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Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Just Call Me Your Pusher!

SO, about two weeks ago we did some redecorating around here.  Tweaked out the wall art as it were.  We like to give folks something to look at when they visit, the more jumbled the better.  What hangs on our walls is a little insight into who we are, and what people see that interests them is insight into their character.  Some of what we added has far less to do with bikes and more to do with what's inside us.  Three such framed photos are of (not to surprisingly) autographed cast shots of Firefly and one of Nathan Fillion.  It has proven to be an excellent tool to get folks asking questions about it.  Two such individuals came in yesterday, saw the photo, and asked if I personally "Knew" Castle (in reference to Nathans other show) and why was he dressed so odd in the pictures.  OPEN DOOR!!!  At this point I rave on about the best sci-fi show EVER and instruct them to go to Netflix, call it up, and set aside a day to watch the entire 14 episodes.  I have yet to have anyone I have turned on to Firefly come back and say they didn't like it.  It's always the same response "why in the HELL did they cancel it!?" 
Heh, heh...I'll use ANY excuse to talk about Firefly!
Thanks to ALL the wonderful folks who came into visit yesterday!  Sent the ladies 24" cruiser to a new home.  No surprise there!  There about as rare as light beer at a NASCAR race!  Also saw an even heavier influx of repairs as well!  Thank heavens we were able to get through them all the same day!  I was equally impressed that everyone came by to pick them up when we called! YAY!  We managed to get three newbies out as well, but only took a pic of one!  Sorry, the other two didn't last more then fifteen minuets after they were built!  But this last remaining one is  real sharp looking "like New" dual shock MTB!
Well, lightning stuck twice for Elijah.  Another job opportunity dropped in his lap yesterday as a customer came in yesterday asking if I knew any strapping young man who could do some odd jobs around his house.  All I had to do was point at Elijah and say yes!  A few hours a day and he's got cash in his pocket.  Now if I can just get him to stop spending it on junk food.
Speaking of Elijah!  Once he finished his morning work, he went out to run a few errands for the shop yesterday.  Amongst other things, he had gone to Ace Hardware to send out a letter for the shop, then crossed the street to find a copy place to run off more business fliers.  As the Fed Ex store did not do copies he called to tell me and find an alternative.  Apparently as he was talking to me he was on his bike.  No sooner had he ended the call did he hear the "whoop, whoop!" of a police siren behind him beckoning him to pull over.  As he soon discovered, it I apparently now illegal for anyone to talk on a cell phone (or wear headphones) while riding a bike.  So, OK....here's where I have a problem.  I understand, using a cell phone while doing something like driving or riding is not the best idea but..."IT'S NOT ILLEGAL IN FLORIDA!!!"  At least, it's not illegal to talk on a cell phone "while driving a freaking car!?!?!?"  As of today's date, the Florida DMV states, using a cell phone in a car is NOT illegal  So WHY is it illegal for a cyclist to do so?! I mean, really!  What's more dangerous?  A 200 pound man in a 4000 pound vehicle driving at 45 miles an hour getting distracted or a 200 pound man on a 40 pound bike traveling at 10 miles an hour?!?  Seriously!  Florida, you are SO screwed up!!!  I just think the police are getting lazy.  With more and more people relying on bicycles for transportation they see it as a gold mine!  Think about it.  How many "high speed" risky chases will an overweight, lazy cop need to endure when overcoming a cyclist?  Heck. pass a few more silly, superfluous "cyclist" laws and all a half awake officer needs to do is stake out a heavy cyclist area, wait for a rider to breath wrong, flash his lights and sirens, and issue a ticket!  He would barely have to start his car!  It's good business sense!  Minimum effort, maximum output!  So far, for a cyclist, we have to ride with the flow of traffic, so the cars coming up behind us, with the driver weaving to and fro because they are to busy sexting their girlfriend, can run right over us, keep going until they get home, then when caught just say that the cyclist swerved in front of them and it wasn't their fault!  And as the cyclist is now road pizza he can't speak up in his own defense!  Or the rider may get pulled over because they used a crosswalk that WASN'T a cross walk after school hours, or because they dared to use a crosswalk, with the signal in their favor while a crossing guard signaled them to cross, because the egotistical police officer NOT paying attention takes a right hand turn, almost runs over the rider...then BLAMES THE RIDER!!!   Yea.  That all seems reasonable to me!!
Does anyone recognize the covertly disguised sarcasm here?
Sorry folks, I'm not all that down on police officers.  I know many and most are just trying to do their job, but it really does seem slightly lopsided when it comes to fairness for all forms of transportation. 
ANYWHO!
We have lots to work on, and I need to get to it!
Would love to see you all soon!


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ONLY $90.00!!!!

3 comments:

  1. It has been illegal for a great many years for motorists and cyclists to wear headphones (except for hearing aids) whilst driving/riding, but for cyclists, that law falls under us as having the same rights and resposibilities as drivers- there's no specific ban on headphones when cycling, as such, just as there is no specific law requiring cyclists to stop for red lights. It's all part of being on the public road.

    As for cell phones, I think they should be banned as unholy toys of Satan, but that's just me.

    Oh, and I'd say your kids have to be cop magnets, but you knew that.

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  2. I am definitely not arguing the point that driving while using a cell phone is dangerous, much less headphones. It's the inequity of penalizing a cyclist while allowing motorists to swerve by using the "Devil's Tool"!!

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  3. Yep. Witcha on dat.

    As I understand it, even texting while driving, while illegal, is not a "stoppable" offense; that is, the cop can't pull you over for it. You can be ticketed if it is part of a larger cow flop. Like, you were texting when you ran me over.

    Oh wait, I swerved in front of you, right?

    Never mind.

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