I stop most mornings at Holey Bagel not because they are Holey-er than you, but because they have the best bagels in San Francisco.
This morning, I went in and a man I believe is the owner asked me about my bike. Well, he didn't ask me about my bike, he asked about biking.
"Let me ask you a question. When you ride your bike, do you have to follow the rules. If you don't can you get a ticket?"
"Of course you can get a ticket"
"Really?"
"Really"
"I see they are making a lot of the bike lanes for the bikes to ride in"
"Yes, it's good"
"Yes, that is good, very safe. Do you have to ride in the bike lane, or if you are not can they give you a ticket?"
"No, you don't have to ride in the bike lane"
"WHAT? Why not?"
"Because most of the time you have to go around a car double parked in the bike lane"
"WELL, THAT'S DIFFERENT. When there is not a car in the bike lane, you have to ride in the bike lane".
"No, you don't. There could be a pothole, you could be passing a bike, there could be any number of reasons you need to ride in the traffic lane".
I omitted "For example, I will be pulling out of the bike lane to run into the Bagel Bakery for a bagel from now on". Of course, there is no bike lane on Townsend Street where the Bagel Bakery is, but hopefully there will be soon
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4 comments:
Unfortunately, the bagel shop owner's attitude is all too common. There appears to be a need among certain people to put down someone to feel better about themselves. In my opinion bicyclists have become the group to denigrate. In the 50's it was ethnic minorities. In the sixties it was the hippies. Now it is bicyclists. It is a scary attitude. What's next?
Oh, drivers generally hate everyone else on the roads. Don't take it personally.
Good Morning -
It appears that the bagel shop owners questions were more from an unenlightened point of view, rather than an anti-bike point of view. Was there some part of the exchange that made his questions seem anti-bike?
FWIW, I'm not siding with the BSO, here, but just wondering what about the exchange I missed. Sometimes questions are just questions, with no hatred or ire behind them.
Have a good day
Murphy's law - anyone who starts a discussion with a rhetorical question isn't having a discussion - they are giving a lecture.
If I really wanted to play back at him I would have asked if you have to turn in your license when you turn 70? (he was close to if not 70). Answer a ridiculous rhetorical question with a more ridiculous one and put the attacker on the defensive.
The bike lane questions would be useful except in the context of the first question. And note his response "that's different!" ok - you are allowed to go around a double parked car but otherwise stay the hell out of my way.
We could get into more syntax and eventually I would have to say "just trust me on this one"
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