350 yr. old cactus near Petatlan, Mexico.
ATTEMPTING TO SHARE SOMEONE ELSE'S SPACE CAN OFTEN LEAD TO CONFRONTATION.
WE MUST ALL LEARN TO SHARE OUR DWINDLING SPACES
COLUMNS ON THIS PAGE
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This sign is self explanatory.
Have you ever noticed the signs on the back of commercial vehicles, if you can't see my mirrors, I can't see you?
That sign means exactly what it says. If you are walking, riding a bicycle or skateboard, or driving a car you are in the drivers blind spot if you can't see him through his windows or in his mirrors.
Even a bicycle equipped with mirrors has blind spots. The bigger the vehicle the larger the blind spots. There is a move afoot to change the name from `Blinds Spot' to `No Zone'. On the back of bigger vehicles you will see large signs that show the areas around the vehicle that are in the `No Zone'.
These are areas that you should never be in. Whether walking or driving you should always stay out of the No Zone or Blind Spot. Because modern day traffic is so used to making abrupt turns without signaling, if you are in the Blind Spot, you stand a good change of being injured.
How many times have I seen vehicles backing up and someone walk behind them. The biggest blind spot is the one right behind a vehicle. Never enter this No Zone without checking to see if his backup lights are on. If they are on wait until the vehicle has finished making his move.
The next biggest blind spot is to the right rear of a vehicle. This is the area to the right of his mirror and the rear of what he can see through his passenger side windows. this is where most accidents happen when a vehicle is turning to the right. That is why newer large vehicles have a signal light in the middle of the bus or trailer. If you see this light blinking, move out of the No Zone so that the driver can see you.
There is a similar but smaller Blind Spot on the left side of the vehicle and there are also blind spots to the front caused by the poles that hold the ends of the windshield. Other blindspots are created by drivers putting objects, such as sun shades and dangly toys, in their windows.
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Next week we will talk about bells.
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All bikes should be equiped with a bell.
Several weeks ago I said that all bicycles should have bells (City of Vancouver Street and Traffic Bylaw #2849 Part 1 Sec. 55). Unfortunately, cars come with horns but bicycles don't come with bells. It should be the other way around.
During normal traffic conditions pedestrians and bicycles don't share the same traffic patterns. As bicycles ride on the same side of the street or road as cars, using mirrors to see traffic behind them, while pedestrians use sidewalks and need not concern themselves with vehicular traffic, unless they are on a street or roadway that does not have a sidewalk in which case they should be walking on the left side of the road, [MVA Sec. 182 (2)], that is the traffic is to their right, and therefore can see bicycles and other vehicular traffic coming towards them.
The purpose of a bell on a bicycle is to warn pedestrians or other cyclists of their approach from the rear if they are not on a street but on paths, such as those found in Stanley Park.
Nothing is more scary than the sudden whir of a bicycle as it goes whooshing past while a hiker is concentrating on a black squirrel, especially if the cyclist passes on the wrong side.
Cyclists should remember that, like cars, it is illegal for them to pass on the right, ie. the person or vehicle they are passing is on their left. Vehicles must always pass on the left, ie. the vehicle or pedestrian they are passing should be to the right of the vehicle doing the passing.
Courtesy requires the cyclist, preparing to pass a hiker in such a situation, to ring their bell and let the hiker know they are approaching. The hiker should then step to the right allowing more room for the cyclist to pass.
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Next week we will talk about horns.
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Horns should only be used in an emergency.
Last week we talked about the use of bells on bicycles. This week I want to talk about the non use of horns on vehicles.
Next to the speedometer the horn is probably the most useless thing that manufacturers put in a car, yet they are required to do so by law.
When was the last time that you had someone honk at you? How do you know it was for you? Did it have your name on it?
Unlike flashing your lights at someone it is hard to tell someone you are honking at them. Lights are pointed right at whoever you are trying to make contact with but sound waves carry in all directions.
Horns seem to be the easiest way to release frustrations and people get frustrated in traffic when other drivers make mistakes. However the person getting frustrated should take the time to realize that they often make mistakes as well and honking the horn does nothing but irritate everyone all around and may not even reach the person they are trying to contact.
For instance I often see people in lineups honking their horns. Who are they honking at? Well obviously the person at the front of the line who is causing the problem.
Excuse me but is the driver of that vehicle Superman? Does he have super hearing? If the car you are honking at is not the car directly in front of you, and even if it is, how is he supposed to know it is him you are honking at? Maybe you have seen a friend on the sidewalk and are honking at her.
Often I see people honking at big trucks. Why? She can't hear you. She is sitting in an air conditioned, sound insulated cab, over top of a roaring diesel motor, with fifty feet of trailer between you and she.
The horn is an emergency warning device and should only be used to warn people of impending danger (City of Vancouver Street and Traffic Bylaw #2849 Part 1 Sec. 54). One long blast to get the attention of the person in danger. Or two short honks to indicate that you are backing up. Other than that horns should never be used.
Remember, a horn will not cause your vehicle to stop or even slow down. I am sure than many an accident could have been prevented if the driver of the vehicle had stepped on the brake instead of honking the horn.
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Next week we will talk more about horns.
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This driver did it the proper way,
he used the intercom to let his passneger know he had arrived.
Industry standards for horn use are: three honks, go forward / I'm going to go forward; two honks, back up / I'm going to back up; one honk, stop; long blast on horn, emergency.
Industry standards are not often used on the streets but they are good to know and they make more sense than the indiscriminate honking that is in use now.
If you ever get a chance to walk the streets of New York city it is just like in the movies, a surging sea of yellow cars, all honking at each other. But it's not the frustrated, middle finger salute, type of honking you find in Vancouver. It is like the cabs have a language of their own. They don't honk hard they just make little beeps as they ask their neighbour to move or slow so they can change lanes.
When I drove taxi in Calgary we had to get out of our car and knock on the door, we never parked out front of a building and honked our horn.
Where I live, which is facing the alley, I have cars honking night and day, then the drivers get out and yell at the occupants in apartments above me, because they are too lazy to walk around to the front of the building and use the intercom.
How rude, how thoughtless.
Vancouver is a forest of apartments. In any apartment building, at any time of the day or night, someone is sleeping. In a city that lives twenty four hours a day a large percentage of the population works afternoon and graveyard shifts which means they have to get their sleep during the day.
A horn is an emergency warning device, never use it except in an emergency.
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Next week we will talk about lights.
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Car with only one brake light.
Turning on the` four way' flashers while doing a walk around
will tell you if your brake lights work.
A few weeks ago we talked about using the brake lights and headlights to send a signal to other motorists but before you use your lights for any reason you should be sure they are working properly.
Professional drivers must do a complete check of the vehicle they are about to drive at the start of every shift or every time they switch vehicles, which can be three or four times a day.
There is a government form the driver has to fill out to show that he has made the check. A check includes such things as checking the level of oil in the motor, the level of antifreeze in the cooling system, and of course checking the lights.
After checking the oil, drive belts and other items under the hood the driver then does a walk around checking the lights while the truck is warming up.
Drivers of small cars should do the same thing. Especially in winter it is important to let your vehicle warm up before you drive away. While it is warming up you can turn on all the lights and do a walk around. It only takes a few seconds.
As I don't like to stand out in the rain I sit inside and do my light check while the motor is warming up. Where I park the back of my vehicle is close to a wall. It is a simple matter to step on the brake, look in both mirrors and see if I create a red glow on the wall behind me from each brake light. Next I turn on the park lights and see if they create a glow on the wall. Then I do the same with my signal lights.
Where I park is across the alley from a large garbage bin which nicely reflects my front lights so I am able to check my signal, park, and high and low headlights.
Often while I am driving I check for my reflection on the back of the vehicle in front of me. Or when I am parking at a store I can check my reflection in the windows.
Driving in the city gives a driver many opportunities every day to check all their lights and driving in the city, especially a wet city, requires that we are constantly sure that all our lights are working and in use.
Being sure your lights are working and using them properly could save a life, maybe yours.
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Next week we will talk about the use of signals.
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This cyclist started in the wrong lane. Even though it is a one
way street he should have been close to the right hand curb.
Then he did not signal.
How is other traffic supposed to know his intentions?
Use your signals.
Note the approaching pedestrians entering the crosswalk.
Note the pedestrian signal says `do not walk'.
As we said last week, this week we are going to discuss the importance of signals.
Some cyclists use the new international bicycle signals, but they shouldn't. Although the cyclist may know what he is signalling the motorist behind him may never have heard of a bicycle marathon and have absolutely no idea what he means.
As few cyclists have mirrors they seldom know where the traffic is behind them and it is therefore doubly important for them to signal clearly.
And because cyclists are so small they fit so conveniently into automotive blind spots it is equally important that motorists use their signals to let cyclists know when they are intending to make a lane change or turn a corner.
Notice I said intending. Too many people start their signal immediately before, or at the start of, a lane change or corner.
The law requires a five hundred foot warning before a change of direction, yet at the speed of today's traffic that is seldom sufficient.
The ideal time to start your signal is when you first think of making the change. Once the signal, whether hand or electric, is in operation you can then begin to check and see if it is safe to make your move. If it isn't safe, or if you discover this is not where you want to turn, you can always turn the signal off.
If you have failed to signal in advance then the safe way is to not make the move. Even if it means going around the block, do not make a turn or change lanes if you have not given other traffic sufficient warning of what you intend to do.
A few minutes extra, going around an unwanted block, is better than a few extra hours explaining to the police, and your friends, that you failed to give sufficient warning to a fellow street user. Remember, also, that pedestrians also time their movement to the signals of vehicles.
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Next week we will talk about sharing the streets with other members of the animal kingdom.
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A common sight and easy to stop in a park.
In high speed traffic stopping could cause death or injury to fellow motorists.
For the last few weeks we have been talking about humans and vehicles sharing the streets of our fair city. Let us not neglect the other animals that share our streets, particularly close to Stanley park.
Skunks, geese, coyotes, raccoons, squirrels, cats, and, let us not forget, dogs.
Humans are not the only animals that create problems on the streets nor are they the only animals that cause accidents. Many an accident is caused by some critter strolling across or suddenly darting into the street.
More than one cyclists has had an unpleasant encounter when he suddenly rounds a bush and startles a skunk. Those cute little black balls of fur with the white stripes are exceedingly fast and unerringly accurate.
Needless to say we, whether on foot or operating a vehicle, have to be constantly on the alert for such critters. Living in the city we have become quite used to these feathered and furred cousins and, to a certain extent, they have become quite used to us. But let us not forget they are wild animals. They do bite and they can inflict serious injury and if they have young they can be very aggressive.
With this in mind we should try to steer a wide berth around them but we should only do so if it can be done safely. I once witnessed a seven car pile up because someone stopped for a dog that ran out in front of his car.
Don't, for Heaven's sake, say that I advocate running over animals, but before you slam your foot on the brake pedal, check your mirrors and consider other options. If by trying to stop, or swerve, to protect the life of a small animal, you will put yourself or others in the path of serious injury, then maintain your course and speed.
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Next week we will talk more about the other animals that share our streets.
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Mother Mallard and 8 ducklinigs in Stanley Park.
Last week we talked about vehicles sharing the streets with other animals. This week lets talk about humans sharing the streets with other animals.
I mentioned last week that most animals are wild and must be approached with caution. I watched with horror and then humour a situation in Stanley Park last spring.
A young toddler approached some goslings. The mother goose wasn't appreciative of the youngster's attention and attacked him. Luckily the youngster took the hint and backed away before he was injured. The bite of a goose is sufficient to amputate a finger or take a large chunk out of an arm or leg. A hit from a gander's wing can be a very painful experience.
The humour came when the mother of the child began to berate the mother of the goslings for attacking her child. I was about to intervene on behalf of the goose when it occurred to me that the human mother, like the fowl mother, was acting on motherly instinct and protecting her young.
The mothers would have been more protective if they had not allowed their offspring to wander within range of opposite species in the first place. However, we who live in the city, unlike our country cousins, have become so used to seeing each other we feel little fear of one another.
The other night I was walking the seawall and a coyote came within four feet of me, slowly sniffing along through the grass, paying absolutely no attention to my presence.
We are learning to share the streets, yet, we must always remember that, whether two legged or four legged, animals are animals and natural instincts will often prevail over socially learned civilities.
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Next week we will talk more about the domesticate animals that share our streets.
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Leaving your doggie baggie under someone’s bush is a big no no.
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Last week we talked about sharing the streets with wild animals. This week lets talk about humans sharing the streets with domesticated animals, particularly dogs.
I just returned from a constitutional during which I met three gentlemen walking their respective other halves, one of which was a rather large Rottweiler.
The Rotter was doing what dogs tend to do when they are out for a walk and his master dutifully came behind him with a baggie.
While the gentleman's friends ribbed him about having to clean up after his pet, one of the other gentlemen's four legged companion decided that this was as good a time, and location, to follow the example of the Rott. The humorous part of it was that the Golden Retriever was behind the two two legged animals that were kibitzing the first dog's master and didn't notice that one of the two would soon be in the position of the first in having to clean up after his dog.
I thought I saw a gleam in the eye of the Retriever as he smiled at the Rottweiler, as if to say, "Who is the master? I don't see us cleaning up after them".
Cleaning up after your pooch is a very important part of sharing the streets. Carrying baggies while taking your mutt for a constitutional is as important as carrying your driver's license while operating a car.
And while cleaning up is an important part of sharing the life of an animal, disposing of the clean up is also an important part of sharing the street.
If you carry baggies you could also carry another bag to discreetly carry the used baggie to a disposal bin. I know most big bins are locked nowadays but most streets have trash containers and sooner or later if you walk the alleys you will find a bin that isn't locked. If you can't find any place else, take it home.
For Pete's sake don't leave your used baggie lying in the street or stick it in someone's flower box.
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Next week we will talk more about sharing our streets with dogs.
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