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shifty
Joined: 21 Jun 2004
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 Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 5:41 am Post subject: |
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| 3twentyseven wrote: |
| Thoughts that come to mind: are whistle's used by officials? Would it make any difference whatsoever? |
Yes, whistles are used by traffic officers, those ones in the flamboyant light blue regalia.
Haven't you ever been in the vicinity of a festival on a Saturday?
They're there at the major intersections in full force, cheeks puffing at those whistles for all they worth.
They get completely ignored by the wilful Korean traffic and maintain their gaze skyward in vain attempt to keep face. |
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Savant
Joined: 25 May 2007
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| Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 5:56 am Post subject: Re: Cyclist vs Pedestration:Was I in the wrong? |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| ZIFA wrote: |
| Savant wrote: |
| Now, I am almost passing through there and then I hear a Korean guy call out a name and that kid comes running out and I have to swerve to miss him. Luckily, there was no-one riding on the opposite side or he would have been smacked hard. I'm sorry but what idiot father calls for their child when the father knows that I am coming on a bike and his son isn't even looking to where he's supposed to go and then has the nerve to shout after me like its my fault for almost hitting his child and not his for not being aware that he crossed without his son. |
The korean rule is that anyone going fast should slow down to match the obstacle in his path. In short, if you hit someone or something in front of you, it is never their fault, because you should have been looking in front of you.
Westerners expect the opposite- that "obstacles" or slower people should remove themselves from the path of the faster vehicle.
If you want to test this rule, just liesurely walk out into the road. You'll notice that all the traffic slows down for you like you have right of way. |
That's because in Korea...pedestrians DO have the right of way. In a collision between a motorized vehicle and something else (a bicycle or person) the motorized vehicle is almost always assumed to be at fault. |
Sadly, this way of thinking has bred a Korean population that is devoid of taking any responsibility as well as a clear lack of concern for personal safety and awareness of safety to others.
At the end of the day if a Korean ends up dead because they didn't look before they walked onto a road/path etc then it's only themselves to blame. |
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shifty
Joined: 21 Jun 2004
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| Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 6:04 am Post subject: |
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| calendar wrote: |
| I am going to have to disagree with you on that and I hope you have a link to a standing Korean legal code that says that. |
I read in a book that if a pedestrian or bicycle collides with a car, it is automatically the car's fault. Further that poorer families used to give grandpa a push in front of one to collect blood money. The law still stands as an anachronism.
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| It has been my experience that cyclists are the most selfish of people on the road. |
This is so true, but there is one worse, viz the jogger. The jogger thinks he owns the road; it's a human condition and to know is to understand.
But I don't want to split hairs about it, except to point out that the bicycle should be feted as the most efficient mechanism known to man and its use results in less pollution. Whereas, what do pedestrians do? They climb aboard belching buses and racing taxis.
Therefore we must stand ready to champion the bicycle and condone any misdemeanor in the interest of a revamped hierarchy. |
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ZIFA
Joined: 23 Feb 2011
Location: Dici che il fiume..Trova la via al mare
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| Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 6:32 am Post subject: |
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| Savant wrote: |
| I hear a Korean guy call out a name and that kid comes running out and I have to swerve to miss him. Luckily, there was no-one riding on the opposite side or he would have been smacked hard. I'm sorry but what idiot father calls for their child when the father knows that I am coming on a bike |
I was jogging along the riverside towpath, there was a mother and infant ahead of me about 60 yards.
Now there was absolutely nobody around, you could hear me and see me sprinting very clearly. But at the very last instant, she calls her child who runs directly into my path. You could not have timed it better if you had tried. I had vault/jump over the childs head to miss hitting it- bearing in mind that I was running at 100m pace.
Its mindblowing to me but some of the locals appear to genuinely believe that other people are illusions, that we are not solid objects.
Maybe we solidify only after a formal introduction. |
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calendar
Joined: 22 Sep 2011
Location: being a hermit
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| Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 1:00 am Post subject: |
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Wow, that is so helpful. I have drivenin this country for a long time and this is the first I have heard that the pedestrian has the right of way.
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| what do pedestrians do? |
They walk. Riders climb into buses and taxis.
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| Therefore we must stand ready to champion the bicycle and condone any misdemeanor in the interest of a revamped hierarchy |
Not a chance. There is nothing wrong with cars,buses, taxis or other forms of mass tranist. Too many bicycles clogg up the road and cause traffic jams and injuries. |
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atwood
Joined: 26 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 3:06 am Post subject: |
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| calendar wrote: |
Wow, that is so helpful. I have drivenin this country for a long time and this is the first I have heard that the pedestrian has the right of way.
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| what do pedestrians do? |
They walk. Riders climb into buses and taxis.
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| Therefore we must stand ready to champion the bicycle and condone any misdemeanor in the interest of a revamped hierarchy |
Not a chance. There is nothing wrong with cars,buses, taxis or other forms of mass tranist. Too many bicycles clogg up the road and cause traffic jams and injuries. |
When did cars become a form of mass transit?
I've never seen a traffic jam caused by cyclists. Since you requested a link earlier in the thread, I'll return the favor and ask for a link with cyclists causing traffic jams. |
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calendar
Joined: 22 Sep 2011
Location: being a hermit
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| Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 3:31 am Post subject: |
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| I've never seen a traffic jam caused by cyclists. Since you requested a link earlier in the thread, I'll return the favor and ask for a link with cyclists causing traffic jams. |
I was thinking about your scenario of everyone riding bikes in the future and if millions of people did that then there would be problems. I may not have made that clear or thought you would pick up on it given the tone and writing of your post. |
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shifty
Joined: 21 Jun 2004
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| Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 6:31 am Post subject: |
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[quote="calendar"]
Yes, I did. And you should too.
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| I have drivenin this country for a long time and this is the first I have heard that the pedestrian has the right of way. |
Well, there you see now hey, you learn something new every day.
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| what do pedestrians do? |
But walk too slowly to survive in a fast moving economy, so they look around wildly for something else.
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| Riders climb into buses and taxis. |
Riders encumbered with their bikes can't get on a bus or taxi, nor do they want to.
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| There is nothing wrong with cars,buses, taxis or other forms of mass tranist. Too many bicycles clogg up the road and cause traffic jams and injuries. |
What about The Netherlands? And I've seen some horrendous injuries arising from car accidents. And what of pollution? I'm sure that will be of mutual concern.
I sense that you are not as pro bicycle as you could be. |
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calendar
Joined: 22 Sep 2011
Location: being a hermit
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| Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 2:11 pm Post subject: |
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| I sense that you are not as pro bicycle as you could be |
I find your comments umorous, and not in the insulting way. No, I gave up bikes when I grew up and became an adult and graduated to more grown up transportation. 
Seriously, I do not care if someone rides a bike or drives a car, it is the attitude behind the operation of the transportation that is important. I have seen more bad cyclists than good ones, doesn't matter the nationality or country.
I feel that bikes need to remain on the roads as they are a danger in pedestrian filled areas because many cyclists do not care about those around them. It is just my personal feeling about the issue others will disagree but when you are on a bike, motorcycle, or in a car then your responsibilities get greater not less but sadly too many take the lattter road. |
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shifty
Joined: 21 Jun 2004
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| Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 9:11 pm Post subject: |
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| calendar wrote: |
| No, I gave up bikes. |
Never say never. I myself thought I was done and dusted with bikes after my school years.
But I came back.
It might not be today, nor tomorrow, but I can readily envisage a time when poster calendar swoops along in the breeze, his face aflush with the joy of freedom. His only regret that he could never thank those who made him see the light.
I want him to know that he can pedal on without remorse, discount for his misapprehensions already given.
And let no man stand in his path!! |
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calendar
Joined: 22 Sep 2011
Location: being a hermit
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 2:12 am Post subject: |
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| shifty wrote: |
| calendar wrote: |
| No, I gave up bikes. |
Never say never. I myself thought I was done and dusted with bikes after my school years.
But I came back.
It might not be today, nor tomorrow, but I can readily envisage a time when poster calendar swoops along in the breeze, his face aflush with the joy of freedom. His only regret that he could never thank those who made him see the light.
I want him to know that he can pedal on without remorse, discount for his misapprehensions already given.
And let no man stand in his path!! |
Funny  No my cycling days are over. It was fun when I did it but those days won't return for me. Too many immature and dangerous westerners here who think they can power through a pedestrian filled area without having to brake.
As I think on this topic, when I observe cyclists on the paths and roads, too many think they are in the middle of an Olympic race and take it too seriously. When I was young biking was for fun, something to do to unwind, relax and enjoy the outdoors. It was also an alternative to walking not driving. |
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runthegauntlet
Joined: 02 Dec 2007
Location: the southlands.
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| Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 4:22 am Post subject: |
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| atwood wrote: |
I've never seen a traffic jam caused by cyclists. Since you requested a link earlier in the thread, I'll return the favor and ask for a link with cyclists causing traffic jams. |
google 'critical mass'. |
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runthegauntlet
Joined: 02 Dec 2007
Location: the southlands.
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| Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 4:25 am Post subject: |
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| calendar wrote: |
As I think on this topic, when I observe cyclists on the paths and roads, too many think they are in the middle of an Olympic race and take it too seriously. |
Your attempts at explaining what you think you see are quite comical.
'Olympic race'. Ha. I got a good laugh at that. |
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runthegauntlet
Joined: 02 Dec 2007
Location: the southlands.
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| Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 4:27 am Post subject: |
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| calendar wrote: |
It has been my experience that cyclists are the most selfish of people on the road. They think that they can go whatever speed they want regardless of the pedestrian density (zip to a lot) and think everyone has to get out of their way.
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Perhaps the problem, then, isn't the cyclist on the road as much as it is the pedestrian on the road. Why are pedestrians on the road? They in a crosswalk? What's going on here? |
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atwood
Joined: 26 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 12:34 am Post subject: |
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| runthegauntlet wrote: |
| atwood wrote: |
I've never seen a traffic jam caused by cyclists. Since you requested a link earlier in the thread, I'll return the favor and ask for a link with cyclists causing traffic jams. |
google 'critical mass'. |
That's an organized ride, not a few cyclists. Besides, waiting for them to pass through an intersection would be roughly the same amount of inconvenience as waiting for an emergency vehicle to pass (if you lived in a country where motorists actually do that. |
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