Yak yak yak

In article <[email hidden]>,

(Kaputnik) said:

but still, why can't people give it a rest and turn the
damn things off occasionally?

I don't know. Maybe they're lonely? Which at first blush
sounds kind of ironic, on a social bike ride in a big city.

- Tom

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"Kaputnik" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I rode in the NY 5 boro bike ride yesterday. I won't get
in to a long description, except to say that I enjoyed it.
It seems to be more of an event than a ride; I've never
ridden in such heavy bicycle traffic before.

There was one thing, though, that I found mildly
irritating, the number of cyclists I saw yakking on cell
phones during the ride. I suppose it wasn't that big a
percentage, actually, and I didn't see it cause any
accidents, but still, why can't people give it a rest and
turn the damn things off occasionally?

These are the tools that let many people do many things that
before they couldn't (wouldn't?) make time to do.

In recent years past, I got in more rounds of golf, days
surfing, and time on my bike by having a cell phone and/or
wireless modem handy.

At the same time, I had some rules about work and time away
from work. I wouldn't carry a laptop or answer work calls
on vacation. I would check VM occasionally. Since I'm
currently doing low-pressure work, I don't have these
problems. Nonetheless, I still won't answer my phone when
I'm with someone else - because they used their time to
spend it with me.

Having just left the Financial Services business - with a
bazillion customers around Wall St. - I can imagine the
pressure some of your co-riders might be under to answer
the phone.

a.

On Mon, 03 May 2004 20:10:57 GMT, "andrew smith"

Quoted message said:

Having just left the Financial Services business - with a
bazillion customers around Wall St. - I can imagine the
pressure some of your co-riders might be under to answer
the phone.

Uh huh, but that doesn't make it the right thing to do in a
mass ride while riding (as the OP seemed to indicate).

Curtis L. Russell Odenton, MD (USA) Just someone on
two wheels...

andrew smith said:

"Kaputnik" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I rode in the NY 5 boro bike ride yesterday. I won't get
in to a long description, except to say that I enjoyed it.
It seems to be more of an event than a ride; I've never
ridden in such heavy bicycle traffic before.

There was one thing, though, that I found mildly
irritating, the number of cyclists I saw yakking on cell
phones during the ride. I suppose it wasn't that big a
percentage, actually, and I didn't see it cause any
accidents, but still, why can't people give it a rest and
turn the damn things off occasionally?

These are the tools that let many people do many things
that before they couldn't (wouldn't?) make time to do.

In recent years past, I got in more rounds of golf, days
surfing, and time on my bike by having a cell phone and/or
wireless modem handy.

At the same time, I had some rules about work and time
away from work. I wouldn't carry a laptop or answer work
calls on vacation. I would check VM occasionally. Since
I'm currently doing low-pressure work, I don't have these
problems. Nonetheless, I still won't answer my phone when
I'm with someone else - because they used their time to
spend it with me.

Having just left the Financial Services business - with a
bazillion customers around Wall St. - I can imagine the
pressure some of your co-riders might be under to answer
the phone.

a.

Picture three people having dinner at a restaurant all
talking on their cells to different parties through the
entire meal.

What was the point of getting together to eat?

Rampant stupidity enabled by technology.

jim

Kaputnik said:

I rode in the NY 5 boro bike ride yesterday. I won't get
in to a long description, except to say that I enjoyed it.
It seems to be more of an event than a ride; I've never
ridden in such heavy bicycle traffic before.

There was one thing, though, that I found mildly
irritating, the number of cyclists I saw yakking on cell
phones during the ride. I suppose it wasn't that big a
percentage, actually, and I didn't see it cause any
accidents, but still, why can't people give it a rest and
turn the damn things off occasionally?

It's the same problem with people who can't drive, or go to
the store, etc. w/o yakking on the phone. There's an
epidemic of lockjaw going around and the only way to combat
it is to keep the mouth and surrounding muscles constantly
in motion.... ;-)

Janet

In article
<[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

"Kaputnik" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I rode in the NY 5 boro bike ride yesterday. I won't get
in to a long description, except to say that I enjoyed
it. It seems to be more of an event than a ride; I've
never ridden in such heavy bicycle traffic before.

There was one thing, though, that I found mildly
irritating, the number of cyclists I saw yakking on cell
phones during the ride. I suppose it wasn't that big a
percentage, actually, and I didn't see it cause any
accidents, but still, why can't people give it a rest and
turn the damn things off occasionally?

These are the tools that let many people do many things
that before they couldn't (wouldn't?) make time to do.

But yesterday was Sunday, at least on this side of the
Int'l Date line. I think it's unfortunate that so many
people are having to put in so many extra hours just to
keep their jobs.

Anyhow, when I first saw the subject line, I thought this
was going to be about bike trailers.

cheers, Tom

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"Tom Keats" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Anyhow, when I first saw the subject line, I thought this
was going to be about bike trailers.

I thought the same thing! I was trying to guess if the
pannier/trailer debate was going to be full of useful
information or turn ugly.

The funny thing is that many people start thinking you are
able to answer the phone all of the time. I used to have a
"low pressure" job (read: high pressure greater than low
pay). I made a point of not talking on the phone while
driving in heavy traffic. Then one day I didn't answer my
phone during my morning commute and was reprimanded by my
boss for not answering my phone, even after I explained that
I was driving and chose not to be a niusance or danger to
other people. They never let up.

This brings it to home even more since I commute 5 days a
week 52 weeks a year on a bike. The most annoying drivers I
find aren't the ones who are trying to be jerks, but rather
the ones who are clueless about their surroundings because
they're on the phone!

-Collin

"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Kaputnik" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I rode in the NY 5 boro bike ride yesterday. I won't get
in to a long description, except to say that I enjoyed
it. It seems to be more of an event than a ride; I've
never ridden in such heavy bicycle traffic before.

There was one thing, though, that I found mildly
irritating, the number of cyclists I saw yakking on cell
phones during the ride. I suppose it wasn't that big a
percentage, actually, and I didn't see it cause any
accidents, but still, why can't people give it a rest
and turn the damn things off occasionally?

These are the tools that let many people do many things
that before they couldn't (wouldn't?) make time to do.

In recent years past, I got in more rounds of golf, days
surfing, and time on my bike by having a cell phone and/or
wireless modem handy.

At the same time, I had some rules about work and time
away from work. I wouldn't carry a laptop or answer work
calls on vacation. I would check

VM

Quoted message said:

occasionally. Since I'm currently doing low-pressure work,
I don't have these problems. Nonetheless, I still won't
answer my phone when I'm with someone else - because they
used their time to spend it with me.

Having just left the Financial Services business - with a
bazillion customers around Wall St. - I can imagine the
pressure some of your co-riders might be under to answer
the phone.

a.

Quoted message said:

I rode in the NY 5 boro bike ride yesterday. I won't get
in to a long description, except to say that I enjoyed it.
It seems to be more of an event than a ride; I've never
ridden in such heavy bicycle traffic before.

There was one thing, though, that I found mildly
irritating, the number of cyclists I saw yakking on cell
phones during the ride.

Maybe they were taking advantage of a mobile WiFi hot-spot
provided by Yury Gitman's "magicbike":

magicbike.netabout.htmlOpen ↗

"Tom Keats" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article
<[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

"Kaputnik" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I rode in the NY 5 boro bike ride yesterday. I won't
get in to a long description, except to say that I
enjoyed it. It seems to be more of an event than a
ride; I've never ridden in such heavy bicycle traffic
before.

There was one thing, though, that I found mildly
irritating, the number of cyclists I saw yakking on
cell phones during the ride. I suppose it wasn't that
big a percentage, actually, and I didn't see it cause
any accidents, but still, why can't people give it a
rest and turn the damn things off occasionally?

These are the tools that let many people do many things
that before they couldn't (wouldn't?) make time to do.

But yesterday was Sunday, at least on this side of the
Int'l Date line. I think it's unfortunate that so many
people are having to put in so many extra hours just to
keep their jobs.

Maybe it wasn't job related. Maybe it was their buddy trying
to meet up with them on the ride, trying to figure out if
they were ahead or behind them. Much less bulky than those
family radio walkie talkies when trying to meet up.

Maybe it was the kids at home wondering if they could go
play with the kids across the street. Though I only answer
the phone while stoking or stopped, I can tell you the cell
phone allows us to take a ride Sunday mornings. Without it
we wouldn't dream of leaving the kids at home. They set up
their days, arrange play dates/study sessions, all before we
head home. If we need to cut off coffee at the end we can do
that if they need to be somewhere. But we can get in our
ride mostly while they are sleeping/ watching morning shows.
(Oh, the oldest is 14, we aren't leaving toddlers home...)

Maybe it was the nurses at their parent's rest home telling
them how their parents were doing. Cell phones have also
freed folks up to go cycling, and do other activities
without having to spend their mornings sitting near the
phone. For folks with sickly relatives, this is a god send
that they can get some exercise without abandoning their
responsibilities. If they are needed, they can be reached
immediately.

Cathy Kearns said:

If they are needed, they can be reached immediately.

Fine. All of that and none of that - or the other post
listing reasons
- justifies doing it riding in a mass start ride. Using a
cell phone on a bike path is stupid enough in most
circumstances; doing it in a major ride is pure idiocy.
The OP indicated these people were in the ride, riding,
and on cell phones.

Curtis L. Russell Odenton, MD (USA) Just someone on
two wheels...

Curtis L. Russell said:

Cathy Kearns said:

If they are needed, they can be reached immediately.

Fine. All of that and none of that - or the other post
listing reasons
- justifies doing it riding in a mass start ride. Using a
cell phone on a bike path is stupid enough in most
circumstances; doing it in a major ride is pure idiocy.
The OP indicated these people were in the ride, riding,
and on cell phones.

Curtis L. Russell Odenton, MD (USA) Just someone on two
wheels...

I agree, if it was anything really important, they could
have sidelined themselves until the conversation was over
or left the ride. I wonder if those you responded to,
upthread, actually think these reasons account for most of
the usage. Right.

jim

Collin O'Neill said:

The funny thing is that many people start thinking you are
able to answer the phone all of the time.

Or, the ones who think you can hear them when they're
talking to your voice mail, as if it were an answering
machine screening your calls...my girlfriend's mother does
this. She leaves voice mail on cell phones saying "Pick up
the phone! I know you're there!". Luckily, she doesn't
call _me_...
--
Rick Onanian

"Janet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Kaputnik said:

I rode in the NY 5 boro bike ride yesterday. I won't get
in to a long description, except to say that I enjoyed
it. It seems to be more of an event than a ride; I've
never ridden in such heavy bicycle traffic before.

There was one thing, though, that I found mildly
irritating, the number of cyclists I saw yakking on cell
phones during the ride. I suppose it wasn't that big a
percentage, actually, and I didn't see it cause any
accidents, but still, why can't people give it a rest
and turn the damn things off occasionally?

It's the same problem with people who can't drive, or go
to the store, etc. w/o yakking on the phone. There's an
epidemic of lockjaw going around and the only way to
combat it is to keep the mouth and surrounding muscles
constantly in motion.... ;-)

Janet

Or those schmucks who blab while on the trainers or machines
at the gym, having these inane conversations that we're
stuck listening to unless plugged into a walkman. Most
annoying are the business types who leave the ringer on and
then blab loudly on their phone so we'll all know how
IMPORTANT they are. The one place you can't do that is
spinning class, thank god, it's just too intense.

Marlene Blanshay said:

"Janet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:_mAlc.15872$Ut1.475753@bgtnsc05-
news.ops.worldnet.att.net...

Quoted message said:

Kaputnik said:

I rode in the NY 5 boro bike ride yesterday. I won't get
in to a long description, except to say that I enjoyed
it. It seems to be more of an event than a ride; I've
never ridden in such heavy bicycle traffic before.

There was one thing, though, that I found mildly
irritating, the number of cyclists I saw yakking on cell
phones during the ride. I suppose it wasn't that big a
percentage, actually, and I didn't see it cause any
accidents, but still, why can't people give it a rest and
turn the damn things off occasionally?

It's the same problem with people who can't drive, or go
to the store, etc. w/o yakking on the phone. There's an
epidemic of lockjaw going around and the only way to
combat it is to keep the mouth and surrounding muscles
constantly in motion.... ;-)

Janet

Or those schmucks who blab while on the trainers or
machines at the gym, having these inane conversations that
we're stuck listening to unless plugged into a walkman.
Most annoying are the business types who leave the ringer
on and then blab loudly on their phone so we'll all know
how IMPORTANT they are. The one place you can't do that is
spinning class, thank god, it's just too intense.

Brings to mind something I witnessed a few years ago. I was
in a major department store at the mall doing some last
minute Christmas shopping. Two women were looking at
clothing and loudly yakking on their cell phones about the
clothes they were looking at. They were separated by one
(maybe sometimes two racks of clothes). I finally figured
out that they were talking to each other!!

Janet

"Curtis L. Russell" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Mon, 03 May 2004 20:10:57 GMT, "andrew smith"

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Having just left the Financial Services business - with a
bazillion customers around Wall St. - I can imagine the
pressure some of your co-riders might be under to answer
the phone.

Uh huh, but that doesn't make it the right thing to do in
a mass ride while riding (as the OP seemed to indicate).

Does it make it wrong?

a.

"JimLane" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

andrew smith said:

"Kaputnik" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I rode in the NY 5 boro bike ride yesterday. I won't get
in to a long description, except to say that I enjoyed
it. It seems to be more of an event than a ride; I've
never ridden in such heavy bicycle traffic before.

There was one thing, though, that I found mildly
irritating, the number of cyclists I saw yakking on cell
phones during the ride. I suppose it wasn't that big a
percentage, actually, and I didn't see it cause any
accidents, but still, why can't people give it a rest
and turn the damn things off occasionally?

These are the tools that let many people do many things
that before they couldn't (wouldn't?) make time to do.

In recent years past, I got in more rounds of golf, days
surfing, and

time

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

on my bike by having a cell phone and/or wireless modem
handy.

At the same time, I had some rules about work and time
away from work.

I

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

wouldn't carry a laptop or answer work calls on
vacation. I would check

VM

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

occasionally. Since I'm currently doing low-pressure
work, I don't have these problems. Nonetheless, I still
won't answer my phone when I'm

with

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

someone else - because they used their time to spend it
with me.

Having just left the Financial Services business - with
a bazillion customers around Wall St. - I can imagine
the pressure some of your co-riders might be under to
answer the phone.

a.

Picture three people having dinner at a restaurant all
talking on their cells to different parties through the
entire meal.

What was the point of getting together to eat?

Rampant stupidity enabled by technology.

Picture the part where I wrote, "I still won't answer my
phone when I'm with someone else - because they used their
time to spend it with me."

a.

"Collin O'Neill" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The funny thing is that many people start thinking you are
able to answer the phone all of the time. I used to have a
"low pressure" job (read:

high

Quoted message said:

pressure greater than low pay). I made a point of not
talking on the

phone

Quoted message said:

while driving in heavy traffic. Then one day I didn't
answer my phone during my morning commute and was
reprimanded by my boss for not answering my phone, even
after I explained that I was driving and chose not to be a
niusance or danger to other people. They never let up.

This brings it to home even more since I commute 5 days a
week 52 weeks a year on a bike. The most annoying drivers
I find aren't the ones who are trying to be jerks, but
rather the ones who are clueless about their surroundings
because they're on the phone!

I'm with you on this.

I can tell what jerk's going to do. It's the people that
aren't paying attention to anything that are unpredictable.

a.

"curt" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Drunks often think they are driving safely too.

Curtis L. Russell

I wonder who kills more people. Cell phone users or
drunks? I see more clueless cell phone users on the road
than drunks myself. I certainly

have

Quoted message said:

seen some scary stuff out there. Mostly women in huge
SUV's talking.

They

Quoted message said:

are trying to be aggressive and talk on the phone at the
same time.

Curt

Just the other day I was crossing at an intersection (on
foot) and this woman stopped, barely even looking at me or
the stop sign. She was driving a lexus, and blabbing on her
phone AND smoking a cigarette. I feel so safe.