A Trackstand Saved My Life!

In article ,
Bill wrote:

Mark Hickey wrote:
wrote:

On Fri, 10 Nov 2006 19:52:05 -0700, Mark Hickey
wrote:

In the end, polititians tend to care only about what directly benefits
them - if they feel there is a political benefit to spending our money
on bicycle facilities, they'll do so.
How does a law that, for instance, makes it ilegal to ride a unicycle,
or to require cyclists to use the shoulder even if unpaved, or any
other number of anti-cyclist measures, benefit a politician other than
by appeasing the interests of the moneyed and motored classes?

First, I know of no areas with such restrictions. There may be some,
but even so, it's the (rare) exception that would require a bike to
ride on an unpaved shoulder (not even going to speculate on the
unicycle ban).

Second, you use "moneyed" and "motored" like they're synonymous.
While having a car is a pipe dream for most of the world's poor, in
the US the vast majority can have a car (if they choose to, of
course).

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $795 ti frame

What of those of us who have both cars and bikes and pay more than our
fair share of taxes but are still treated like dirt? Preferring to ride
a bike when possible does not diminish the taxes i pay, yet when I am on
a bike I do notice that I get treated like a second class citizen. I
walked up to a CHP officer the other day (not even on a bike) to report
a pile of stolen shopping carts and he basically blew me off with the
'not his business' line. I was walking because the voting polls have no
bike parking and driving 1.5 miles each way seemed like not worth firing
up the car. I'm sure if I had driven up in a newish car I would have had
better credibility.
Strange system.
Bill Baka

Bill:

1) highway patrol officers rarely deal with stolen shopping carts; he's
probably right about this non-emergency being basically in the
jurisdiction of whatever local constabulary is in the area, or probably
best just reported to the supermarket that owns them.

2) Bikes need parking?!? I can fully believe the polling station didn't
have a bike rack, but I'm trying to conceive of a structure that didn't
have some place outside you could lock and leave a bike.

--
Ryan Cousineau http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos

Ryan Cousineau wrote:
In article ,
Bill wrote:
What of those of us who have both cars and bikes and pay more than our
fair share of taxes but are still treated like dirt? Preferring to ride
a bike when possible does not diminish the taxes i pay, yet when I am on
a bike I do notice that I get treated like a second class citizen. I
walked up to a CHP officer the other day (not even on a bike) to report
a pile of stolen shopping carts and he basically blew me off with the
'not his business' line. I was walking because the voting polls have no
bike parking and driving 1.5 miles each way seemed like not worth firing
up the car. I'm sure if I had driven up in a newish car I would have had
better credibility.
Strange system.
Bill Baka

Bill:

1) highway patrol officers rarely deal with stolen shopping carts; he's
probably right about this non-emergency being basically in the
jurisdiction of whatever local constabulary is in the area, or probably
best just reported to the supermarket that owns them.

I know (and knew) that but was posing it to him as who exactly to report
it to, OK? He told me that even the regular sheriff would not care
unless the store complained about stolen carts, which either they have
not done or the sheriff got tired of it.

2) Bikes need parking?!? I can fully believe the polling station didn't
have a bike rack, but I'm trying to conceive of a structure that didn't
have some place outside you could lock and leave a bike.

Believe it. I rode there for the primaries and was told no bikes in the
building, even though they had a huge amount of extra space, and no
there were no racks outside. I had to ride home and walk back to vote in
the primaries and this time I just knew in advance so I walked. Almost 3
miles of walking isn't that bad, although my feet prefer riding a bike.
I hike and rock climb in the mountains when I can no longer ride so a
horizontal walk on a sidewalk is almost like loafing.
Bill Baka

In article R316h.302886$5R2.142574@pd7urf3no,
"nash" writes:
[snip]

Somebody should pressure the gov't to give cash back on new bikes,
around 30%, the same way they will be for putting children in registered
sports activities in 2007.

I dunno, that could be the thin edge of a pretty gnarly wedge.
If there's a bicycle rebate, how about similar for roller skates,
sports equipment for amateurs, hackey sack footbags, an income
tax deduction for non-drivers, etc? Getting special treatment,
to me, kind of connotes having to be babysat by legislators.
Sure, that's rather the position drivers are already in -- they
get all kinds of special treatment in the form of huge tracts
of real estate, bureaucracies, car-centric urban/highway planning &
design, and law enforcement (babysitting) dedicated to their vehicle
use. Doesn't mean we've gotta compete with them over it. let the
babies have their bottles, I sez. Cyclists getting special treatment
just gives drivers something more to whine and bawl and throw
tantrums about on their local radio talk shows.

I figure all we really need is for what we already have WRT rights &
responsibilities, to be generally recognized and respected. Plus
maybe some localized (i.e: where they're truly needed) infrastructure
and facility improvements, such as bicycle access on certain bridges.

What would really /help/ would be a culture of friendly cooperation
and assumption of personal responsibility on the streets & roads.
But I guess the hope for that is even more pie-in-the-sky than gov't
subsidies in the form of rebates on bicycle purchases.


cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

warning long article..
Getting special treatment,
to me, kind of connotes having to be babysat by legislators.

Well, if they give tax rebates for sports activities for kids they should
also give it for sports equipment for kids. Why help just a niche of that
population. It is in their best interest(Gov't). That is because they need
it not us. the gov't. More healthy people means less time off work. Proven
100's of times.
Even if they just do it for the kids now. They are really doing it for the
future of those kids lives. Get your kids interested in fitness and health.
That is why this continent is in such bad shape. Look at how much more the
States gets for their schools in the sports curriculums. Not all areas I
know but on /capita basis. Heck even Ontario and Alberta and the rest of
Canada probably get more for their kids educations including sports, than
BC. Actually, that is a fact. Maybe money does not solve anything, just
makes you think hey why not. Doing things that are good for you, blechh!,
monitary encouragement tasty.
It is too late for us in fact. You have to cultivate a healthy behavior
toward fitness and health when you are young not because you just got a wake
up call with a heart attack. Less money going to alcohol, smokes, and
drugs. That is what the kick back is for.
Just thought it would not hurt asking for kick backs. Steven Harper is
trying that in Ontario isn't he, with bus transportation? Company's are
suppose to help you out when you commute to work because it helps them not
because we want the money. It is because we are doing them a favor being
off the road. We do not need babysitters and infrastructure like auto
drivers do. Taxes needed would go down and that helps everyone. But sadly,
that may just encourage more people to buy a car and start driving. Then
watch out. Do not start me going on peak oil being here and now. Take
care of yourselves cause no one else knows how.

On Sun, 12 Nov 2006 00:39:18 -0800, (Tom
Keats) wrote:

Bicycle helmets
are for the comforts of drivers. The most vocal proponents
are drivers.

My new helmet is an old chromed streamlined electric kettle.

It's been gutted and the bottom hack sawed off. The inside is lined
with nice thick neoprene and I've attached straps. The spout is for
ventilation and the handle resembles a built in bakelite mohawk.

It's gotten rave reviews from the MC3. They either want to plug me in
or pick me up and pour me out.

And it was CSA approved . . .as a kettle.

"Dale" wrote in message
news
On Sun, 12 Nov 2006 00:39:18 -0800, (Tom
Keats) wrote:

Bicycle helmets
are for the comforts of drivers. The most vocal proponents
are drivers.

My new helmet is an old chromed streamlined electric kettle.

It's been gutted and the bottom hack sawed off. The inside is lined
with nice thick neoprene and I've attached straps. The spout is for
ventilation and the handle resembles a built in bakelite mohawk.

It's gotten rave reviews from the MC3. They either want to plug me in
or pick me up and pour me out.

And it was CSA approved . . .as a kettle.

Beauty Got a pic?

Dale wrote:
On Sun, 12 Nov 2006 00:39:18 -0800, (Tom
Keats) wrote:

Bicycle helmets
are for the comforts of drivers. The most vocal proponents
are drivers.

My new helmet is an old chromed streamlined electric kettle.

It's been gutted and the bottom hack sawed off. The inside is lined
with nice thick neoprene and I've attached straps. The spout is for
ventilation and the handle resembles a built in bakelite mohawk.

It's gotten rave reviews from the MC3. They either want to plug me in
or pick me up and pour me out.

And it was CSA approved . . .as a kettle.

I must say, that sounds amazing. I'll echo the call for pictures.

--
Dane Buson -
It must be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to plan, more
doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage, than the creation of
a new system. For the initiator has the emnity of all who would profit
by the preservation of the old institutions and merely lukewarm defenders
in those who would gain by the new ones.
-- Niccolo Machiavelli, 1513

wrote:
On Sun, 12 Nov 2006 07:34:05 -0700, Mark Hickey
wrote:

wrote:

On Fri, 10 Nov 2006 19:52:05 -0700, Mark Hickey
wrote:

In the end, polititians tend to care only about what directly benefits
them - if they feel there is a political benefit to spending our money
on bicycle facilities, they'll do so.

How does a law that, for instance, makes it ilegal to ride a unicycle,
or to require cyclists to use the shoulder even if unpaved, or any
other number of anti-cyclist measures, benefit a politician other than
by appeasing the interests of the moneyed and motored classes?

First, I know of no areas with such restrictions. There may be some,
but even so, it's the (rare) exception that would require a bike to
ride on an unpaved shoulder (not even going to speculate on the
unicycle ban).

The insularity of Americans is no surprise; neither is their choice of
politicians.

Gee! I saw a few cars on the roads of Europe on my last visit. Rome has
the worst raffic I've ever seen. The traffic in Tokyo, Hong Kong and
other Asian cities if as bad as any I've seen in the US.
Insular as applied to having/driving cars is just silly.

In article om,
"gds" writes:

wrote:
On Sun, 12 Nov 2006 07:34:05 -0700, Mark Hickey
wrote:

wrote:

On Fri, 10 Nov 2006 19:52:05 -0700, Mark Hickey
wrote:

In the end, polititians tend to care only about what directly benefits
them - if they feel there is a political benefit to spending our money
on bicycle facilities, they'll do so.

How does a law that, for instance, makes it ilegal to ride a unicycle,
or to require cyclists to use the shoulder even if unpaved, or any
other number of anti-cyclist measures, benefit a politician other than
by appeasing the interests of the moneyed and motored classes?

First, I know of no areas with such restrictions. There may be some,
but even so, it's the (rare) exception that would require a bike to
ride on an unpaved shoulder (not even going to speculate on the
unicycle ban).

The insularity of Americans is no surprise; neither is their choice of
politicians.

Gee! I saw a few cars on the roads of Europe on my last visit. Rome has
the worst raffic I've ever seen. The traffic in Tokyo, Hong Kong and
other Asian cities if as bad as any I've seen in the US.
Insular as applied to having/driving cars is just silly.

Insular as applied only to /Americans/ having/driving cars is
just silly.

The effects of cars on the human psyche are pervasive, and
are no respecter of national boundaries. Perhaps this is
most evident in places that wish to, at least in part,
emulate the US.


cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

In article ,
Dale writes:
On Sun, 12 Nov 2006 00:39:18 -0800, (Tom
Keats) wrote:

Bicycle helmets
are for the comforts of drivers. The most vocal proponents
are drivers.

My new helmet is an old chromed streamlined electric kettle.

It's been gutted and the bottom hack sawed off. The inside is lined
with nice thick neoprene and I've attached straps. The spout is for
ventilation and the handle resembles a built in bakelite mohawk.

It's gotten rave reviews from the MC3. They either want to plug me in
or pick me up and pour me out.

And it was CSA approved . . .as a kettle.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

With the right legal representation (David Hay?) that might
make an interesting test case about helmets needing to be
approved by safety agencies.

I guess test cases and creating new & complicating precedences
are the way to go wrt rolling-back MHL legislation, if one
cares to do so.

Make a legal mire of it.

It would sure beat whinin' & gripin' about being hard done by.

I hope yer lid is also UL approved. You might have to get a
guy in, to put a sticker on it for that. If you've got a
GST #, maybe you can charge the gov't for it.

If you could get fake steam to seemingly come outa yer ears,
that might be a visibility enhancement :-) 'specially if
it's coloured military tactical smoke. I favour yellow.


cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca