May 28, 2008
Rules of the Road Runner
Rules of the road from the driver's P.O.V.
Rule #1 - Merry's vehicle has the right of way at all times. (This rule, for some reason, has not yet been universally adopted. But I am hopeful.)
Rule #2 - Bicycles, joggers, and inline skaters should just get out of the way right now, thankyouverymuch. (Not my personal rule, but one I've observed many times.)
Rule #3 - When you're not sure if there's room to pass the cyclist/jogger/skater, rather than slow down and wait until it's safe to pass, go past them very, very, very quickly. (That rule always bugs me. If you're not sure it's safe, you want to pass quickly so that you'll be far down the road when the ambulance comes?)
Rules of the road from the cyclist's P.O.V.
Rule #1 - Merry's bicycle has the right of way at all times. Except when a driver is on a cell phone. Or when the rules of the road give someone else the right of way.
Rule #2 - When another cyclist starts to pass you, be sure to speed up until the impudent upstart has learned their place and drops back behind you.
Rule #3 - If you get a flat tire, stand by the side of the road and look helpless. Some man will stop and change the flat for you. (This rule is generally applicable to the female of the species. Luckily, there are a lot more men on bicycles in the middle-of-nowhere, 'cause most women would tell me to fix it myself.)
Rules of the road from the runner's P.O.V.
Rule #1 - Don't snigger too loudly when passing Merry on the jogging trail
Rule #2 - If someone starts to pass you, be sure to speed up until the impudent upstart has learned their place and drops back behind you. If you feel like your heart is going to leap out of your body, stop to make sure your shoe laces aren't untied. Catch your breath while waiting for the upstart to go around the curve up ahead.
Rule #3 -
um...
.... wait a minute,
Oh all right, I know I need to put up a third R of the R. It's not my fault.
I got distracted.
By:
Graph Jams: pop culture for people in cubicles
And by:
Daily jigsaw puzzle
And by:
An online self-designed kaleidoscope (Dangerous. Easy to get sucked into wasting time with this.)
I know it's not Friday yet. The plain fact is that my brain still thinks it's the weekend. Does anyone have any idea what the third Rule of the Road for Runners is? Please leave a comment if I left out any others, too.
On the bright side, Crabby's blogging tomorrow, and she's got some good stuff lined up.
23 comments:
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How about, "when passing someone who is walking, hold your breath until they can't hear you anymore to hide the fact that you are gasping and wheezing and completely out of shape."
ReplyDeleteYes. I have done that.
dont sell yerself short----Im not a runner but DAMN Im a fan of kaleidescoping!!
ReplyDeleteM.
It really is funny how the rules change in our minds depending on what's most convenient for US, not what makes sense.
ReplyDeleteAs a pedestrian, I hate when bikes ride on the sidewalks. They belong in the streets!
But now that I'm biking, there are a couple of dangerous spots where slipping on to the sidewalk for a brief stretch is very tempting...
And you've also hit on one my biggest personal pet peeves, though I somehow doubt you'd be the sort to do it: People who've been running or walking slowly forever until you finally pass them and then they speed up. This, to be honest, seems to be happen much more with the male of the species. I don't pass unless I've been following for a while and I KNOW I'm faster, and it only happens rarely, so I resent having to get in a race over some guy's frail ego.
RoR3 for the cyclist cracks me up! That's exactly how my Dad taught me to change a car tire. "Oh, you don't really need to know this. Just look pretty and some man will do it for you!" It's worked the 2-3 times I've had a flat!
ReplyDeletePretty colors.
ReplyDeleteShapes.
Kaleidescope.
7:33 and the rest of the day is a writeoff.
Oooo.
Nina
(easily distracted by shiny objects)
Flip off the guys who honk at you? No? Is that just me? Seriously, guys are honk happy in this state; they'll even lean out their car windows to catcall, and yes, I have seen even police officers do this. No, I don't flip off police officers.
ReplyDeleteOn a more serious note - keep your iPod volume low enough that you can hear the road noise and be aware of traffic at intersections.
Wear really annoying and eye-jarring colors so the drivers can for sure see you!
RoR in the Bag Lady's world... on the narrow cow trails, cows have the right-of-way.
ReplyDeleteAnd watch where you put your feet, especially at this time of year when all that fresh new green grass gives them the.... oops, TMI?
When I am driving, drivers are always right.
ReplyDeleteWhen I'm biking, cyclists are always right.
It's really very simple.
Love jigsaw puzzles!
ReplyDeleteAnd somebody needs to make a rule about only hawking giant loogies OFF the sidewalk/path. One of my fave trails looks like it was attacked by slugs. How hard is it to aim to the side?
Funny stuff, Merry!!
ReplyDeleteI learned early on in my running days that cars are on the top of the foods chain :-(
Dr. J
When I'm on a bicycle, wearing sunglasses and a helmet, it's like I'm in disguise. So when a passing driver honks at me, clearly annoyed, I smile and wave as if I know them. "Hi! I didn't recognize you! How're you doing?" 9 times out of 10 it catches them off guard.
ReplyDeleteMotorists need to see other people as people rather than annoyances.
Damn I'm feeling preachy today. Where's that soapbox? Has anybody seen where I put the soapbox?:)
I find it funny that some of the same people I know that complain about fat people being lazy and disgusting (I said I know them, I don't like them...) also complain about cyclists and joggers and people out doing exercise on the roads. How dare they be fat! How dare they be healthy!
ReplyDeleteIn general, negative people suck.
Baglady, cows ALways have the right of way. Earlier this spring on my way from the new house to the present house I came upon a loose cow and her calf. (Someone in the neighborhood has some seriously bad fencing. Loose cows are not unusual.) I slowed down. The cow got off the road on my right. Her calf, about three months old and fearless, wandered in front of the strange machine and on around to my left. The cow Looked At Me. I got out from between them as fast as I safely could, and she did not butt the car. The calf watched me leave, thinking "But it didn't leave any hay behind..."
ReplyDeleteMary Anne in Kentucky
I can just imagine the Look that cow gave. Never argue with a mama cow! Forgot to post that as one of the rules.
ReplyDeleteChristine, I want one of those bumper stickers: 'mean people suck.' Kinda sums it up.
ReplyDeleteI never understand why running males tend to accelerate when I pass them. Okay, their ego might be bruised, but think about it, I am wearing little shorts, wouldn't you want me AHEAD of you young man?
ReplyDeleteRunning rule No. 3: Focus on good running form only when you are within view of other people. Otherwise get as sloppy as you want, because who cares, you are sooooo tiiiiiired.
ReplyDeleteKaleidescope ... hypnotizing ... like Ze Frank's creepy blue eyes....
When I am driving I hate the cyclists that think they are cars and are in the middle of the lane. They think they can go from a dead stop at a red light to the posted speed limit as fast as a car. No, you can't, so get on the side of the road and I will make room for you.
ReplyDeleteExcellent rules. So, so true how much they change depending on what your position is!
ReplyDeleteI've never much enjoyed the tootsie pops. But tootsie rolls? Yum!
I always stick with "Share the road."
ReplyDeleteAnd I cycle on a path where cars aren't allowed. That helps, too.
I avoid running. I look terrible in purple.
My complaint is cyclists who think they're in the Tour de France. I was making a left turn at an intersection just the other day (where I had stopped for a flashing red light). I looked around and slowly proceeded before I almost killed a cyclist who came through the intersection doing what looked like about 80 m.p.h.
ReplyDeleteAfter I recovered from my near-heart attack, I waited for someone else to come through because I assumed he was being chased.
I knew I shouldn't have clicked on the kaleidoscope. Dammit!
ReplyDeleteI've been sucked into the vortex.
At the top left of the page is a link to a newer, fancier, shinier kaleidoscope!! Wooow.
ReplyDelete