75086875   
   XPost: alt.autos.toyota, rec.autos.driving, alt.society.liberalism   
   XPost: alt.fan.michael-moore   
   From: tetraethylleadREMOVETHIS--@yahoo.com   
      
   On 2011-06-17, His Highness the TibetanMonkey, the Beach Cruiser Philosopher   
    wrote:   
   > On Jun 17, 3:54 pm, Brent    
   > wrote:   
   >> On 2011-06-17, His Highness the TibetanMonkey, the Beach Cruiser   
   Philosopher  wrote:   
   >>   
   >>   
   >>   
   >>   
   >>   
   >>   
   >>   
   >>   
   >>   
   >> > On Jun 17, 12:52 am, Brent    
   >> > wrote:   
   >> >> On 2011-06-17, His Highness the TibetanMonkey, the Beach Cruiser   
   Philosopher  wrote:   
   >>   
   >> >> > My midnight rides are kept strictly on sidewalks. Lights and helmet   
   >> >> > allow me some extra protection but PREVENTION is the best medicine.   
   >>   
   >> >> You're going to have a collision sooner or later unless you are going so   
   >> >> slow that you might as well be walking. Sidewalk riding is the most   
   >> >> likely way to get hit by a car (see crash type manual for bicycle-car   
   >> >> collisions) and RARE instances of hit from behind do not change it.   
   >> >> Most of which are drunk drivers who can still hit you over on the   
   >> >> sidewalk.   
   >>   
   >> >> Please stop spewing this sidewalk riding misinformation. All it does is   
   >> >> cause people not to learn how to bike properly and make drivers think   
   >> >> bicyclists shouldn't be on the road. You are being counter productive.   
   >>   
   >> > Sir, you MUST understand the concept of NO MAN'S LAND...   
   >>   
   >> I bike far more miles than you I think, and I do it on the road. I think   
   >> you're trying to discourage bicycling by blowing up hazards way out of   
   >> proportion.   
   >   
   > Every time a cyclist is killed on the road it goes to feed the fear   
   > that keeps the people from enjoying cycling.   
      
   And that is exactly what you do with it, feed the fear. Why do insist on   
   making bicycling appear dangerous when it is not? Perhaps you wish to   
   discourage bicycling?   
      
   > Riding sidewalks is not a   
   > solution but a survival strategy where traffic is just out of control.   
   > Come here and witness 99% of the people ride on sidewalks simply   
   > because they don't have a choice.   
      
   It's a solution for motorists who want bicycling off to the side and out   
   of their mind... and that's when they hit bicycle riders most of the   
   time when they do so. Sidewalk riding is slow, annoying, harsh, etc. If   
   you want to discourage bicycling, force it on to the sidewalk. It's   
   pretty clear you are acting to discourage bicycling by feeding   
   irrational fears and using nonsense arguments that motorists use.   
      
   > That depends very much where you live so it's up to you to find your   
   > own solution. My advice on how to survive in the jungle is not the   
   > same as the one on how to deal with the desert.   
      
   I ride in urban and suburban conditions with heavy traffic and a winter   
   where people forget about bicycling every year. It doesn't get much   
   worse than this.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)