Posted on 05/11/2010 10:41:01 AM PDT by End Times Sentinel
Professor Peter Furth has ridden his bicycle to work at Northeastern University each day for the past six years. The two-mile trip through the Boston suburb of Brookline, Massachusetts, is usually without incident.
Furth's journey is worlds apart from his former Boston commute, which for 13 years was a battle with drivers who wanted him on the sidewalk.
"I've had motorists that drive a couple of inches from my elbow, trying to scare me," he said.
Furth would catch up with drivers at stoplights and ask them whether they knew how close they'd come to hitting him. Invariably, they would say, "Yes, move over."
It's a cultural thing, he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
They don't even pay for the paint used to mark a bike lane on our highways. They should pay an amount equal to the entire cost of the portion road they demand, and it should include initial surfacing cost, maintenance, special markings/signage, lighting, as well as enforcement. Based on the number of bikes on the road versus motor vehicles, this should amount to several thousand dollars per bicycle per year.
Here comes the post about how annoying stretchy shorts are. Can set your watch by it.
What’s in that guy’s red neck?
Oh yeah, here ya go: Thanks for reminding me about the glories of Lycra and Spandex.
A lot of the roads in our area have dedicated bike lanes on the side of the road. For some reason all the cyclists choose to ride on the white line instead of in the lane. They slow everyone down and are a danger to themselves and others.
Probably no more than 60%
Should be like China here pretty soon.
OK. Next time, instead of zipping by me on bike that I don't license or insure on your way to work, you can sit behind me in one of my cars I do license and insure. Feel better?
Cars wear roads out. Bikes don't And damn near every cyclist also owns and maintains automobiles. The rest are probably poor, or kids. You want to deprive the poor of transportation to their meager jobs to satisfy your idea of who belongs on the road?
That’s how Easy Rider ended.
Idiots. I scolded a fellow rider for just that thing on Sunday.
Goiter.
Bicycles should use the sidewalks. At least then they’d be used. The sidewalks in places I’ve lived have always been empty 99.9 percent of the time and I’ve always wondered, why waste the money and materials for sidewalks that are never used.
Within reasaon, I agree with you.
However, the surface prep for a road extends beyond the road; and in many states the shoulders are ashphalted for snow run-off. This is perfectly adequate for a bike. Bikes do not require a 6-8 inch layer of packed rock or concrete beneath the asphalt. The stress my bike puts on the road is a fraction of the stress your car puts on the road - as I weigh around 10% of what you and your car weigh.
When you lay a road, either extend it a couple feet, or lay a thin shoulder. This shoulder can be used for multiple purposes. It serves as a place for a crash to be moved off the road, it allows a person a safe place to change a flat tire, or to wait for a tow truck. Bikes do not require all that much space, cost or expense.
If a bike had a $50-75/bike per year license cost - there would be two things that would happen. First, those who seldom ride would simply pack their bikes to a park where they could ride for free - thereby reducing the bicycle traffic.
Those who will ride, will be forced to shoulder a portion of the cost to support their lifestyle. There should be no animosity to those riders; as like everyone else - they have skin in the game.
And a $250 fine (or confiscation of a bike) for those who ignore the laws - well, that’s a revenue stream that also teaches many of the ignorant an important life lesson.
Wanna ride free? Without license or insurance? Well, we have thousands of hike and bike trails in parks all through this great country.
Wanna share the road? Share the cost to maintain that road.
The utter disdain, although it may not apply to you personally, is well-earned. The bicyclists here in LA have a very bad, aggressive attitude, as if they own the roads. They ignore intersection rules, which evidently do not belong to them, and they are adversarial.
Funny, because they are just about standing in traffic, if facts were part of the equation. They impede the flow of traffic, ride in large clumps that force cars to go 12 mph, etc.
They have earned their reputation, imho.
I think thats a goiter.
As I stated earlier, cross that line and get a ticket for $250. It's amazing how a traffic ticket can correct bad behavior. No ID? No problem ... confiscate the bike until the fine is paid. If a bike ride is good exercise, then a walk home to get your wallet is even better exerise; and instructive too.
“BULLSTALIN. Critical Mass is a national anarchist group that sets out to snarl roadways and run traffic lights at will. Drunken nighttime rides by agro-bicycle messengers.”
Critical mass is the cyclist equivalent of Act-Up and probably share 50% of their membership.
I thought the poor use public buses to get to their meager jobs.
Speaking of LA. Recently paid a visit in a rented car. Can't believe the way motorcyclists ride between lanes of stalled traffic at high speed. Talk about a death wish.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.