psalm_onethirtyone: (Not Me! Erro ero)
Soujin ([personal profile] psalm_onethirtyone) wrote2008-04-18 12:00 am

"Mr Jones Strikes up a Conversation with a Black-Haired Flamenco Dancer..."

To-day's topic is: WHAT IS SOUJIN DOING WRONG?

Every day I bicycle the loop. I bicycle along with traffic, that is, the same side of the road as the cars going the same direction as I do. When someone comes up behind me, I pull over to the side of the road and bicycle along the grass. I make hand signals when appropriate. I try not to be annoying.

Nearly every day, somebody honks at me. I don't know whyyyy, and it makes me sad and depressed, because I can't tell whether I'm offending people or what. It's both men and women; it's also both people behind me and people coming towards me. It's not as if people aren't used to bicyclers, because that's how all the Amish and Mennonite kids who don't walk get around. It's really common in this area.

So what, please, please, what am I doing wrong? I am thinking of asking Paul, because he's lived here all his life and he might know if there is some secret rule of etiquette I'm violating. When I just walk, I never get honked at! Everybody waves and smiles, and I wave and smile back. And sometimes people wave when I bicycle. But somebody always honks, and it really makes me uncomfortable. I don't really know that I want to keep bicycling if this always happen.

Nggg.

On the plus side, the sheep mystery was amazing. Such a good book. ALSO, The Empty Kingdom came out. I think for once in my life I will actually have something on my birthday list. I know, it's unbelievable.

[identity profile] gileonnen.livejournal.com 2008-04-18 04:04 am (UTC)(link)
At least in West Virginia, people honk for one of two reasons:

1. To show that they notice you, and will try not to run over you.
2. To be sure that you notice them.

Hope this helps!

[identity profile] rainbowjehan.livejournal.com 2008-04-18 04:12 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, hey. I never thought of that. They can be sort of hard to hear since it's usually windy around here.

p.s. are you mr. vampire? I can't tell from your comments in s_p. *is fail*

[identity profile] gileonnen.livejournal.com 2008-04-18 04:27 am (UTC)(link)
p.s. Nope. XD If I were ever any vampire, I would be Otto Chriek or Maladict. No others.

[identity profile] rainbowjehan.livejournal.com 2008-04-18 04:32 am (UTC)(link)
I thought you were implying you were. XD Okay. So then are you any of the new characters?

[identity profile] gileonnen.livejournal.com 2008-04-18 04:32 am (UTC)(link)
Depends. By 'new,' are we counting Palomides? He's my newest.

[identity profile] rainbowjehan.livejournal.com 2008-04-18 04:36 am (UTC)(link)
really! okay, I totally thought you had somebody. XD I think I fail at actually being able to pick up on anybody's style/cues/comments.

[identity profile] gileonnen.livejournal.com 2008-04-18 04:38 am (UTC)(link)
oh--! who did you think I had? now I'm curious as to what you think might be my playing style. ^_~

[identity profile] rainbowjehan.livejournal.com 2008-04-18 04:53 am (UTC)(link)
well, um, at first I though the vampire because of your comments. But then I realised you weren't tagging in sync with him, and I thought Madame de Tourvel's intro, particularly the typist comment, was sort of your style--you prefer more eclectic characters, it seems to me.

[identity profile] gileonnen.livejournal.com 2008-04-18 04:59 am (UTC)(link)
That does make sense--but I try not to pick up women unless they're Finns or crossdressers. ^_~ Actually, I've mentally pegged that one as [livejournal.com profile] assimbya. And, now that I check the Wiki--yep. ^_____^ Score!

[identity profile] rainbowjehan.livejournal.com 2008-04-18 05:01 am (UTC)(link)
aha. Why just those particular kinds? XD Also, if that's the case, [livejournal.com profile] assimbya, TAG ME.

[identity profile] gileonnen.livejournal.com 2008-04-18 05:08 am (UTC)(link)
Because SOMEONE needs to play more Kalevala folk, and that someone is apparently me. And because I somehow ended up with Viola in [livejournal.com profile] thisisillyria. ^_^;;; She's in Portugal, remember?

[identity profile] rainbowjehan.livejournal.com 2008-04-18 05:19 am (UTC)(link)
XD Gotcha.
tinyammmy: (I have medicine)

[personal profile] tinyammmy 2008-04-18 10:29 am (UTC)(link)
Intrusion: Gil has such a knack for picking up who's playing whom. I was like "OH WHO IS ADA?" and she knew immediately. XD

[identity profile] rainbowjehan.livejournal.com 2008-04-19 02:05 am (UTC)(link)
Well, I can tell Snowy, too! XD

[identity profile] tomecatti.livejournal.com 2008-04-18 04:06 am (UTC)(link)
My guess, if it's not what gil said, is that they just don't like people on bikes. Nothing against you, almost definitely.

[identity profile] rainbowjehan.livejournal.com 2008-04-18 04:12 am (UTC)(link)
It can't be that! Bikes are as common as cars around here.

[identity profile] tomecatti.livejournal.com 2008-04-18 04:13 am (UTC)(link)
maybe they honk at all the bikes!

[identity profile] rainbowjehan.livejournal.com 2008-04-18 04:20 am (UTC)(link)
Just sort of generally misanthropists?

[identity profile] tomecatti.livejournal.com 2008-04-18 04:20 am (UTC)(link)
The world is dreadfully full of them.

[identity profile] tomecatti.livejournal.com 2008-04-18 04:31 am (UTC)(link)
*hug* it's also got loads of awesome people, like you! "full of them" was the wrong phrasing >.>

[identity profile] tomecatti.livejournal.com 2008-04-18 04:34 am (UTC)(link)
I'm sorry! I didn't mean to feed the sadness. It's not all or even most of the drivers, is it?

[identity profile] rainbowjehan.livejournal.com 2008-04-18 04:39 am (UTC)(link)
Well, no. But it makes me think of all the evils in the world.

[identity profile] tomecatti.livejournal.com 2008-04-18 04:40 am (UTC)(link)
But there are lots and lots of goods in the world too! at least as many!

[identity profile] rainbowjehan.livejournal.com 2008-04-18 05:00 am (UTC)(link)
Okay.

[identity profile] snowyofthenight.livejournal.com 2008-04-18 04:09 am (UTC)(link)
I HATE HONKING. AUGH. I get honked at every time I drive on the east side. Gah.

[identity profile] rainbowjehan.livejournal.com 2008-04-18 04:13 am (UTC)(link)
ME TOO AUGH. It makes me get all nervous and jittery and fall off my bike. Or my car. Whatever I'm driving.

[identity profile] rainbowjehan.livejournal.com 2008-04-18 04:19 am (UTC)(link)
OH MY GOD YES.

[identity profile] weaselwoman13.livejournal.com 2008-04-18 04:12 am (UTC)(link)
I don't think it sounds like you're doing anything wrong. My guess is basically the same as either [livejournal.com profile] gileonnen's or [livejournal.com profile] tomecatti's -- either they're telling you they're looking out for you, or they're just bein' jerks. I ride my bike to class and work often -- it scares me to be on the roads, but it's illegal to be on the sidewalks downtown, so I have to, and more than once I've had people honk or shout "NERD!" or "GET OFF THE ROAD!" at me. (These are mostly college-age boys -- if it was an older guy or lady honking at me, my ageism would lead me to believe that they were just letting me know they were there.)

I know what you mean, though; I always feel like I'm being rude somehow or holding people up no matter where I am. When I'm on the sidewalk (which I am NOT if the sidewalk is particularly crowded), I always fret about sneaking around pedestrians because some of them are scared out of their wits by it, but I also don't like to say "PASSING ON YOUR LEFT" because it seems pushy. I think I need to get a nice, subtle, polite, bicycle bell (or a silly clown-nose style horn).

[identity profile] rainbowjehan.livejournal.com 2008-04-18 04:17 am (UTC)(link)
They're usually older people, so maybe it is just that they're worried about squishing me. That would make me feel a lot better. It was a young person once, and in that instance also someone driving towards me, so not even on my side of the road, so maybe that's a less charitable person, but it would make sense if the older folks were mostly just trying to make sure I was aware there was a car coming.

Yessss! I know. It's just like that. A horn would be awesome. XD

I love you. ♥