Frazz by Jef Mallett for August 03, 2013

Because people get too attached to their things?

More like they become slaves to their technology.

I once pulled my phone out (while riding) just to see who was calling, never even intending to answer. I broke the non-replaceable derailleur hanger off the dropout, two ribs, and cracked my acetabulum (part of the pelvis).

Yeah, go ahead and say it. I busted my ace…..

Frazz, aren’t you afraid your tight clothes will show your package…..of energy snacks…Stolen with pride from Pearls….

Jef the biker in PBS is homage to Frazz by Jef Mallett?

I’ve answered the phone while on my bike before. Of course, I used a very important piece of accident avoidance technology first. The brakes.

My phone stays home when I ride. NOTHING is that important!

Wow; “knowing” Frazz as I have come to know him through the years – in my mind I actually got his meaning the first time, by that second panel, before his buddy did.

Some people use bike computers; others use phone apps. Personal preference. Unlike cars, it’s a lot easier to pull a bike over to the side of the road/sidewalk if you get a phone call, and stop, so there is no excuse to crash a bike when you bring your phone.

When I’m riding my bicycle, I keep the phone in a pack on a rack behind the seat. Last time it rang, I was midway up a fairly long hill. I stopped, got off, opened the pack, and answered the phone just in time for it to go to voice mail. The phone didn’t work very well after that, due to an… “accident…” in which it hit the pavement at a high velocity.

This is why I have had an endless succession of $15 disposable flip phones rather than a smartphone… and, for future reference, I’m remembering to set the phone on “silent” rather than “sports” mode when I put it on the bicycle…

And he crashes right into that sign post while texting on his bike…

Went ridding with a friend who took a phone with him, he did stop for every call, the ride took 3 times as long to finish as it did solo. Never rode with him again.

I see people biking and using their cell phones ALL THE TIME. Isn’t that practically suicidal? On their unprotecting vehicle, on the same road with killer monsters that are faster than they are, that outweigh them by a factor of at least 10, that are operated by other fallible, distracted humans, they divert their attention form their own safety, distract themselves, and let go of the controls with one hand. Way more dangerous than driving while cell-phoning, even. When I rode a bike to work for a while, defensive driving, keeping my self safe form the cars, was my number 1 and only concern.

The gentleman with the phone reminds me of a traffic accident I saw going to work one morning. I was setting at a stop light in the left lane, there was a police car in the right lane just ahead of me in the right lane with no one behind him. Suddenly he was pushing himself back into the seat as hard as he could. I turned around to see what was happening and saw a very pretty young lady talking on her cell phone, phone in one hand, the other waving exspressivly, and still going full speed when she hit the cop, with no seat belt. I saw her bite her steering wheel then the airbag went off. She lost most of her teeth and had a broken neck. She did survive. The moral is you wanna talk on the telephone while driving or riding pullover and stop.

I only take my phone with me in case of an accident, as i ride on many lonely dirt roads out of town.

In my defense, it was a quiet residential neighborhood, I wasn’t going fast, and I was just going to glance at it to see who it was. I was on my way to church, and was afraid it was someone looking to pick me up for church. But it took longer to get the phone out than expected (dang gloves), and I had to brake unexpectedly (but not very hard) with only one hand on the bars. Not enough forward motion to get any road rash, and didn’t even drop my phone. Just fell straight down on my side. I jumped up, called for a ride, loaded my bike on the truck, and went to church. Afterward, I went to the ER, where they said I broke two ribs. I hobbled around for a week before I went back and they discovered the broken pelvis.

Bikes have computers? Why? Do they automatically stop bikes at red lights and stop signs?

Dude has a “bike computer”? It’s JUST A BIKE, for crying out loud! (And you don’t need to wear that silly shirt in order to pedal a bike…)