Letter in my local paper about sidewalk cycling

Well, I got a letter published last summer about the people who don't know
how to ride, and here's another from someone else:

http://www.pressconnects.com/today/o...03s18789.shtml

This guy reserves his wrath for the sidewalk cyclists. I was glad to
finally see someone else speak up against them. Of course, it's not just
the sidewalk riders that bug me--it's all the Wrong-Way Corrigans, the
guys who insist on riding at night with no lights, the guys who ride with
headphones on blasting music so they're oblivious to the world, the guys
who run red lights, the guys who don't signal, the guys who weave from
sidewalk to road as the spirit moves them (often to avoid waiting at the
lights with the traffic), the kids who ride five abreast on the wrong side
of the road, etc. Oh, and yes I did recently see a guy cycling while on
the phone. LOL, at least he didn't have a radio to adjust.

What do you guys think? Would licensing cyclists mean that at least we'd
know that all of them had passed a test proving they knew how and where to
use a bike? I'm starting to wonder.

Of course, one thing the writer neglects to mention is that the other half
of the equation contributing to cyclists sticking to the road is to have
motorists acknowledge that the road--not the sidewalk--is indeed where
bicycles belong.

I also predict that this is going to spark at least one letter from some
angry parent saying that he'd sooner die than let his precious children
ride in the street. Well, I don't mind so much if the really little ones
stick to the sidewalks. They don't usually go far anyway, and their
judgment skills, not to mention their angle of vision, is not such that
they could cope with traffic (it's tough enough for adults). And unless
they've got a huge pennant boinging from the back, their visibility to
vehicles is dangerously low. OK, OK. Keep the kiddies on the walks, at
least in high-traffic areas. But when you do, don't forget to teach them
that when they're big enough, it will be time to graduate to the street.
And in the meantime, don't run over the pedestrians. Some of us like the
way we look without tire tracks. Oh, and teach them to be VERY careful
around those driveways.
--
Trudi
"For you folks at home, this might be a good time to go get a
sandwich." -- Joel, Mystery Science Theater 3000
____
Say NO to secret judging and corruption in skating --
support SkateFAIR!
http://www.skatefair.org

In article , Fritz M
+ wrote:

etent (Trudi Marrapodi) wrote:

http://www.pressconnects.com/today/o...03s18789.shtml

Got a 404 on that. Otherwise, good comments about sidewalk riding.

Maybe it had expired already. Poo.
--
Trudi
"For you folks at home, this might be a good time to go get a
sandwich." -- Joel, Mystery Science Theater 3000
____
Say NO to secret judging and corruption in skating --
support SkateFAIR!
http://www.skatefair.org