Law of Averages

Gary Cziko shared a video of a ‘drive out’ – where a driver just pulls out into an intersection as if you aren’t there – and speculated on why it happened.  (Hint:  even the best “lane control” doesn’t. actually. control. another. driver’s. behavior.)  I agree, seeing the video, that the driver simply didn’t see him.

I’d have liked to have had a video of my morning’s similar incident… I’m approaching where Main meets I think Goodwin and ends, but the bike route proceeds through between University b uildings.  A bus is stopping to discharge passengers, so I signal stopping to share my intent to wait… and the bus proceeds and then I’m going — and the car behind the bus simply accelerates along with it… and about the same time I’m hollering, “It’s a stop sign, lady!”  she’s covering her mouth with her hand as in “OOPS!” (which is probably why “lady!” is what came out of my mouth; had there been a cell phone there I’m pretty sure something stronger would have escaped… still workin’ on that…) — I only wish this had been one of those times when the police were watching that notorious intersection… and I *do* wish they’d do something about the visibility of the stop sign.

Then I’m waiting to cross Fourth Street, and like me, the guy coming the opposite direction is rather far out into the street because you have to do that to see anything… which inspires a driver to just stop outright with no stop sign.

Guess it all averages out, but a little better road design would help…