Reply to s/o Cyclists in Rock Creek Park vs Pedestrians

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]

I would feel terrible running into a kid. I do go more slowly around out of control kids (and out of control dogs) That does not make it any less irresponsible and rude to take an out of control kid onto the OD.   [/quote]

Even if you observe other people's behavior, as you should, you really don't get to decide who is allowed to use the trail and who is "rude". Taking the attitude that someone else doesn't belong on the trail may interfere with your own ability to behave responsibly by clouding your judgment with anger.[/quote]

I absolutely do get to decide what behavior is rude based on my observation.  Of course I don't get to decide who is allowed to use the trail - NVRPA and the jurisdictions WOD passes through do that, and I do not expect success in getting them to remove someone for letting their kid wander dangerously across the trail in violation of its rules, just as they do not remove cyclists who race at 25MPH or who do thread the needle passes.

Anger is a normal human emotion and is quite reasonable when  faced with rudeness and stupidity.   Acknowledging it is not dangerous, suppressing it is.

But more important is giving information.  In this case that everyone, from little 3YO tommy, to all the other users of the trail, is much better off if Tommy's parents take Tommy to a quiet place to learn to ride and not put Tommy in danger on the WOD.  And that if Tommys parents think cyclists should dismount their bike and walk because they want to ride with little Tommy on the trail, rather than take him somewhere appropriate, they are jerks.

If and when some jerk fred zooming down the trail at 25MPH, too fast but in the appropriate lane, kills little Tommy, it will be quite as much the parents fault as the jerk cyclist's fault.  [/quote]

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