[BCM] bad news and good news

Fri Aug 14 10:28:56 EDT 2009

I am both a cyclist (to and from work and on pleasure rides) and a  
driver (to and from another job at night and much farther away).  I  
ride because I love to.  I drive because I am exhausted when I get out  
of work at 3am after a 12-hour shift and am not ready to ride home.   
To be fair, I can see both sides of this argument - when I am in the  
car I frequently see cyclists who break traffic laws, cut out into the  
driving lane unexpectedly, don't stop at red lights when there is  
oncoming traffic, don't signal, ride too fast).  And I absolutely see  
drivers who are irresponsible in as many ways, as well (including  
driving intoxicated) to both other drives and to cyclists.  And the  
road rage (on both sides) is out of control.  I don't feel like the  
solution is to blame and point fingers at each other but for everyone  
to drive/ride more respectfully and responsibly.  EVERYONE.  There may  
just be fewer accidents all around....   (and certainly happier people  
in the world.)

On Aug 14, 2009, at 9:31 AM, Anne Wolfe wrote:

> So you keep sending.  And you keep sending.  You don't have to buy  
> their paper to contribute.
>
> And why not write to the Phoenix and do the same thing?
>
> Here you're just speaking to cyclists.  That's not changing any car  
> driver's minds.
>
> 2009/8/14 Peter <gh3451 at yahoo.com>
> Done in the past, not printed.  Am voting by for the most part not  
> buying their paper anymore.  As I recall, someone in their newsroom  
> reads these postings.
>
> The Phoenix is the only local that actually gets or cares about this  
> subject.
>
> --- On Fri, 8/14/09, Anne Wolfe <goannego at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> From: Anne Wolfe <goannego at gmail.com>
>
> Subject: Re: [*BCM*] bad news and good news
> To: "Boston Critical Mass" <list at bostoncriticalmass.org>
> Date: Friday, August 14, 2009, 9:19 AM
>
>
> This article was in the editorial/letters section of the Boston Globe.
>
> Why write here, where the audience you want to hear it most  
> certainly is not?  Why not write a letter/article of your own in  
> response and send it to the Globe?
>
> 2009/8/14 Peter <gh3451 at yahoo.com>
> I dare any of these fools to ride w/ me for one night and then  
> criticize.  I work a midnight shift in town and I've given up riding  
> in on Friday and Saturday nights.  I estimate 40% of those in the  
> cages are over the limit on alcohol and I've had too many near  
> misses and one bad hit too many.  When riding the only real defense  
> is a good offense and I make no apologies for it.
>
> If and when ANY of the goddam traffic laws are enforced in this city  
> I'll gladly go along.  If this Globe author is observing red lights  
> while driving he is in a distinct minority.  The last time I came to  
> a complete stop at a stop sign while driving I was rear-ended hard  
> enough to get whiplash.
>
> It's funny how the Globe is criticized for being too liberal when  
> elite snobbism is their real problem.
>
> --- On Fri, 8/14/09, jb fentner <symboliceon at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> From: jb fentner <symboliceon at hotmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [*BCM*] bad news and good news
> To: "BCM" <list at bostoncriticalmass.org>
> Date: Friday, August 14, 2009, 2:32 AM
>
> and, really? licenses for cyclists? i'd be all for it, despite the  
> fact that riding recklessly has saved my ass more times than i can  
> count, but let's look at how the law already states that you can't  
> ride on the sidewalk.. and how many folks are going to tell me to  
> "get off the street" this year.. and how the author of this article  
> clearly doesn't have any awareness of that law. can any of you  
> really imagine one cyclist backing up traffic twenty deep in the  
> longwood medical area? hell no, the traffic congestion there is  
> almost always like that no matter what unless it's, like, sunday  
> morning. i spent years commuting from mission hill to brookline via  
> longwood and the only problems i ever caused were occasionally  
> freaking out drivers by passing them. if anything, during the school  
> year, students who just blatently cross the street without looking  
> for cars or bikes should need licenses for walking as i'm pretty  
> sure they cause more congestion than any of us.
>
> and the bit about how drivers never do anything stupid? are we  
> KIDDING!? christ, most drivers around here don't even use their turn  
> signals and even when they do there's a very immediate debate going  
> on in my mind of: "do they even know right from left? do they have  
> any idea where they even are right now?"
>
> i wanna wash this author's hybrid, make it all shiny with that 'new  
> car smell' and then stab them in the face just to make a point about  
> how it's not the cars any of us have a problem with, it's the  
> fucking assholes who can't handle yet can't stop driving them.
>
> i need a cigarette now.
>
>
>
>
>
> > Date: Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:53:37 -0400
> > From: dimitrik at gmail.com
> > To: list at bostoncriticalmass.org
> > Subject: [*BCM*] bad news and good news
> >
> > More bike hatred in the boston globe:
> >
> > http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2009/08/13/the_cure_for_road_rage_bike_laws/
> >
> >
> > On the bright side, Boston will be getting bike sharing in the  
> spring:
> >
> > http://www.montrealgazette.com/Bixi+does+London+Boston/1885134/story.html
> >
> > http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/08/vendor_selected.html
> > _______________________________________________
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>
> -- 
> Anne M. Wolfe, LL.M.
> Mobile: ( 07805) 456901
>
> Be well, do good work, and keep in touch. - Garrison Keillor
>
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>
> -- 
> Anne M. Wolfe, LL.M.
> Mobile: ( 07805) 456901
>
> Be well, do good work, and keep in touch. - Garrison Keillor
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