Legal Issues

We had a customer come in with a trashed bike a couple of days ago from a run-in with a car. It was a classic case of the left hand turn across traffic. Every time I have been hit by a car, it has been the same situation. I have either been cut off or T-boned. Many times the driver has been looking me directly in the eye as he/she cut directly into my path. I don't understand the psycology there...

On another note, I heard a news story about I-Pods being banned while crossing the street in New York. Interesting idea, pehaps a bit comical, but when I thought about it, something struck me as rediculous. If someone were listening to headphones and bumped into you, it might be rude, but should it be illegal? I don't think so. The reason given for the legislation was that there had already been a few fatalities. What is the real reason for the fatalities? Is it that music puts people at risk? No. It's because cars kill people. They are weapons. Responsability for this fact keeps getting pushed further from the people who should bear it and creation of laws like this is the means. People driving cars, the auto industry, the legislators and lobbyists should bear the brunt of the liability for injury and death in our public spaces overrun with hurtling hunks of steel reinforced terror.

Ok I just re-read that last sentence and it is a bit over the top. Sure has a nice ring to it though. I admit that people listening to headphones are, many times, oblivious. They certainly have walked out in front of me when I'm on my bike and it pissed me off. I guess the difference is that I probably wouldn't kill them if I hit them, natural selection or no.