""Norah Bleazard"" <dml@bleazard.net> wrote in message
>
> But what ticks me off... is bicycles. Plain 'ole pedal yourself bikes.
What
> annoys me the most is not that they use bikes ... but use the same roads
> that motorized vehicles pay for with their driver's license, plates, and
> plate stickers, fuel, etc. When you're driving in rush hour traffic on
the
> narrow roads of downtown Toronto, you have to drive to provide safety for
> the bike couriers, pleasure bikers, and those choosing to bike their way
to
> work. I'm all for using alternate methods of transportation... both
health
> wise and economic reasons. What I hate... is that anyone can use the
roads.
> They don't have to pass any tests to prove they can handle their bike
> safely.
I mean no offense, but are you kidding? What about people walking? Should
they be barred from using the roads as well? Don't get me wrong here, I
have to drive around bikers constantly, but I do feel that everyone should
be able to use the roads, our taxes go to pay for these things and they're
public property.
> Sometimes they can be a major cause of traffic congestion if the roads are
> narrow and naturally they can't keep up with the flow of traffic. Some
> weave in and out of traffic or don't stay close to the curb. When traffic
> is busy, you can't always change lanes to avoid them or give them more
> space. Instead you are forced to slow down to their pace and in turn
> everyone behind you must slow down as well. Honking your horn to remind
> them to move over doesn't usually work and can have adverse effects in
some
> cases. Then everyone's stress levels start rising all due to one biker.
If you think that's bad, come to Chicago. We have these bike messengers
here and I swear they have a death wish. They ride between cars while
they're moving (and the bike usually is faster) and then cut in front of you
at a moment's notice. They run people down on the sidewalks as well, and
are in general a safety hazard for everyone - including themselves. If
you're not paying attention to them when they're around, there's a good
chance that you could hit one.
> It's too bad that there aren't more lanes specifically for bikers. Maybe
> one day this will become more popular.
It's a good idea, but getting motorists to respect that extra lane will be
an issue I'm sure. People do some stupid things on the road, and I bet
they'll be using it as a shoulder to pass other motorists on, further
endangering bicyclists.
-- - Josh Lowered 2000 Dakota CC 3.9L www.geocities.com/lenny187/dakota.html www.omg-stfu.com
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Jul 01 2004 - 00:15:16 EDT