<DIV>Ok, so the guy's entire logic (after his "I hate cycling/fitness/pineapple on pizza" weirdness) is that cyclists deserve to get hit by lunatic drivers because he's an unfit, car driving slobbo?</DIV>
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<DIV>Max, honey, April fool is in April........ ;)<BR><BR><B><I>Max Harless <mharless@wesleyan.edu></I></B> wrote:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">Can someone please respond to this? I have to pack. It appeared in <BR>last week's Allston-Brighton TAB (and maybe other TABs as well?)<BR>-max<BR><BR>http://www2.townonline.com/allston/opinion/view.bg?articleid=40577&format=text<BR><BR>Steer clear of two-wheeled treachery<BR>By Dave Gradijan<BR>Friday, July 16, 2004<BR><BR>Ready or not, it's time for a pop quiz.<BR>If you find yourself sitting at the back of a miles-long <BR>traffic jam, the cause of the backup is most likely:<BR>A) A multi-car accident.<BR>B) One of those rare Massachusetts earthquakes that opened up a <BR>22-foot chasm in the roadway, and in the process revealed Whitey <BR>Bulger's hideout.<BR>C) A band of raucous youth that stole an ice cream truck and <BR>finally got nabbed by police, who are waiting for backup officers to <BR>get the chilling scene under control.<BR>D) Seven bicyclists who are riding along
the street, side by <BR>side instead of single file, thereby occupying each lane of the <BR>heavily traveled road.<BR>Certainly answer A is a logical guess, and I could hardly blame <BR>you for going with B or C because, hey, weirder things happen every <BR>day, like when people cheer for the New York Yankees.<BR>But in my own experience, I wouldn't hesitate to go with the <BR>final answer, as Regis Philbin would call it, because nary a day <BR>passes in this wondrous summer season when I don't see some dude <BR>riding a bicycle who doesn't appear to realize that it's unadvisable <BR>to play chicken with a FedEx driver who absolutely, positively has to <BR>be there overnight.<BR>Kudos to anyone who can pedal away for miles on a daily basis, <BR>because to me the activity is only a wee bit more enjoyable than <BR>jogging, which in my book is almost as silly an idea as putting <BR>pineapple on a pizza. Think about it: Have you ever seen a jogger <BR>giggling or even breaking a subtle
smirk as he huffs and puffs his <BR>way into physical oblivion? More likely, he appears as if he is being <BR>jabbed in the gut with an ice pick.<BR>But I digress. What bicyclists need to realize is that, even <BR>without their presence, the roads are already replete with legitimate <BR>hazards such as potholes, Whitey Bulger hideouts and drivers who <BR>believe the turn signal is supposed to be saved for emergencies.<BR>Alas, many fail to understand that it simply isn't safe to use a <BR>bicycle to navigate your way along a narrow, winding road that can <BR>barely fit two average-sized go-carts. All it takes is one zipperhead <BR>with a driver's license to come barreling around the corner at 60 <BR>mph, and the cyclist who is occupying a third of the skimpy lane is <BR>likely to get himself killed, maimed, or at the very least see his <BR>Schwinn Super Sport land in that Great Bicycle Rack in the Sky.<BR>Worse still are the biker groups who ride two or more abreast, <BR>casting
aside those all-important "single file" lessons we were <BR>taught in elementary school on our way to the cafeteria to consume <BR>our peanut butter and jelly du jour.<BR>Even if an accident doesn't result from this neglectful <BR>strategy, a lengthy line of frustrated drivers who are unable to pass <BR>the cyclists most certainly will. Cars that are capable of going from <BR>zero to 60 in 2.7 nanoseconds will instead be progressing so slowly <BR>that you'd think they worked in state government.<BR>Occasionally I spot a bicyclist actually using the sidewalk, <BR>where one is present, to ensure his or her own safety, which I <BR>usually respond to by giving that biker dude a thumbs-up or a <BR>pumped-fist "Rock On" sign to demonstrate my approval. Most also <BR>deserve credit for wearing bright-colored, albeit dorky-looking <BR>apparel and being sure to use a helmet, which virtually nobody on a <BR>bicycle wore when I was just a little lad.<BR>Summer is prime cycling season, to be
sure, and no amount of <BR>whining on my part is going to deter enthusiasts from taking to the <BR>streets, so we drivers have to be all the more aware as we motor our <BR>way about town, especially on those narrow roadways where you often <BR>can't see beyond the oak tree 8 feet ahead.<BR>But the bikers themselves also need to remember that, while the <BR>activity can be fun and serve as excellent exercise, it is important <BR>not to strap that helmet on so tightly that your brain ceases to <BR>exercise common sense as you're pedaling away.<BR>If you actually take my advice, well shucks, I might even foot <BR>the bill so you can get some cooler-looking clothes.<BR>Dave Gradijan can be reached at dgradijan@cnc.com.<BR>_______________________________________________<BR>Boston Critical Mass mailing list<BR>list@bostoncriticalmass.org<BR>http://bostoncriticalmass.org/list<BR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR><DIV>
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<DIV><TT><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><FONT face=Verdana color=#0000bf size=1 <TD><PRE><TT><SMALL>"If Beethoven had been killed in a plane crash at the age of 22, it would have changed the history of music...and of aviation." --Tom Stoppard</SMALL></TT></FONT></SPAN></TT></PRE><PRE> </PRE><PRE> </PRE></DIV></DIV></DIV><p>
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