Greetings Readers
I was going through the residential areas today when I noticed what I have been doing and never thought twice about it.
This does go hand in hand with stop signs. When I am going through residential areas I often take the common route (minor street) through the community. Following that route I often come out to a major thoroughfare. In this case let me use Quebec Street. As I come out there is a stop light and 99 percent of the time it is red. That is because the traffic on Quebec has higher traffic and also the major road.
I pull up to the stop light and usually it is only me at the light, unless during morning or evening rush hour traffic. More often than not I am out during the non-busy times. I am at the stop light and I look right and left and do this routine one more time. After looking and I see that there are no vehicles coming either way I proceed to cross the road, on a red light. Yes. There you have it. I think I am worse than a stop sign runner.
I have reasons and excuses, but I guess if I was holding court I am breaking the law. I can argue that I did look both ways before crossing and saw no car(s) nowhere near the stop light I was at. I did not put myself nor any vehicle in any danger when I cross(ed) the major street. I could argue that I do not weight enough to trigger the signal in the pavement (electronic sensor loop) in order to get the stop light to change or there is not enough/no metal in/on my bike to set off the metal detector. Yet, I should know better than that when I can get off my bike, walk and push the crosswalk button in order to trigger the changing of the stop light. Bottom line - I am breaking the law when I cross against a red stop light.
This is something that I probably do on a regular basis and I was not really aware of how I "harp" on stop sign runners who run the stop signs.
Again, I can argue at least I stop at the Stop Light intersection, but I am more at danger when crossing that street since the other vehicles have the green and have the right of way. And I could also say that I am taking taking the extra precautions to check the street both ways before I cross against red light signal. I could also state for the record I never coast through a red light. But all in all, they are excuses and I am ultimately responsible for my actions.
Anyway, I thought to share this particular situation since I am more often than not calling "the kettle black."
On a side note - after my Sunday morning ritual I read an article in the Sunday Denver post - "Postal vehicle swerves across road, kills cyclist" Short and sweet article and no I do not mean that in a condescending way. At 5:25 PM a woman driving a USPS residential delivery truck crossed the yellow line and hit the cyclist that was estimated to be in his 50's. The State Patrol said investigators were still on the scene Saturday night. Another Fallen cyclist...
Until the next time
Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete
I was going through the residential areas today when I noticed what I have been doing and never thought twice about it.
This does go hand in hand with stop signs. When I am going through residential areas I often take the common route (minor street) through the community. Following that route I often come out to a major thoroughfare. In this case let me use Quebec Street. As I come out there is a stop light and 99 percent of the time it is red. That is because the traffic on Quebec has higher traffic and also the major road.
I pull up to the stop light and usually it is only me at the light, unless during morning or evening rush hour traffic. More often than not I am out during the non-busy times. I am at the stop light and I look right and left and do this routine one more time. After looking and I see that there are no vehicles coming either way I proceed to cross the road, on a red light. Yes. There you have it. I think I am worse than a stop sign runner.
I have reasons and excuses, but I guess if I was holding court I am breaking the law. I can argue that I did look both ways before crossing and saw no car(s) nowhere near the stop light I was at. I did not put myself nor any vehicle in any danger when I cross(ed) the major street. I could argue that I do not weight enough to trigger the signal in the pavement (electronic sensor loop) in order to get the stop light to change or there is not enough/no metal in/on my bike to set off the metal detector. Yet, I should know better than that when I can get off my bike, walk and push the crosswalk button in order to trigger the changing of the stop light. Bottom line - I am breaking the law when I cross against a red stop light.
This is something that I probably do on a regular basis and I was not really aware of how I "harp" on stop sign runners who run the stop signs.
Again, I can argue at least I stop at the Stop Light intersection, but I am more at danger when crossing that street since the other vehicles have the green and have the right of way. And I could also say that I am taking taking the extra precautions to check the street both ways before I cross against red light signal. I could also state for the record I never coast through a red light. But all in all, they are excuses and I am ultimately responsible for my actions.
Anyway, I thought to share this particular situation since I am more often than not calling "the kettle black."
On a side note - after my Sunday morning ritual I read an article in the Sunday Denver post - "Postal vehicle swerves across road, kills cyclist" Short and sweet article and no I do not mean that in a condescending way. At 5:25 PM a woman driving a USPS residential delivery truck crossed the yellow line and hit the cyclist that was estimated to be in his 50's. The State Patrol said investigators were still on the scene Saturday night. Another Fallen cyclist...
Until the next time
Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete
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