As a year round bicycle commuter and recreational cyclist I perceive this rationalization as nothing more than insulting misdirection.
Rights and Responsibilities!!? How 'bout all responsibilities and no rights!? Is that tag going to get me an entire lane when the streets are covered with muck so I don't get drowned by the passing Bronco? A bicycle is not a motor vehicle. It should never be compared to or treated like a motor vehicle. My life depends on the respect due to a vulnerable human being - a human being not welcome on street or sidewalk. As a cyclist I get less respect from motorists than they give either pedestrians or other autos. No one would speed by within inches of a pedestrian. And all the considerate waiting turns to proceed on narrow single lane streets just doesn't happen for cyclists. If bike groups agreed to this they were misguided - we would do anything for more respect. Critical Mass never agreed to tags. All bicycles are already tagged with a far more effective means for tracking ownership - a serial number. Serial numbers are stamped into the metal of a bicycle. A tax stamp, aka bicycle license, is a stick on tag. Peeled off with ease. Stolen bicycles are being sold today (Thursday) at 6 o'clock at the Minneapolis police property and evidence warehouse in the 6000 block of Harriett Avenue South. Bikes sell from $5 to $300. Get yours today! Kahn's post presents little, if any, justification for the imposition of a mandatory tax. $10 per bike. I own, and regularly ride, four bicycles. Each one a zero pollution machine incapable of killing or seriously injuring anyone but myself. Any time I shell out $40 it's a big deal. That's more than the cost of maintenance for those four bikes in three years. This issue isn't about having more pavement in Minnesota State parks dedicated to bicycles. (And the power of the ATV and snowmobile crowds has got about nil to do with their mandatory licensing fees. If Polaris wasn't making political contributions in Minnesota it would be a lot quieter in our forests - and there would be more space in the Strib for news about the Critical Mass bust. License fees, give me a break!) This issue is about bicyclists' right to use the street without being harassed by motorists and police officers. And how does the issue of whether tags are mandatory or not affect poor little John Doe unconscious in the street? That was really cheap. Is Padilla Spear Beardsley working for Phyllis Kahn now? I've never ridden in a Critical Mass, although Friday April 26th may be the first. Despite my lack of radical roots and lack of first hand experience of the MPDs even handed application of the law, I still cringe every time I see a police officer when I'm on my bike. Not because I'm running lights and blocking streets, but because I don't have a ten dollar license on my bike. Or I don't have a headlamp on after dark (equivalent to the seatbelt law). Or I'm not riding in the bicycle lane, because the street wasn't built for me. All well known causes for harassment in Minneapolis. Why do I bicycle commute year round? Health? Political statement? Nah. I'm just a greedy bastard (pardon the French, I yam what I yam) that wants to save parking money and bus fare to feed my unsavory appetites - ya know, drugs: latte and sweet chocolates. Silly reason to risk your life on the street everyday, huh? I'll feel a lot safer once I get my tags and I'm considered a real *vehicle*! Matthew Devany Powderhorn Mpls P.S. Whoever wrote this was right about one thing -- definitely more info than I want! -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Phyllis Kahn Sent: Thursday, April 25, 2002 12:19 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Mpls] Bicycle Registration As the original author of the Statewide Bicycle Registration System, I would urge Mpls not to remove the requirement. Low as participation has been, this step would make it even worse. Here are a set of reasons to keep it. -the law and ordinance was passed as part of an effort to be sure that the bicycle was considered to be a vehicle with the rights and responsibilities of vehicles. Registration aids in this concept. The law was written and supported by all bicycle groups. -It is not only an aid to getting your bike back, if stolen, but it reduces police wasted time in dealing with recovered bikes. The law was supported by police forces throughout the state, who would have liked to see it mandatory everywhere. (The compromise was to leave this at the discretion of the municipality). -It is also a safety feature, primarily for children who don't carry wallets and drivers licences with them. There was a least one story of a child in an accident (unconscious) identified only because he was riding a registered bike. -At $10 for three years it's a pretty cheap insurance policy. I had a bike recovered once and that paid for my lifetime of registrations. - Insurance companies liked it too. They preferred to have bikes recovered than pay claims. Are there changes needed? Yes!! Get rid of any ability to confiscate a bike unless there is positive evidence that it is stolen. Make registration easier and more accessible. Right now its at any Motor Vehicle registration office, and some bike shops and the U of M police dept. I'm sure there are other places also. I just renewed my registration for one bike and registered two others at the U of M stop and it took all of 15 minutes. Finally if we encouraged bike registration statewide, it could be a serious source of funding for trails and other bike facilities just as is the registration systems for snowmobiles and ATVs. This chunk of $$ coming into the state's treasury (even when it is in special funds) is what gives these groups their political potency. More info later...probably more than anyone wants. Phyllis Kahn State Rep 59B _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
