[*BCM*] this guy...

[Mars]

The guy wrote:

/Unless and until cyclists start obeying current laws (for instance, by 
using reflectors and lights at night, and by discontinuing to ride 
without the use of hands) they shouldn't be surprised if "dooring" 
becomes a fine --- and widely practiced --- art. It's not enough to wear 
helmets; cyclists need to use what's inside those helmets, too./

I wouldn't consider that to be advocating anything. He's saying that 
cyclists are going to have to realize that perhaps the reason we don't 
get the respect we deserve on the road is because WE don't respect the 
road. He didn't say, "Who caress if bikers die, they're annoying". I 
feel like people are over-reacting to this guys comments because it's 
not what people want to hear.

A couple of years ago when Lady K died out in Allston, didn't she ride 
down a pedestrian ramp right out into the road without stopping to see 
if there was any traffic? It's a terrible thing to happen, but 
regardless of how tired we are of our roads being congested with smog 
machines, I feel that we would be making a mockery of ourselves by 
trying to 'blame' cars for our greatest losses when they very well may 
not have been at fault.

Certainly, if the person driving the vehicle in either of these 
situations had had never purchased a car, perhaps the victims would 
still be alive, but we need to face reality, not an ideal reality in 
which everyone listens to us and decides to stop using cars as their 
primary means of getting around.

Jym Dyer wrote:
> =v= I think what's called for here is focus.  Someone responded
> to a tragic death by advocating the injuring and killing of
> bicyclists, and the _Phoenix_ had a major lapse of judgement
> to print that.  Writer and editor should both be taken to task.
>
> =v= Yet another interminable discussion dithering over who
> breaks the most traffic rules is much less valuable.
>     <_Jym_>
>
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