Readers sound off on their transportation concerns

Honk has been doing this delightful gig for many years, answering your wonderful questions, and decided for the first time to dip into his electronic mailbag and let you, the readers, just sound off about anything transportation. … 

Dear Honk: Just witnessed a near-collision between an electric bike and an electric car in my neighborhood. The youth on the bike was at fault traveling too fast to make the corner safely, ending up on the wrong side of the street and nearly running head-on into the car. He had to go around the passenger side of the car on the wrong side of the street to avoid an accident.

And, a couple weeks ago, I was walking my two dogs down a sidewalk when all of a sudden I was passed by an adult riding his electric bike at a high rate of speed on the sidewalk. If I would have stepped to my right, not knowing he was coming up behind me, I or my dogs would have been hit. He gave me no warning as he was about to pass me.

Unfortunately, both of these examples of near-misses are because of the operators’ lack of good judgment. One should use his or her best aware-of-your-surroundings skills when around these e-bikes. Don’t want to see anyone get hurt.

– Rich Dobson, Orange 

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We’re wondering how the concept of “social distancing” migrated to city streets. For the past couple of years, we’ve noticed that many cars stop at red lights and loom two-, three- or even four-car lengths behind the one in front of them. We figure the one-car-length-for-every-10-mph approach translates to zero when you’re not even moving. And some of the cars in front stop well behind the white line drawn specifically to show you where to stop. What are these people thinking?

– Craig Lesly, Mission Viejo

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I HATE those blinking left arrows. When I’m entering a left-turn lane and look up at the signal light and see the blinking arrow, my first thought is I will have to sit through another signal routine. Then I realize I’m free to turn left, as long as there is no oncoming traffic. I would much rather have the large green dot telling me to proceed on a green light when safe to do so. With the green dots, there is no thinking about what to do. Why do our local officials blindly follow the dictates of the feds? Why not do some testing and use their heads to make decisions for us locals?

– Sheridan George, Fullerton

HONKIN’ FACT: To ensure Honk gets the cookies and carrots out in time for Santa Claus and his pals, he tracks the sleigh beginning on Christmas Eve. You can as well at noradsanta.org, where the North American Aerospace Defense Command provides updates well into the night.

To ask Honk questions, reach him at honk@ocregister.com. He only answers those that are published. To see Honk online: ocregister.com/tag/honk. Twitter: @OCRegisterHonk