Conference back40::soapbox

    
    Next time I go out walking in Reading I'll take my flamethrower in case
    I meet you then...
    
    Chris.

    That and a few mates.
    
    
    CHARLEY8^)

    State law in Ma. and most states gives pedestrians the right of way at
    cross walks and intersections.  This does not give them the right
    though to wait until you are almost there and then step out.
    Also ever notice that at schools, the kids stagger themselves so that you
    are stopped for 5 minutes or more?  

    
       rumor has it that pedestrians hate bikers, so they deliberately
    harrass them.....

    
    	I have no problem letting people cross, but don't jump out in
    	front of me and expect me to slam on my brakes.
    
    	If you're already in the crosswalk before I get there then I
    	surely won't run you down.
    
    	And luckily I don't drive by any schools.
    

    
       whew!   that's good to know, I'll have to share this with other
    pedestrians....  8*)

>    	I have no problem letting people cross, but don't jump out in
>    	front of me and expect me to slam on my brakes.
 
I was amused (rather than irate) when I got a filthy look from some old
bag when I made a nasty screeching noise to avoid running her down when
she appeared on a pedestrian crossing with only a few yards' `warning'...
    
>    	And luckily I don't drive by any schools.
    
I normally slow down to about 20mph when I'm in the vicinity of a school
as I know how crap the snotty nosed little gits are when it comes to
crossing the road.  The worst offenders when driving by seem to be the
mothers who come to pick up their little darlings in their hideous pink
off roaders, they always park in stupid places, then race off at a
ridiculous speed with no regard for pedestrians or other traffic [cont'd
page 94]

Chris.

    One day you will run into Conan The Pedestrian, then you'll be sorry.

    I just love it when I am three quarters across the road and cars making 
    right hand turns are running over my toes, and cars making left hand turns
    are clipping my heels, all because I believed that little sign that said 
    "WALK"
    
    
    joan

    <------ Chuck, I'm witchoo on that one.

	Joan, are you telling us you have big feet? :-)

    
    Walking is my favorite method of getting from point A to point B.  The
    obvious drawback is the time consumption; but if I had all the time in
    the world, I'd prefer to walk.
    

    jc
    
    Me too
    
    
    Glen
    
    NO WAY :-)
    
    
    
    
    um (looking down)
    
       
    nah

    
    I live in N.H. which has the pedestarian law...
    
    The thing I can't stand is the dunder-heads that can't walk the extra
    10 feet to the cross-walk,who then expect you to stop and let them
    across... while they're jay-walking!!!
    
     Oughta run them over just on general principals...
    

    
    City of tiny lights
    Hear the tiny auto horns...
    

    
    	Worcester started ticketing jay-walkers about 2-3 years ago, to
    	try and cut down the number of "car vs. pedestrian" accidents.
    
    	Not sure if it worked or not, but I know I haven't hit one since
    	they started to enforce the law.
    

    Neither have I, so it must be working.

    In N.J. we have this point system that breaks down by age:
    over 55=10 pts
         over 35=8 pts
    and so on. It is usually predetermined between passenger and driver as
    to actual worth with the final say. :')

    That should have finished with the driver having the final say on the
    worthiness of the points...
    
    

       re .15:
       
       > ...on general principals.
       
       principles.
       
       Nnttm,
       
       --Mr Topaz

    how do you know he wasn't talking about headmasters? :-)

    -1 <r.o.> ? :-)

    why do cars stop for little red lights and not for human beings. one
    often (when one walks often) sees cars sitting at a light at 0200 hrs
    waiting for the little red light to turn. no other cars around for
    miles and these fools will sit at the red light like a dog at a
    biscuit. when the light turns green they peel off down the road at some
    ridiculous speed (way over the limit) that is when i start to cross the
    road. do you think they will stop or slow for me? never! i like to look
    at the silly face behind the wheel, contorted and in pain, i can only
    imagine that they wish i was a little red light. maybe then they would
    understand what i am.

    If they can't see ya, they ain't gonna stop.
    
    My beef is with pedestrians in NH towns (with their yield to pedestrian
    laws) who stomp out into the crosswalks on rainy nights as if it were
    bright and sunny. 
    
    Hey people - yer invisible on a rainy night under you got some
    headlights showin'.

    unfortunately many drivers drive as if it was sunny when in fact it is
    rainy.
    
    trivia question: what species feels behooved to drag 2000-4000lbs of
    metal and glass everywhere it goes?

    Pudgy Donut Aliens drag around 10,000-15,000lbs of complex polymer,
    metal and other composite materials everywhere they go. I don't see you
    complaining about them. 

    .26
    
    Same species what purposely puts carcinogens into their lungs.  :)

    
    	RE: .24
    
    	So why would you stand there on the side of the road while a
    	car is waiting for "eons" at a red light and then decide to
    	cross when they're coming at you?
    
    	I don't think the driver is the idiot.
    

TTWA:
   When is POLAR::WILSONC going to give up his religious war against
   the automobile?

TTWA:
   Does POLAR::WILSONC expect everyone in the world to live in the
   midst of urban blight so that they can take advantage of public
   mass transport in order to eliminate the eeevil automobile from
   the face of the earth?

    
    	If one of them mass transport thingies crashes it can wipe out
    	many more people than a mere automobile.
    
    	So I don't see the improvement.
    

    Well, Ottawa really doesn't have urban blight so perhaps that explains
    it.

<chortle>

    
    One day, we will all live in pod-ules at our places of employment.
    
    This will drastically reduce the need for transportational infra-
    structures.  Most needs will be met by escalators and moving sidewalks.
    
    Cities will be more compact, as the need for roads and parking lots
    is eliminated.
    
    90 minutes from New York to Paris.  There'll be spandex jackets, one
    for everyone.
                  

    What a beautiful world it will be
    What a glorious time to be free

    
    Ottawa is an absolutely gorgeous city.  If I were to give up the rural
    life, I'd want to live in a city like Ottawa.
    
    

    POLAR::WILSON gives up. I don't have the heart to keep on disturbing
    you guys and gals. Please, forgive me.

    
>    Ottawa is an absolutely gorgeous city.  If I were to give up the rural
>    life, I'd want to live in a city like Ottawa.
 

 I was only there for a couple of days, but I agree, Ottawa is nice..I'd
 hoped to get up there during the past summer, but alas, didn't make
 it.




 Jim   
    

       Ottawa is okay for a dumpy little town in the middle of nowhere
       and that's close to nothing.  It's fine for a weekend, if nothing
       else is available.
       
       At least it's not in Ohio.

    <------- -.1 Mr Topaz. I have lived in Toronto, Hamilton, Wawa, White
    River, Thunder Bay, Guelph, Buffalo, and Ottawa. The common theme here
    is that 'I' lived in each one of those cities. That you should say
    something like that about Ottawa only makes me think that you are bored
    and cynical. Move mr. Topaz I think it is time. Take joy with you Mr.
    Topaz, where ever you may go. It is a shame that you show up in a place
    and say that it is in the middle of nowhere. What in fact you are
    saying is that "i am nobody in the middle of this vast nowhere." Think
    better of yourself sir, you deserve it.

       re .40:
       
       On reflection, I was perhaps mistaken when I said that "Ottawa is
       okay for a dumpy little town in the middle of nowhere and that's
       close to nothing."
       
       I should have said, "Ottawa bites the bag except for the
       relatively few days when it's not raining or snowing or
       ridiulously hot or bone-chillingly cold.  Even then, the best
       thing about the place is that there are things to do and see in
       Hull, in the next province over. The most optimistic description
       is that it's a dumpy little town in the middle of nowhere."
       
       Better?

    <--- much better
    

    
    Oh, I liked it.  It has a nice museum with Inuit art; you can walk
    along the canal; the parliament buildings are beautiful; it's clean;
    etc.
    
    

    It has poutine too!

    
    <------
    
    Is that some sort of ice cream or something???
    

    
    Poutine!
    
    8^q
    
    

    
    <-----
    
    Yeah?? What's your point?? :) :)
    
    I still don't know what it is... Is it some kind of Canadian by-product
    or something???
    

    Yes.

    Saw cartoon in news paper: " My Canada includes Poutine." 
    
    

    It keeps you warm on a cold winter's day and cools you off in the
    sweltering heat of the summer.