possibly do with our bikes.
> Or are you hoping that, one we're told things are obviously
> impossible, we'll stop doing them?

Here's some of the most impressive pedal powered hauling I've seen, at least in
North America:

http://www.pedalpeople.com/index.php?page=1

I've seen them around Northampton (my brother lives there). What really
impressed me was how fast they manage to go, hauling half a dozen full sized
trash cans.

In southeast Asia they do even better.

On a less extreme note, I have no trouble hauling a week's worth of groceries in
a backpack. Sometimes it takes two trips, but more because of different
shopping destinations or poor planning than carrying capability.

Most Americans consider a car a labor saving necessity, but seem to mindlessly
fill their evenings with endless trips to the store for one or two items.

Matt O.

Mon, 21 Feb 2005 18:57:23 +0000,
>,
"Just zis Guy, you know?" > wrote:

>>>Bikes are fine for commuting. And picking up groceries and....
>>If you are willing to pick up one or two bags at a time.
>
>http://www.bikesandtrailers.com/bike-trailers/
>
>Now please stop telling us what we can't possibly do with our bikes.
>Or are you hoping that, one we're told things are obviously
>impossible, we'll stop doing them?

Let's see him do this with his toy-car:
http://bikesatwork.com/hauling-cargo...rigerator.html

- in the snow
http://vic.gedris.org/pics/2002-11-30/index.html

Next month I'm going to help a friend move from the west side to the
east side. The first part of the trip is downhill but not the second
part though it does represent an overall elevation loss. We'll skirt
the highest point in the city rather than taking the most direct
route. It's about 12 kilometers, as the crow flies.
--
zk

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
> On Mon, 21 Feb 2005 12:42:34 -0500, "Matt O'Toole"
>
> wrote in message >:
>
> >The fat stereotype about us is pretty universal, actually, followed
by loud and
> >rude.
> ...
> Still and all, just as most of the individual French people I know
are
> not, in fact, surly and rude, most of the Americans I know are
> perfectly nice and not built like the Amoco Cadiz :-)

I agree - but we should recognize the selection bias at work here.

Many of my friends are members of our bike club. And my wife and I are
into outdoor activities in general - cycling, hiking, kayaking, etc.
We tend to find friends with similar interests, and these interests
tend to select for more active, thus slimmer, people.

The people I know outside that circle _are_ frequently overweight.
This includes a large percentage of college students, unfortunately.

As to loud and rude Americans - I wouldn't get to know them very well.
I try to stay away from them, just as I'd stay away from loud and rude
Brits, or whoever.

On Mon, 21 Feb 2005 13:14:57 -0600,
(Matthew Russotto) wrote in message
>:

>If you enjoy biking in near-freezing weather with melting snow and ice
>on the ground, you're a strange guy. But you also claim your sweat
>don't stink, so maybe you're just telling stories.

There you go again, assuming that your own lack of experience is a
more accurate guide than my experience. Do you have the same problem
with every activity you've never tried, I wonder?

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

Scott en Aztlán wrote:
[groups reset]
> On 21 Feb 2005 06:58:22 -0800, "Blake Dodson" >
> wrote:

>>No more than you are, you cross posting troll Jr.

> As opposed to the Troll Sr. that added "soc.culture.german" to the
> list of newsgroups?

Blake wasn't the one who added that group.

On 21 Feb 2005 11:28:12 -0800, in misc.transport.road "Philip
Davidson" > wrote:

>
wrote:
>> Matt O'Toole wrote:
>> > Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
>> >
>> > > You might want to ask a Japanese what they think of the
>roundeyes'
>> > > burger breath some time ;-)
>> >
>> > This is true -- and of southeast Asians as well -- Vietnamese,
>> Burmese, etc.
>> > Their stereotype of Americans is that we're all stinky, dirty, fat
>> slobs.
>> >
>> > The fat stereotype about us is pretty universal, actually, followed
>> by loud and
>> > rude.
>>
>> The "fat" stereotype is quite accurate, actually.
>>
>> The last time I was in Britain (for 9/11/01, as it turned out), I was
>> struck by the difference in girth. Actually, I was struck when I
>> returned to the states and waited at the airport for transportation.
>> My business associate and I had just been hanging around a British
>> airport, so our memories were fresh. The number of overweight
>> Americans was appalling, by contrast with the British. And the
>British
>> press is claiming that _they_ are overweight!
>>
>> The more you sit, the wider you grow.
>
>
>Yes Americans, are outrageously fat.
>But I love there armchair's you can get two non-American people in one
>
>armchair great for a romantic film and a quick ****.
>

You know, they make pills for that particular issue.

No longer do you have to face the shame of premature matriculation.

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:

> I don't have to shower when I get to
> the office *because I don't get smelly while cycling*.

I think that would only be true for me in the winter. Unfortunately, I
can't tolerate the resulting windchill when riding in temperatures less
than 5 C. Plus, my exercise induced asthma really acts up when it's
cold outside.

"Matthew Russotto" > wrote in message
...

> If you enjoy biking in near-freezing weather with melting snow and ice
> on the ground, you're a strange guy.

I enjoy riding in the summer more than the winter, but just because it's
winter doesn't mean I don't ride. You have to be prepared for it. Riding in
cold or wet weather takes a little practice and skill, just as it does for
driving a car.

There have been many times I've enjoyed riding in a cold driving rain. This
is somewhat acknowledged aroudn rbm as some of the more difficult weather to
dress for. I wouldn't want to ride all day in it -- lord knows, I've done my
share of 50 or 60 miles in that sort of slop -- but it's fun for the length
of a commute, especially at the end of the day. You've been sitting, warm
and logy in front of your computer all day at work. Now, you're in your
thermal tights and jacket, and as soon as you emerge on to the street, the
rain hits your face, the traffic is running, and you've got to wake up and
ride.

By the time you're home, you may be wet, but you're not cold or
uncomfortable. Into the hot shower you go, and facing the kids, dinner,
housework, and spouse are a much easier proposition than if you would have
taken all your work problems into the car with you, and driven home with
them.


--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm
Personal page: http://www.geocities.com/cpetersky/
See the books I've set free at:
http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky