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<DIV>Dave,</DIV>
<DIV>someone forwarded this "editorial" to me...
<DIV>hard to believe the TAB even printed this...</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV>
<DIV>I am not sure I have ever read a more insipid attack on/defense of cyclists before...what was the point of the article: that we should watch out for bikes? that cyclists deserve abuse by motorists and if they get killed, well, they asked for it? do you know that it is illegal to ride bicycles on the sidewalks in Massachsuetts? of course you don't. and your article indicated no recollection of the law that requires cars and bikes to share the road even if impedes speeding traffic. Rather than look at the bigger picture of cyclist safety and why people cycle beyond the "fun of it", you wrote a very lazy article that offends the serious cyclist and irresponsibly makes light of serious safety issues.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>If you want to be provocative and write something interesting, do some homework. Cycling is a form of transport that precedes the invention and use of motorized vehicles, is used by many thousands of commuters worldwide each day, has no detrimental effects on air quality, has very positive effects on physical conditioning, reduces our dependence on unsustainable sources of energy (oil). Better yet, before one writes about something one knows nothing about, he/she should try to experience it first hand..in this case, maybe it is asking too much, all that huffing and puffing, you know.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>next time you see bikers on the road, remember this: they have every right to the road as you do. I have found that bikers are much more skilled in accommodating drivers than vice-versa, despite being as outnumbered as we are. And do us all a favor, spare your readers misinformation until you've researched your subject more responsibly.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Sincerely,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Tim Smith</DIV>
<DIV>Brookline</DIV>
<DIV>Bike Commuter since 1973</DIV></BODY></HTML>