Last weekend was the Copenhagen Marathon, with 12,000 participants running through the car-free, blocked off streets. But while some people were running, others were preoccupied with other activities. Texting, for example.
Drinking coffee.
Checking the time.
8 comments:
I love the way that certain activities that would seem criminal while driving are OK while cycling, such as texting. I particularly like drinking and cycling, and fortunately there is no police enforcement over the issue down in my part of the globe, and hopefully there never will. There is a good reason for this, which is the fact that the worse a texting or a drunken cyclist can do is injure himself, or at most, run into someone, lets face it, cause some personal injuries perhaps. Nothing like the destructive potential of a car...
... "cause some personal injuries perhaps" While I agree these are not as serious as death, can still debilitate a person critically. We might want to just consider that the activities are still stupid to do on the move.
You can still get charged with DUI here in the states, or public intoxication at the least. So, probably not worth it.
You're right, we should avoid "personal injuries", light or serious for that matter, I am not a big fan of getting hurt. But I do appreciate situations where people can judge for themselves whether or not they are being stupid. Some people can text and ride at the same time, apparently. I wouldn't dare. On the other hand, after having a few pints, I don't really know of any safer way to haul my ass back home. I don't have the habit of getting smashed beyond the point of being able to cycle safely. And I must say that it is yet another great reason for good separated bike infrastructure.
How are you supposed to get back home from a bar? If you are really smashed beyond decency I guess you could use your bike as a prop to help balance, but then the public intoxication bit comes into play...
I would say that all that is a bit too much nanny stateism, but then again, knowing how anglo-saxon culture appreciates drinking beyond any reasonable sense, I guess people felt the need for some stiffer law enforcement. Although in those states of drunkedness, simple tasks such as trying to fit the key in your own front door can be dangerous. In that sense, the knowledge that I have to cycle myself home keeps me from drinking beyond what would be otherwise unhealthy (most of the time), but I guess it would already be enough for a DUI.
I can't believe people were texting and ridng and the same time. Scary. I would have a collision, for sure!
there is an issue of safety for OTHER PEOPLE, not just the drink/texting cyclist. but i guess if you look chic crashing into someone, all is well?
btw, protecting OTHERS is not an issue of nanny-stateism (which is the state telling YOU to do what is best for YOU).
It's just stupid...just like walking down a crowded sidewalk, head down while texting. The reason we have rules is because people show that they cannot govern themselves all the time. How hard is it to pull over...after all, isn't that what the slow bicycle movement is all about!
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