With the topic being "my car as shriveled phallus extension," The 'Ville Voice's Rick Redding comes in right on cue following yesterday's venomous NAC exchange on bicycling, automotive traffic, and which one makes us more American in the eyes of our patriotic countrymen.
Pleasingly, I rode 50 km through the Knobs yesterday. The only problem I had with automotive traffic was on Scottsvile Road, where two Got Junk trucks traveling about 55 m.p.h. in tandem were in a hurry to make their next pickup. They were going too fast for me to catch their "how's my driving" numbers, so I'll say it here: Reckless, but probably just as good as Viagra for what ails ya.
Bill the Bike Bully, by Rick Redding (The Ville Voice blog)
Bill Lamb is always asking for feedback on his on-air editorials. So here’s some.
The other day Lamb was advocating that police start ticketing bicyclists, all because he happens to see some going the wrong way on one-way streets or blowing through stop signs or darting into traffic off sidewalks.
Now, this thinking goes against the general idea of making Louisville a bike-friendly city, but Lamb must have had a near-miss or something that kind of ticked him off about bikers. He claims only to want to do something about the bad bikers, that all of us law-abiding riders would have nothing to worry about. (Just kidding, I’m a dart-into-traffic champ).
Still, Lamb’s anti-biking rant doesn’t sit well with us. But what it really did was give viewers a reason to pop off with some vitriolic anti-bike hatred that shows they’re misinformed, unaware of the law and generally intolerant.
With this kind of mentality, it’s no wonder more people haven’t been killed by cars. The station aired six responses, all exhibiting a deep-seated hatred for bikes in traffic.
Here’s my favorite — “Roads were not designed for bicyclists, they should stay off.”
Then there’s — “Bikes should stay on the sidewalk where they belong (and where it’s illegal to ride)”
Another called wants to require special bike insurance for riders, and one was advocating a required license plate.
Lamb’s little rant elicited the kind of reaction that shows that city leaders — with all their talk about education about bike safety for motorists — have their work cut out for them with the big new safety campaign.
By the way, the Mayor’s Hike & Bike event, which is growing every year, is set for Labor Day morning. This time, we’re off from downtown to Iroquois Park.
Good morning Mr. Baylor, hope you slept well.
ReplyDeleteSo from this guy's perspective, it's cool to whine about motorists that break the law, but not bikers. They're special. Hmm.
Last night when in Louisville I was observing how many bikers were riding against traffic with no reflectors or anything, he's right, sort of. I think he tripped up on his own words because it's a wonder that more people aren't killed on bikes. Same for driving though, basically the world is just a big dangerous place. Post modern life is scary.
Let a man find himself, in distinction from others, on top of two wheels
ReplyDeletewith a chain - at least in a poor country like Russia - and his vanity begins to swell out like his tires. In America it takes an automobile to produce this effect.
Leon Trotsky
I like vodka
ReplyDeleteGovernment must help to eliminate cars so that bicycles can help to eliminate government.
ReplyDeleteAdvocacy slogan in the Netherlands
They do make some cool shoes too
ReplyDeleteI will ALWAYS merge to the other lane to give a cyclist as much room as possible, and I will on occassion hold up traffic behind me until it is safe to pass with a good margin of room between the cyclist and myself.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there are more and more cyclists who are becoming as much as road bullies as the cars.
I am not talking about Joe Dirt who rides his rusty bike looking for cans, I am talking about the guys and gals on the $1000 road bikes decked out in their matching spandex biking suits running red lights, stop signs, staying in the middle of the road, turning in front of cars etc.
One guy who is particularly bad frequents emery lane and north clark Blvd in Clarksville and has total disregard for all traffic, all stop signs, traffic lights etc.
You can always tell its him with his black shorts, white spandex shirt with yellow sleeves and a blue and orange emblem on the his back that reminds me of the burger king logo.
Bike lanes I am sure will eleviate some of this, but cyclists also have to be aware that they are to follow ALL traffic laws just the same as cars.
Of course the ones who dont are probably a very small percentage of the serious cyclists, but one has to wonder if these are the ones who spur motorists to engage in cycle-hazing...
When I was riding down Culbertson the other day, an unseen punk tossed a deflated basketball at me (and missed). It has nothing to do with this conversation. I just thought it was really funny.
ReplyDeleteThat's bad, but you know how indiana fans are. The ball represented their hopes this season
ReplyDelete