Common sense is an expression that historically means basing one’s actions on sound judgment and/or conventional wisdom. Using our common sense one would not attempt to pet a snarling dog nor exit a bus while it was still moving. Unfortunately, more and more of our fellow citizens either lack or fail to exercise common sense in many situations. The result of this failure to either have or exercise common sense is legislation. However; a law can not take the place of common sense. People can still be counted on to act carelessly, negligently or even stupidly with or without benefit of a law.
Some current examples of the absence of common sense, in spite of clear and present danger, is the failure of some counties to recognize the immediate danger of fireworks. Presently there are almost 1000 wild fires burning throughout the state of California. Homeowners are exercising caution even in the use of weed whackers less they accidentally spark a fire. Exercising even a minimum level of common sense one would expect all counties throughout the state to ban the private use of fireworks; but that is not to be. Tradition and economics will prevail.
On California’s overcrowded roads it is common knowledge that bicyclists and car drivers do not always “share the road”. Avoiding finger pointing and placing blame at this time, suffice it to say that in far too many situations cars and bikes are like vinegar and water --- they do not mix well. Most of the time motorists can expect bicyclists to obey the rules of the road. Stop signs, traffic lights and lane markings are in place for everyone’s safety. However; bureaucrats are now considering modifying the rules. Bicyclists would be allowed to roll through stop signs, treating them as if they were yield signs and treating red lights as if they were stop signs, allowing them to stop and go even if the light was still red. What happened to common sense?
Today the Supreme Court ruled against the city of Washington, D.C. law banning the ownership of handguns. Even though Washington, like many other U.S. cities is becoming more and more like Dodge City or Tombstone of the old west, towns which did actually have strict gun laws, you can not legislate common sense. A law banning or controlling guns will be obeyed by the law abiding and ignored all others. The criminal element will still be armed! If cities want to become safer then the criminal element must be removed. In today’s political climate with emphasis on and individual’s rights and not responsibility, over crowded prisons resulting in early release, the ease by which the criminal element can obtain weapons and the inability of the police and prosecutors to be effective, the Supreme Court’s decision should come as no surprise. You can not legislate common sense into a society; nor can you easily legislate it out of a society.
Papa - If I roll up to a read light on Market Street in the middle of the night and no cars are coming, I am going to bike through the intersection, that's common sense to me. On my morning commute there are many instances where I do stop at red lights on the right side where the bike lane is and cars attempting to make a right turn on a red light are very frustrated that I am there, stopped, in their way. If it was legal for me to roll through an empty intersection, I would be able to get myself out this "conflict zone". You are right, cars and bicyclists are like mixing vinegar and water, they are different. Perhaps they should have different rules of the road!
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Papa - If I roll up to a read light on Market Street in the middle of the night and no cars are coming, I am going to bike through the intersection, that's common sense to me. On my morning commute there are many instances where I do stop at red lights on the right side where the bike lane is and cars attempting to make a right turn on a red light are very frustrated that I am there, stopped, in their way. If it was legal for me to roll through an empty intersection, I would be able to get myself out this "conflict zone". You are right, cars and bicyclists are like mixing vinegar and water, they are different. Perhaps they should have different rules of the road!
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