To The People Who are Going to Screw Up My Commute Today…
[Guest post by Aaron Worthing; if you have tips, please send them here. Or by Twitter @AaronWorthing.]
Update: I am not sure anyone cares right now, but the traffic didn’t turn out to be that bad. I don’t know if it’s because lots of people stayed home, or what, but for me at least the commute was about normal. So now it’s an academic issue, but let me add a few thoughts.
First, if someone can explain to me why they had to do it this weekend, I will take it all back. Look I understand that the people have a God-given right to protest, to demonstrate, to peaceably assemble and petition their government. So to a certain extent it is a price of living here that we have to put up with these kinds of disruptions. And certainly the state police are right to say they can’t bar them from doing this—they have as much a right to the roads as anyone. This post was a criticism, but not a call for some kind of deprivation of rights.
Five million people live in the greater D.C. area, and I would guess only at most 20% of them work directly for the government or with people interacting directly with it. The rest are people who work in restaurants, or for software companies or whatever. These are regular people, no different from any of you, who live ordinary lives, picking up kids from soccer practice, or seeing a family member. Some of our jobs depend on access to the roads. For instance, my company is engaged in home care. How would you feel about this remembrance ride if your elderly mother was not able to get needed care because of it? How would my wife feel if her brother couldn’t make his dialysis appointment because of this? I don’t believe anyone was hurt like that, but that was the risk we were running.
And if you combine that with the fact that no one has put forward any good reason to do it this weekend, instead of a normal three day weekend, when the impact would be felt much less… yeah, then it seems kind of thoughtless of them. At the very least, I think they need to do some PR work, explaining to us why this was all necessary.
The original post will resume as originally written.
——————————-
So today there is apparently going to be a major traffic clusterfrak:
Motorists should avoid Western Maryland and Northern Virginia on Friday, Aug. 19, and Interstate 95 North in Maryland on Saturday morning, Aug. 20. Police expect to escort 1,800 motorcycles on a Sept. 11 tribute ride that will require closing some of the region’s most congested highways.
The potential for gridlock Friday afternoon is of such concern that the U.S. Office of Personnel Management “strongly urges” federal employees to telework or take leave. A Virginia highway spokeswoman advised all Northern Virginia commuters to treat Friday as a snow day and work from home.
They’re going to jam up the Dulles Airport toll road (that is the road designed to help people get to and from the airport) and I-66 and various roads in Maryland. All of this is part of their plan to honor those who died on 9-11.
Travelers are also likely to face major delays in reaching Reagan National Airport and leaving Dulles International Airport. If forecast thunderstorms occur, motorcycle riders would have to lower their speeds, causing more backups on the three-day ride, which begins Friday in Shanksville, Pa., travels to the Pentagon and ends Sunday in downtown Manhattan….
Ted Sjurseth, a Leesburg resident and president of the nonprofit group America’s 911 Foundation, which organized the ride, said it must pass through the Washington region Friday afternoon and Saturday morning in order to reach all three plane-crash sites within three days.
He said the group understands its effect on traffic but hopes those caught in the backups will remember their cause.
“We’re here breathing today and trying to honor those who gave their life that day,” Mr. Sjurseth said. “There’s no great time to do it. . . . We’re not here to party. It’s a remembrance ride.”
Sjurseth said the group had 2,800 participants as of Wednesday, close to its goal of 2,977 participants — one for every person killed in the terrorist attacks. Most will be riding on 1,800 motorcycles, he said, and about 60 will assist with breakdowns and any injuries. He said the group raises money for $2,000 college scholarships awarded to children of police officers and fire and rescue workers.
So, yeah, look. First, I appreciate the desire to commemorate that day, especially in the first year in which Osama bin Laden will not be among the living. I admit that I never found memorial motorcycle rides to be a very good way to memorialize anything, but to each their own. You express yourself your way, I will express myself my way.
And it’s great that you are raising money for that charity, too.
But you don’t have to do this during my damn commute. I mean first, you could do all of this in two days. You do a memorial on Saturday morning in Shanksville, come down to the Pentagon that afternoon and do another memorial and then drive all Sunday to the third in New York City. It’s not that difficult.
And if you absolutely insist on taking three days to do this, then why not pick a three day weekend? I mean its not like as if you are doing it on the anniversary of the events, or even particularly close to it. Like you could have done it on labor day weekend, and not only avoided dropping a giant turd on my commute but you would have been very close to the anniversary itself to boot.
So to be blunt, Mr. Sjurseth, I don’t understand. There is a better time to do it. But you folks have chosen instead to disrupt our lives.
And I consider that to be pretty thoughtless of you.
————————————
Now, I am frankly writing this the night before and maybe it will all turn out to be overblown. Or maybe enough people will just stay home that it won’t be very bad.
Or maybe most people won’t know the back way we use to get home.
But still you have chosen a course of action that seems to be needlessly disrupting our lives.
[Posted and authored by Aaron Worthing.]
Written like a C.O.F.
daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 8/19/2011 @ 7:02 amgod forbid it interfere with your commute
gary1957 (20ab37) — 8/19/2011 @ 7:06 amJust ride a bike, Aaron!
http://global.nationalreview.com/dest/2011/08/19/1trainingwheels.jpg
ColonelHaiku (d1f5ff) — 8/19/2011 @ 7:08 amIf you complain about this, the terrorists have won!
Pious Agnostic (291f9a) — 8/19/2011 @ 7:11 amGET OFF MY LAWN!!!!!!!
daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 8/19/2011 @ 7:36 amOoh… someone’s wearing their crankypants this morning.
Public highway; freedom of association. Check it out.
Jones (0a69fd) — 8/19/2011 @ 7:37 amI agree. What exactly is so damned important about a “memorial bike ride”? What has biking got to do with the event? Why not a memorial interpretive dance, or a memorial yodel, or a memorial game of dominoes? If you know that the particular memorial activity you propose is going to seriously inconvenience tens of thousands of people, then pick some other damn memorial activity.
Milhouse (ea66e3) — 8/19/2011 @ 7:39 amMotorcycle rides to commemorate 911 are a lot like dances to make rain, or walks/runs to end world hunger. They’re pleasant social occasions for participants and have everything to do with solidifying group identity rather than with achieving ostensible goals.
ropelight (9a35ea) — 8/19/2011 @ 7:45 amLighten up, Aaron. Your freeways will be jammed for a couple of hours on one day out of your life. If this is your biggest complaint in life, sit back and count your blessings.
Chuck Bartowski (4c6c0c) — 8/19/2011 @ 7:49 amIs this post a joke?
AZ Bob (aa856e) — 8/19/2011 @ 8:10 amIt should not take longer to traverse the Wilson Bridge than it took Grant to take Vicksburg.
Ed from SFV (7d7851) — 8/19/2011 @ 8:22 amI don’t understand I thought the orphan children got a huge check from the government from the fund that Kenneth Feinberg dude or whatever to pay for college and such
wikipedia says
so who is exactly is the $2000 for? Is it just to random “children of police officers and fire and rescue workers?” and not for victims of 911?
Don’t really get it plus $2000 buys a lot of triple double oreos I bet.
happyfeet (3c92a1) — 8/19/2011 @ 9:14 amI will rink the more coffee but this whole thing sounds bogus
happyfeet (3c92a1) — 8/19/2011 @ 9:15 amSeriously Aaron is Mr. Crankypants.
Personally, I may take the metro down to take some pictures of this event.
G (ce0c1b) — 8/19/2011 @ 9:25 amHappyfeet,
Machinist (b6f7da) — 8/19/2011 @ 9:38 amFirefighters and police die all the time in line of duty and no one gives them $1.8 million. The funds are for them.
This post does seem a bit small but then I am not going to be there.
I would certainly rather see this than traffic tied up so Obama can do a fund raiser or date night.
Machinist (b6f7da) — 8/19/2011 @ 9:40 amusing 9/11 to raise monies for regular old union whore cops and fire people is kind of tacky I think but whatever it’s not my money
happyfeet (3c92a1) — 8/19/2011 @ 9:47 amThat remark shows all the class I have come to expect from you.
Machinist (b6f7da) — 8/19/2011 @ 9:56 amGreetings:
You seem to be in need of some bucking up, boy-o, so hears a bit of news from the San Francisco Bay area where local governments and their apparatchiks are so on the alert to keep us safe or something.
For a day and a half, the San Raphael police closed down a feeder highway to one of the Bay’s bridges in order to deal with a criminal in a motel who had fired one shot at the highway and possibly taken his “girlfriend” hostage. Hostage negotiating and non-SWAT-ing ensued while the public, well, who knows, and we know who didn’t care.
A good job was had by all; well, “some” would probably be more accurate.
11B40 (d9c8b0) — 8/19/2011 @ 10:14 amIn other words, federal workers in the region will get a free, paid day off while they ostensibly are “teleworking”. Wonder what that cost us taxpayers?
in_awe (44fed5) — 8/19/2011 @ 10:18 amYour the tacky one Wackyfeet these people sacrificed their lives you punkarse RINO.
DohBiden (d54602) — 8/19/2011 @ 10:19 amBut your right about unions.
DohBiden (d54602) — 8/19/2011 @ 10:19 amI’m glad I went to Ikea yesterday
sarahW (af7312) — 8/19/2011 @ 10:29 amWhen I work from home, my employer expects actual production from me. Is it your hypothesis that employees of the federal government are any different? That would be hard to prove one way or the other.
And if they’re taking leave, then it comes out of their accrued leave, which is already included as part of their salaries, so it wouldn’t cost us taxpayers any extra.
I’m still seeing a molehill here.
Chuck Bartowski (4c6c0c) — 8/19/2011 @ 10:52 amThe real danger is that aliens will see the traffic congestion and think we are going to crowd their space lanes and they will attack us!
Machinist (b6f7da) — 8/19/2011 @ 10:55 amIf there weren’t usually so many DC government workers clogging the roads to get to and from their unnecessary bureaucratic jobs in bloated un-needed agencies that are overstaffed, this little bike ride traffic kerfuffle wouldn’t even make the news I think. Or am I missing something?
elissa (7b8af7) — 8/19/2011 @ 11:17 amWhat will you do Aaron?
Write a sternly worded letter?
Will you demand they let you be clear?
Will you blame bipartisan brinksmanship?
Oh wait thats what obama does.
DohBiden (d54602) — 8/19/2011 @ 11:23 amI’ve got an idea: let’s not get a stick up our collective asses over trivial things that will blow over quickly. Leave that for the liberals.
Chuck Bartowski (4c6c0c) — 8/19/2011 @ 11:32 amI don’t speak for Aaron, but that is my view generally.
Telecommuting is great if the employee is a badass self starter. But just demanding your entire department do it is actually not going to result in anything but a nice day off.
Which I am not averse to. I have no problem with a day or two off to commemorate and remember 9/11.
Dustin (b7410e) — 8/19/2011 @ 11:38 amYou need a sense of humor Chuck.
DohBiden (d54602) — 8/19/2011 @ 11:42 amDon’t you just hate people who………
Andy Rooney Aaron is not.
daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 8/19/2011 @ 12:02 pmMr. Aaron has a perfectly defensible point of view it sucks when people are oblivious to how their actions will affect others especially in strained economic times like what we are experiencing in failmerica…
real people have to get to work to do real actual work and other real people have job interviews scheduled that day and other real people have doctor appointments they want to get in before the pending layoffs happen and they lose their health cares and other real people need to go shopping for tasty low-cost foozles to feed their family and who knows what else
but hey let’s all stop to give some bonus slop the union piggies
happyfeet (3c92a1) — 8/19/2011 @ 12:12 pmbonus slop *to* the union piggies I mean
happyfeet (3c92a1) — 8/19/2011 @ 12:14 pm“bonus slop *to* the union piggies I mean”
Mr. Feets – Very insouciant and misguided. The monies are for the chirrens, not slop.
“All of this is part of their plan to honor those who died on 9-11.”
“He said the group raises money for $2,000 college scholarships awarded to children of police officers and fire and rescue workers.”
daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 8/19/2011 @ 12:58 pmOK, I realize it’s a bit of a stretch, but is it possible that the reason this is happening on commuting days is that those are the only days they could get permits for? I used to live in the B-W corridor and I remember that a lot of oddly timed ‘events’ happened that way The organizers annoyed somebody, and suddenly the only permits they can get are for a time when nobody will be happy to see them.
Just saying….
C. S. P. Schofield (8b1968) — 8/19/2011 @ 1:01 pmthey can do it without my monies I personally don’t see how the children of dead union piggies are anymore worthy than the children of dead people whose parents worked for a living
happyfeet (3c92a1) — 8/19/2011 @ 1:01 pmum
children of… whatever you know what I mean
happyfeet (3c92a1) — 8/19/2011 @ 1:02 pmIt’s a big giant waste of gasoline. We better open the strategic reserves.
Birdbath (19803d) — 8/19/2011 @ 1:08 pm1800 motorcycles using 10 gallons of gas each at $4.00 per gallon comes to $72,000. That’s 36 scholarships at $2,000. Or, one year at Princeton.
Birdbath (19803d) — 8/19/2011 @ 1:11 pmthey got some gasoline donated for free I read somewhere
but that doesn’t really detract from your point
at the end of the day you just have to file this under stuff white people like I think
happyfeet (3c92a1) — 8/19/2011 @ 1:14 pmalso it said the goal was to have one motorcycle for every dead 9/11 person
so it would be like watching all the dead people scooter by on motorcycles if they had lived
or whatever
it’s supposed to give you a sense of the scale of the tragedy is the idea I think
happyfeet (3c92a1) — 8/19/2011 @ 1:17 pmI really do like watching a huge galaxy of motorcycles going by, though. The sound resonates in your chest and you can’t hear what the person next to you is saying. When it’s past you kind of go, ‘wow.’
Birdbath (19803d) — 8/19/2011 @ 1:27 pmSee, here’s where a reasonable person would look at the statement and apply a little common sense. Workers were being urged to either telecommute or take leave. Now, there are many workers for whom telecommuting isn’t an option: the work that they do must be performed on site. And such workers would be urged, therefore, to take leave. There’s nothing in the original statement that would make a reasonable person think that entire departments were being ordered to work at home, regardless of the resulting productivity.
Seriously, posters here are acting like this is some horrible thing. I am not particularly scandalized by this event: traffic will be snarled for part of one business day, a lot of people will take personal leave, and on the next day things will be pretty much as they have always been.
Chuck Bartowski (4c6c0c) — 8/19/2011 @ 1:41 pmSorry, Aaron. Is VRE or Marc Rail an option? When I worked a detail at the Pentagon for a year I exclusively used VRE & Metro. Lot more crowded now from what I understand… Boy, I’m glad I live in a flyover state now. chuck
dhmosquito (285c48) — 8/19/2011 @ 2:00 pmChuck Bartowski – The event did not inconvenience me at all today.
daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 8/19/2011 @ 2:30 pmLet me be clear I inherited this from LGF.
/Aaron
DohBiden (d54602) — 8/19/2011 @ 2:31 pmI stayed home just in case
happyfeet (3c92a1) — 8/19/2011 @ 2:39 pmRight.
Someone is forcing a lot of people to stop working.
And you asked why someone would assume productivity would be cost?
Forcing people to take leave on a day they didn’t want to wouldn’t seem trivial to you if it happened to you for a reason you didn’t value.
It’s not ‘horrible’ in the grand scheme. Just extremely rude.
Dustin (b7410e) — 8/19/2011 @ 2:41 pmI don’t have all the facts but those who are going to screw up your commute acted stupidly.
DohBiden (d54602) — 8/19/2011 @ 3:02 pmAW, one thing you have to be thankful for…
Another Drew - Restore the Republic / Obama Sucks! (166457) — 8/19/2011 @ 3:06 pmYou have a commute, something that millions of Americans are denied.
It’s very rude of them to want to use those roads. You would think they helped pay for them. I myself have often wished I had my own commute roads but other people always insisted on crowding on, even when it was not convenient for me. The bastards.
Machinist (b6f7da) — 8/19/2011 @ 3:14 pmrude rude rude it’s the times
happyfeet (3c92a1) — 8/19/2011 @ 3:14 pmLet them eat cake, or tasty vegan pancakes.
daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 8/19/2011 @ 3:16 pmI think commute is a racial code word
/Ed Schultz
DohBiden (d54602) — 8/19/2011 @ 3:16 pm“vegan pancakes.” I don’t see the point since of course pancakes should always be served with sausage and maybe bacon, and hash browns of course. Pancakes without meat would be like decaf coffee.
Machinist (b6f7da) — 8/19/2011 @ 3:23 pmThese people have their 14th amendment rights to use the roads you meanie
/Unhinged libturd
DohBiden (d54602) — 8/19/2011 @ 3:25 pmBtw Law and order is making non-muslim creationists and abortion opponents as tyrants……………………….how predictable.
DohBiden (d54602) — 8/19/2011 @ 3:29 pmThese leftoids are pathetic.
DohBiden (d54602) — 8/19/2011 @ 3:34 pmI think South Park nailed it regarding the psychological profile of motorcyclists.
CliveStaples (963fef) — 8/19/2011 @ 4:30 pmSo when you see the Guardian Angels blocking the WBC folks from a serviceman’s funeral, that is what how you think of them?
I would respectfully disagree.
Machinist (b6f7da) — 8/19/2011 @ 4:42 pmI know too many fine riders.
Machinist (b6f7da) — 8/19/2011 @ 4:44 pmThey could do that in their cars. Or by holding hands, which would still be less gay.
CliveStaples (963fef) — 8/19/2011 @ 4:48 pmOmg what happens if you eat a corndog?
/Leftys
DohBiden (d54602) — 8/19/2011 @ 5:10 pmyou know you better spice it, flavor it… get it right and savor it
happyfeet (3c92a1) — 8/19/2011 @ 5:52 pmYou’ve got a point.
I don’t think it’s the end of the world either way. It’s just that good folks should try to be considerate of others. I don’t see why these guys couldn’t have figured out a more considerate way of doing this.
End of the world? No. Just seems like they are actually trying to be in the way. If I’m wrong, my mistake. Just the impression I get, and I think it’s rude.
Dustin (b7410e) — 8/19/2011 @ 6:17 pmDustin,
Machinist (b6f7da) — 8/19/2011 @ 7:22 pmIf they were blocking off the road I would be more in agreement but why are they less untitled to use the road today than others? Why must they wait until Aaron or others find it convenient? Who else must stay off the roads until they have permission, to avoid being rude?
I might point out that motorcycles use considerably less road space than cars. In California, years ago, I read that if one out of four commuters traded their car for a motorcycle, there would be no rush hour traffic jam in the Bay area.
Should someone driving alone in a car really be complaining about a biker using less space than he does?
Machinist (b6f7da) — 8/19/2011 @ 7:26 pmpeople who must stay off of the roads until they have permission are include annoying people what inconvenience others, voldemort, and anyone facilitating christine o’donnell’s book tour
happyfeet (3c92a1) — 8/19/2011 @ 7:40 pmCan I get my beef in regarding these hyper-adolescents and their Harleys with no mufflers. Every time one passes me on the road I say a little prayer that the inconsiderate selfish bastard will get broadsided by a semi.
SaintGeorgeGentile (9c4d29) — 8/19/2011 @ 9:44 pmComment by Machinist — 8/19/2011 @ 7:26 pm
The only reason that plan would result in no congestion would be because Bay Area drivers are so crazy, they’d run over all the bikers resulting in a 25% decrease in motorists.
And, Yes!, your average RUB seems to outfit his Harley with the lowest back-pressure mufflers (if you can call them that) available.
Another Drew - Restore the Republic / Obama Sucks! (166457) — 8/19/2011 @ 9:55 pmPlus, if he’s on a “full dresser” he’s got his radio/CD/Ipod deck turned up to max volumn, which is sometimes louder than the mufflers.
At least the Hell’s Angels are legitimate anti-social types, these guys are just inconsiderate jerks.
Should someone driving alone in a car really be complaining about a biker using less space than he does?
Comment by Machinist — 8/19/2011 @ 7:26 pm
I had this long, run on sentence rant about…blah. Short rant- if it can do the speed limit, it can be on “my” road. *Insert rambling whine about things with wheels that can’t/don’t do the speed limit here.*
ps- yes, they are my roads. No I don’t need to show proof, or logic. Just bald statements. Its more fun for me that way 😉
ppk_pixie (1df0c8) — 8/19/2011 @ 10:06 pm-Comment by Another Drew – Restore the Republic / Obama Sucks! — 8/19/2011 @ 9:55 pm-
I don’t know what an RUB is but I dispute your claim that the average motorcyclist runs loud or non-stock mufflers. Many do but so do many car drivers. The same would apply to sound systems but I don’t believe the number of bikes with obnoxious stereos approaches the number of cars.
My own experience agrees with you that there are many bad car drivers in the bay area but I survived many years of riding and commuting there. An empty gas can fastened behind the seat was a big help in reducing tailgating and the number of drivers who somehow don’t see you.
Machinist (b6f7da) — 8/19/2011 @ 10:15 pm-Comment by ppk_pixie — 8/19/2011 @ 10:06 pm-
And of course I would never dispute your claim, gentle Pixie.
I agree that mopeds have no more business on highways than golf carts and other electric cars. Other than Teslas.
Machinist (b6f7da) — 8/19/2011 @ 10:18 pmRich Urban Bikers
And, I defy you, in L.A., to find Harley’s that have quiet mufflers.
Another Drew - Restore the Republic / Obama Sucks! (166457) — 8/19/2011 @ 10:28 pmAnd, I can easily point you to an offending bike in my suburban neighborhood that matches the description I wrote. I usually hear it coming from the sound of the stereo before I hear the roar of the engine. One of these days I going to tell her what I think of her bike, and how she operates it.
Also, in CA, mo-peds are not allowed on freeways, except in very limited, defined exceptions such as the freeway is the only route through an area (also applies to bicycles, and to some small – less than 150cc – motorcycles IIRC).
…and, Machinist, I was very specific in talking about Harley riders, not “average motorcyclists”.
Another Drew - Restore the Republic / Obama Sucks! (166457) — 8/19/2011 @ 10:31 pmI find that the riders of non-Harley V-Twins are satisfied FTMP to operate their bikes with the OEM exhaust system – that is not always the case with Harley owners.
I did not consider LA to be in the Bay area. I have never lived or ridden in LA. I spoke of the Bay area, meaning San Jose, Santa Clara, and going toward San Francisco.
” your average RUB seems to outfit his Harley”
I took this to mean you were claiming “your average” rider rode a loud Harley. Sorry not to understand your terminology or how you apply it. I never knew rich bikers and could never afford a Harley myself. The Harley riders I have known were mostly responsible riders. I have known both bikers and car enthusiasts who ran loud exhausts.
Machinist (b6f7da) — 8/19/2011 @ 10:40 pmI have never been anywhere where the average rider could afford or wanted a Harley. LA may be different. San Jose or Sacramento areas are not.
Machinist (b6f7da) — 8/19/2011 @ 10:42 pm“…why they had to do it this weekend…”
In all of the hullaballoo that will take place the weekend of 9/10-11/11, no one would notice.
Another Drew - Restore the Republic / Obama Sucks! (166457) — 8/19/2011 @ 10:42 pmLabor Day is out, too busy.
Next weekend is out, it’s the last real weekend of Summer.
Soooooo….
Comment by Machinist — 8/19/2011 @ 10:42 pm
You need to get out more.
Another Drew - Restore the Republic / Obama Sucks! (166457) — 8/19/2011 @ 10:43 pmCome to think of it I can not recall any area where sound systems were not quite unusual. Most riders that did have them used headsets so others could not hear them in any case. LA must be quite unusual. I hope you don’t judge all bikers by the strange ones you seem to have there.
Machinist (b6f7da) — 8/19/2011 @ 10:47 pm“You need to get out more.”
Not to LA thank you, or anywhere back in California. I really like Texas.
Machinist (b6f7da) — 8/19/2011 @ 10:49 pmHarleygeddon?
Kevin M (563f77) — 8/19/2011 @ 10:53 pm😆
Machinist (b6f7da) — 8/19/2011 @ 10:55 pmI hope the aliens won’t think we are all loud biker trash and invade us.
Machinist (b6f7da) — 8/19/2011 @ 10:55 pmI hope the aliens won’t think we are all loud biker trash and invade us.
Comment by Machinist — 8/19/2011 @ 10:55 pm
We can always grab a few stereos and blast some Slim Whitman….just in case, Sir.Mac 😉
Their heads will either explode, or Slim will distract them from the noise. Win-win!
…’course it’ll be my luck the space bastards will come buzzing in on alien scooters- just to piss me off.
ppk_pixie (1df0c8) — 8/19/2011 @ 11:26 pm😆 .
Machinist (b6f7da) — 8/19/2011 @ 11:59 pmOf course they are entitled to use the road. No one is trying to force them to wait.
Now, turn that question right around and ask why people were being asked to telecommute or take a day off? Why is Aaron less entitled than the bikers?
I don’t go out of my way to organize an occupation of the highways people need, asking them to put their lives on hold because my demonstration, on public roads, is a priority of their lives.
But anyway, being considerate is not about being forced. It’s about thinking of others even though you didn’t have to. You can tell a lot about folks by how they treat people they think they are better than.
Dustin (b7410e) — 8/20/2011 @ 12:35 amGranted the whole thing appears to have not been anything worth worrying about anyway, but all Aaron did was note what he thought would work better.
Dustin (b7410e) — 8/20/2011 @ 12:47 amI would agree with you more but the bikers never asked anyone to not use the roads or telecommute or take a day off, did they? They just planned on riding through. Should they be blamed for what appears to be an over reaction by others?
Respectfully, they never questioned Aaron’s right to use the road or asked him to change his schedule, he questioned theirs. Right?
Machinist (b6f7da) — 8/20/2011 @ 1:59 am“all Aaron did was note what he thought would work better.”
For him.
Machinist (b6f7da) — 8/20/2011 @ 2:00 amLook. I don’t mean to sound like I am being beating on Aaron. I just don’t think these people were being as rude and out of line as some are saying. They did not ask anyone to inconvenience themselves or stay off the roads and they took the trouble to alert everyone that they were coming through. They had no obligation to do that other than good manners.
Machinist (b6f7da) — 8/20/2011 @ 2:07 amCan I get my beef in regarding these hyper-adolescents and their Harleys with no mufflers. Every time one passes me on the road I say a little prayer that the inconsiderate selfish bastard will get broadsided by a semi.
Comment by SaintGeorgeGentile — 8/19/2011 @ 9:44 pm
rIGHT BACK AT YA, YA PRICK
Jones (deed08) — 8/20/2011 @ 7:04 amThis is a very wise insight, Dustin.
Nobody is really “better than” anybody else. I learn that more and more as I go through life. Our actions are good and bad. We should strive to make them good.
Patterico (f724ca) — 8/20/2011 @ 7:06 amWhere is it legal to have a Harley without a muffler?
JD (318f81) — 8/20/2011 @ 7:33 amMachinest
> For him.
My proposal to move it to labor day weekend seems to work better for most people.
for most people living here, those are days when their lives would be disrupted less. Even if they work on labor day (some do, that is a much lighter traffic day.
and for the riders themselves, they get to do this only a week from 9-11’s anniversary. Its a win-win.
Aaron Worthing (73a7ea) — 8/20/2011 @ 7:55 amCan I get my beef in regarding these hyper-adolescents and their Harleys with no mufflers. Every time one passes me on the road I say a little prayer that the inconsiderate selfish bastard will get broadsided by a semi.
Comment by SaintGeorgeGentile
Lighten up, ya cranky ol’ bastard. Take a few weeks to decompress at your timeshare in Mesquite, NV.
ColonelHaiku (d1f5ff) — 8/20/2011 @ 8:01 amThat’s horse—.
People are obviously better at specific things than others. But you’re not talking about that. You mean morally.
Violent, tortuous murderers, for example, are not as good as decent folk.
Maybe in some sense it isn’t their fault. Maybe we live in a deterministic universe where we really don’t choose our actions; our brains do as a result of genetics, upbringing, and happenstance. Maybe. Many neuroscientists and modern philosophers think this is exactly the case (others disagree).
But even so … even if it isn’t the actor’s fault … the reality is the actor is less “better than” others.
Random (b6a95a) — 8/20/2011 @ 8:07 amPeople are obviously better at specific things than others. But you’re not talking about that. You mean morally.
I took it to mean one’s “station in life” or one’s “place in the hierarchy”… or one’s ranking in the food chain, so to speak.
ColonelHaiku (d1f5ff) — 8/20/2011 @ 8:28 am“My proposal to move it to labor day weekend seems to work better for most people.”
Aaron – The organizers might have considered that weekend and for whatever reason it did not work out. Why assume they have the worst intentions?
daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 8/20/2011 @ 8:32 amSaintGeorgeGentile aint no saint, to be sure.
Charlie Gibson (d48c3b) — 8/20/2011 @ 9:20 amExplain?
DohBiden (d54602) — 8/20/2011 @ 9:45 amComment by Machinist — 8/19/2011 @ 10:47 pm
I started riding as a teenager back in the late-50’s (and always here in SoCal), and nothing seems to have changed – except bikers don’t seem to wave (sometimes it was simply a nod of the head, or the lift of a couple fingers off of the clutch lever – with the high likelihood of engine seizure with those bikes, everyone rode with their fingers resting on the clutch if you needed to disengage real quick), to each other as they used to – I blame Sochiro Honda.
Another Drew - Restore the Republic / Obama Sucks! (bf7b3a) — 8/20/2011 @ 10:12 amHarley’s generally have very loud pipes – particularly when you have duel exhausts and minimal mufflers (and then there are the riders who try to ride with virtual open stacks, just having an “in name only” baffle inserted into the pipe).
And, that type of riding would be murder on your hearing out in the vast expanse of the West – who wouldn’t be deaf after a four-six hour ride with open pipes; but here in the urban expanse where you’re only going to be on the bike for an hour to go meet up with your ‘buds’ at some hangout, it’s tolerable. Plus, the cops can’t see that you’re wearing earplugs under your helmet.
Comment by JD — 8/20/2011 @ 7:33 am
Pretty much nowhere.
Another Drew - Restore the Republic / Obama Sucks! (bf7b3a) — 8/20/2011 @ 10:15 amEven racetracks have noise restrictions these days.
Comment by Random — 8/20/2011 @ 8:07 am
Doesn’t Dennis Prager say that there are only two races of people in the world?
Another Drew - Restore the Republic / Obama Sucks! (bf7b3a) — 8/20/2011 @ 10:18 amThe Good, and The Evil!
Random
Well, i think he meant no one was better in the classless society sense. i am sure he knows there are such things as criminals and other filth* and hopes we positively single them out for negative treatment.
—————
* i say “other filth” to refer to people who commit acts that should be criminal, but do not actually break any laws–often because they make the laws.
Aaron Worthing (73a7ea) — 8/20/2011 @ 10:23 amAD -‘ amen. Plus, a set of Samson Longshots or an old school set of drag pipes with minimal baffles is a safety feature. Even if they cannot see you, they surely can hear you.
JD (318f81) — 8/20/2011 @ 10:27 amYeah, it gives Farmer Jones time to grab his trusty side-by-side, and fill both pipes with rock-salt before you go by.
Another Drew - Restore the Republic / Obama Sucks! (bf7b3a) — 8/20/2011 @ 10:29 am