tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19838051.post2282462002075445866..comments2024-01-28T22:16:50.852-06:00Comments on Mr. Dilettante’s Neighborhood: Mellow YellowMr. Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13920907647566015611noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19838051.post-50644992201920220862017-04-26T05:44:12.883-05:002017-04-26T05:44:12.883-05:00Part of the problem is attributable to 'traffi...Part of the problem is attributable to 'traffic calming' where a 4-lane is converted back into a 2-lane, with wide shoulders and turns lanes and lined-out zones. Half the lanes doubles the traffic density. People trying to merge into traffic or turn across it, have a longer wait or take more chances.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05209852862330573917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19838051.post-21736678253669539602017-04-17T13:45:48.150-05:002017-04-17T13:45:48.150-05:00Sunday I drove over to South Minneapolis to pick u...Sunday I drove over to South Minneapolis to pick up a Hungarian family to bring them back to our house for Easter dinner. I cruised up Hiawatha most of the way and then took 17th Ave for 7 blocks to get to their house. In that stretch I went through 3 round-abouts on a street with hardly any traffic. I mentioned this to my Hungarian friend as I was driving them home later. He said that round-abouts are very efficient in Europe, and safer. That may be, but initially they aren't very safe in the U.S. To prove my point, we were just coasting up to the roundabout in my neighborhood as I eyed an old woman in a big Buick negotiating the circle. She saw me and slowed to let me merge into the round-about - a cardinal sin second only to coming to a complete stop. Fortunately, no one was behind her. Folks around here still tend to approach these round-abouts much like a calf at a new gate. 3john2https://www.blogger.com/profile/05359114327414576258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19838051.post-67325362952520809502017-04-17T10:27:34.961-05:002017-04-17T10:27:34.961-05:00Down where I live, there's a ghost bike (for a...Down where I live, there's a ghost bike (for a rider killed) where somebody forgot (?) that yellow means "proceed with caution." Started seeing the flashing yellow lights about a year back and it seemed very intuitive to me, but was quickly told by a coworker that not everybody was getting how it worked.<br /><br />That noted, it seems to me that the biggest issue we've got, as Crankbait notes, is that way too many people are in too much of a hurry to take reasonable precautions. A good portion of the blame goes to the government for their "scared straight" ads--which work only as long as someone is scared. It's long past time to engage minds on why things like speed limits and safe following distance are good ideas, IMO.Bike Bubbahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08193546045614393425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19838051.post-80017450362642497272017-04-17T09:46:42.422-05:002017-04-17T09:46:42.422-05:00When I was fresh out of college and living in Phoe...When I was fresh out of college and living in Phoenix I had a woman in the oncoming lane pull a left turn right in front of me. I was able to swerve enough to just graze the right front corner of my bumper against the right rear corner of her bumper. She was turning into a gas station, and I pulled in as well. She gets out of her car, screaming at me - "Why were you driving so fast!" I replied, "You mean you saw how fast I was going and decided to turn in front of me?" She was making fish faces at me when an attendant at the station stepped up and said, "I saw it all if you need a witness; she turned right in front of you, and I don't think she had her signal on." I had a scuff on my bumper, she had a ball-peen sized ding in hers - we all decided to just go about our business. 3john2https://www.blogger.com/profile/05359114327414576258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19838051.post-16425608164989512772017-04-17T09:18:34.258-05:002017-04-17T09:18:34.258-05:00One thing that would help would be to get the stup...One thing that would help would be to get the stupid people off the roads... :-/<br /><br />I mean, if you drive into oncoming traffic, how bright can you be?jerrye92002https://www.blogger.com/profile/01858692298982859775noreply@blogger.com