> I stated an opinion, but unfortunately some people > are "Personally offended" that some other person > might have a differing idea from themselves. > > One more time. Either you have to be militantly pro > bike and love riding them no matter the danger, or > desperate for transportation so you need to use the > bike, or crazy because you simply don't know the > difference.
Well, I let this go the first time, but here it is again. The reason it's offensive is because you've given me the choice of being: a) Crazy b) Desperate for Transportation c) Militantly Pro Bike I can be crazy from time to time, but this is not one of those cases. When it comes to getting to work, bicycling is the fastest, healthiest, and most economical solution available to me. Desperate for Transportation. It's no crime to be poor, while I'm not rich, I can certainly afford a wide variety of transportation options. Militantly Pro Bike probably hits closest to the mark but still does not describe where I stand. Militantly anti-"everybody needs a car" would be a lot more accurate. Note that this is not the same as militantly "anti-car". There are a few times when having a car would be convenient. If there were a car coop in my neighborhood, I might consider joining it. As it is, I rent one when I need one. My choice not to own one is partially to prove that a person doesn't need to. I also do so to become more aware of the difficulties experienced by those who truly can't afford a reliable one. For those who depend on a car to get to work, an unreliable car is in many ways worse than no car at all. I'd actually rather ride the bus to work in the winter. The only problem is that due to the inconsistent timing of the buses in NE, I can actually get to work on my bicycle in less time than it takes me to walk to the bus stop and wait there - I literally spend less time outside! The bus routes that service my area are infrequent enough that I can often walk the two miles to work along the route without being passed by the bus. If our public transit system were sufficient to meet my needs, I'd pay more than the $60 - $80/month they currently cost, but as it is, it is inadequate. While I could afford a reliable car if I chose, some people can't. That leaves them on the bus, walking, or bicycling. They're part of the reason why I'm not going to let the cars take sole ownership of public roads and part of the reason I want to be aware of the difficulties they face. I DO demand that extra caution be taken by automobile drivers in the winter because they are what is dangerous. I've also known people who've been hurt on bicycles (although far less have been seriously injured or killed on bicycles than in cars). Most of them were hurt due to cars, a few were hurt for being stupid and riding drunk or recklessly, and on occasion, some of them were hurt in an honest to goodness accident. The car drivers are bringing something dangerous into the equation and they are responsible for making sure that their vehicles don't hurt anyone. We don't need cars - they are a luxury, and they are their owner's responsibility to use in a safe manner without endangering other people. Minneapolis existed before cars - with nearly the same population! Somehow, people got from place to place and somehow the economy thrived. There were city streets here too - they weren't built for the cars. You can use the streets if you want, but they do not soley belong to you, they are public. As a side note, I'd prefer it if the buses were run on some fuel other than diesel. I Have you ever gotten stuck behind a bus on a motorcycle or bicycle? It makes you want a gas mask! Incidently, during rush hours, riding my bicycle to work takes less time than it used to take to drive my car to the parking ramp, park, and walk to the office. Of course, I made my choices for housing and place of business partially to minimize my commute time. - Jason Goray, Sheridan, NE __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? HotJobs - Search new jobs daily now http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/ _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@;mnforum.org Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
