10 ways how bicyclists pay their way.

Once again seeing the nonsense that cyclists shouldn't be allowed on roads
because they don't pay gas taxes, I thought I would start a list:

After you factor in that half of our roads in the US are paid for by
property and other taxes, the value of savings from any of the following is
greater than our trivial cost in road space.

1. "Free" parking.
2. Lost time due to Congestion.
3. Increased travel and lost time due to sprawl.
4. Defending oil we don't use.
5. Fighting terrorists angered by our presence in the middle east
6. Police and fire services for auto wrecks
7. Water pollution from road runoff
8. Crop, forest, fishery, structure and other costs from acid rain and
other pollution.
9. Health costs due to asthma and other respiratory illness
10. Health cost of auto wrecks
11. Health savings from being more fit and less fat.

--
Robert Haston
Satellite Beach, FL

Robert Haston wrote:
Once again seeing the nonsense that cyclists shouldn't be allowed on
roads because they don't pay gas taxes, I thought I would start a
list:

IIRC, when I was in FL about two years ago, a group of bicyclists was run
into by a Q-tip who, one fine day, lost control of his land yacht. The out
of control and speeding land yacht caused some serious injuries to the
bicyclists, but no deaths. The judge in the case essentially found for the
Q-tip because the bicyclists had, a few miles previously, gone through a red
light against them this being a quiet morning. The Q-tip judge reasoned
that had the bicyclists obeyed the effectively meaningless traffic light,
they'd not have been where they were when the other Q-tip swerved out of
control, so they wouldn't have been where he placed his speeding land yacht
so no injuries could have occured so the bicyclists were at fault.

At least he didn't fine them for scratching up the land yacht or delaying
the Q-tip his morning's destructive road run.

-paul

In article . net,
"Robert Haston" wrote:

Once again seeing the nonsense that cyclists shouldn't be allowed on roads
because they don't pay gas taxes, I thought I would start a list:

After you factor in that half of our roads in the US are paid for by
property and other taxes, the value of savings from any of the following is
greater than our trivial cost in road space.

1. "Free" parking.
2. Lost time due to Congestion.
3. Increased travel and lost time due to sprawl.
4. Defending oil we don't use.
5. Fighting terrorists angered by our presence in the middle east
6. Police and fire services for auto wrecks
7. Water pollution from road runoff
8. Crop, forest, fishery, structure and other costs from acid rain and
other pollution.
9. Health costs due to asthma and other respiratory illness
10. Health cost of auto wrecks
11. Health savings from being more fit and less fat.

12. Hott bikie butts are more fun to look at than stupid suv's.

--
the part of
was played by maxwell monningh 8-p

So, pervious 'crimes' are material? How did the 'judge' know they ran a
light without a trial on this charge?

Doug Huffman wrote:
So, pervious 'crimes' are material? How did the 'judge' know they
ran a light without a trial on this charge?

I don't remember the details, but they didn't deny it. It was about two
years ago.

-paul

"Robert Haston" wrote in message link.net...
Once again seeing the nonsense that cyclists shouldn't be allowed on roads
because they don't pay gas taxes, I thought I would start a list:

Lower mental health costs
Lower domestic and workplace violence, and related costs

Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm

Once again seeing the nonsense that cyclists shouldn't be
allowed on roads because they don't pay gas taxes
Where the heck do you live?

=v= It's not about where one lives; it's about the premise of
the "Should you get a Free (Bicycle) Ride?" thread in this
newsgroup.
_Jym_

Good point. More than once I have read articles about how workers are
unproductive because they steam all day about some jerk cutting them off in
traffic. I find it hard to stay mad after exercising. In fact, I've
noticed I start thinking about all the recent things that make me mad once I
am on the bike and can take it out on the pedals like a punching bag.



"Claire Petersky" wrote in message
om...
"Robert Haston" wrote in message
link.net...
Once again seeing the nonsense that cyclists shouldn't be allowed on
roads
because they don't pay gas taxes, I thought I would start a list:

Lower mental health costs
Lower domestic and workplace violence, and related costs

Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm

"Paul Cassel" wrote in message
...
IIRC, when I was in FL about two years ago, a group of bicyclists was run
into by a Q-tip who, one fine day, lost control of his land yacht. The out
of control and speeding land yacht caused some serious injuries to the
bicyclists, but no deaths. The judge in the case essentially found for the
Q-tip because the bicyclists had, a few miles previously, gone through a
red
light against them this being a quiet morning. The Q-tip judge reasoned
that had the bicyclists obeyed the effectively meaningless traffic light,
they'd not have been where they were when the other Q-tip swerved out of
control, so they wouldn't have been where he placed his speeding land
yacht
so no injuries could have occured so the bicyclists were at fault.


I'd like to see a link to any story corraborating this. I don't believe for
a minute cyclists were ruled against for this reason. Please post a link.
It sounds like more rhetoric and exaggeration to flame the us vs. them
mindset.

At least he didn't fine them for scratching up the land yacht or delaying
the Q-tip his morning's destructive road run.

-paul

There are motorists who are morons, motorists who purposely antagonize
cyclists and motorists who obey the laws and are considerate of cyclists.
In other words, the whole spectrum just like in any little slice of life
you'd like to examine.

There are cyclists who are morons, cyclists who purposely antagonize
motorists and cyclists who obey the laws and are considerate of motorists.
In other words, the whole spectrum just like in any little slice of life
you'd like to examine.

One is no better or no worse than the other. Using names meant to be
derogatory for motorists in general and their vehicles would do nothing more
than inflame a confrontational situation. Pegging all motorists as
homicidal maniacs who take to the roads with the intent of maiming or
killing cyclists is as asinine and just plain wrong as motorists who
constantly label cyclists as tree-hugging, left-wing nutcases.

It does nothing to help any situation. Oh yeah, I'll feel perfectly secure
making these statements - I'm a cyclist and motorist. I've been on both
ends of the scenario. I know better than to make blanket statements about
all people in either group. Every time, I've been around someone playing
this same old song again it always boils down to one thing - a
political/ideological rant that uses cycling vs. driving motor vehicles
(feel free to substitute left vs. right or whatever labels you use) as the
setting.

Make it about safety, sharing the road, education and keep the knee-jerk,
name-calling, militant crap out of it and maybe we'll see a swing to more
even-handed treatment and consideration. Acceptance won't be aided by
insults and demeaning.

YR

Good point. More than once I have read articles about how workers are
unproductive because they steam all day about some jerk cutting them off in
traffic. I find it hard to stay mad after exercising. In fact, I've
noticed I start thinking about all the

recent things that make me mad once I
am on the bike and can take it out on the pedals like a punching bag.


Good point and an interesting observation. I have my share of incidents with
unattentive motorists and in some cases downright hostile and potentially
dangerous motorists. I get steamed, usually at the latter for maybe a mile or
so. But the anger just sort of drains out of me and by the end of the ride, I
have nearly forgotten the incident. I mean, I CAN recollect it, but it is
already old news.