THE CASE FOR A MANDATORY CYCLE HELMET LAW 
(IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA)

On Monday, September 10, 2018 at 9:56:42 AM UTC+1, Sepp Ruf wrote:
James wrote:
Thankfully I have *never* been stopped by the
police for a bicycle road worthiness check, but not wearing a helmet is
like displaying a beacon that reads "Stop me!", and I don't dare ride
without a helmet because I don't like fines or police attention.

Sounds suspiciously like an Enemy of the State.

I've been one of those, and it's overrated and uncomfortable and tiring to be on the run. But, if you know how to look after yourself, is isn't intrinsically much more dangerous than commuting on a bicycle.

About separate facilities for cyclists: where are the votes in it? Even less likely is votes for making automobiling less convenient in favour of cyclists; it's a non-starter.

Frankly, I have zero hope for the appearance of large-scale cycling in Australia, the US, or indeed any country which doesn't already have a strong cycling culture. As for the emerging civilizations in the Far East, they clearly consider cycling a poverty option and can't wait to buy their first car..

Here in Ireland a major government bike subsidy scheme has run for years, and as far as I can see resulted in unloved, hardly used bikes, cluttering up garages. (By contrast the bike rental scheme seems to work well; a lawyer told me it's faster just to take a bike from the row and cycle a few blocks than to try finding a taxi. Some of my pedal pals never service a bike; if a component breaks or it gets rusty, they just buy one of these near-new bikes for fifty smackers max -- usually they get it for just taking it away.. So-called cycling facilities are a joke, like the narrow bicycle lane on an eight-lane highway that runs down the centre between the opposing lanes of traffic, and ends in the middle of nowhere at an intersection -- fortunately right before the main hospital gates, a handy delivery system for organ donors. Next to that bit of malicious road-planning, my village's little bit of bicycle infrastructure -- bicycle racks in a place where no one will ever park a bicycle with or without racks -- takes on a quaint air.

Andre Jute
Car-free since 1992

On 11/09/18 10:34, Andre Jute wrote:


About separate facilities for cyclists: where are the votes in it?
Even less likely is votes for making automobiling less convenient in
favour of cyclists; it's a non-starter.

There are more votes in it now than there have been since ... forever,
and growing. The votes come from the inner city dwelling
environmentalists we call "Greenies", who shun the stinky tailpipe of
automobiles in favour of cleaner and healthier active transport.

Sure they have dreadlocks, eat mung beans and fart like there's no
tomorrow, but they also vote.

Councillor Sri is a Greens party man.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...cc955fd0f65f5c

--
Js

On Tue, 11 Sep 2018 14:11:48 +1000, James
wrote:

On 11/09/18 10:34, Andre Jute wrote:


About separate facilities for cyclists: where are the votes in it?
Even less likely is votes for making automobiling less convenient in
favour of cyclists; it's a non-starter.

There are more votes in it now than there have been since ... forever,
and growing. The votes come from the inner city dwelling
environmentalists we call "Greenies", who shun the stinky tailpipe of
automobiles in favour of cleaner and healthier active transport.

Sure they have dreadlocks, eat mung beans and fart like there's no
tomorrow, but they also vote.

Councillor Sri is a Greens party man.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...cc955fd0f65f5c

Your reference shows up as an offer to furnish me news for 50 cents a
day, no mention of Greenies.

On 9/11/2018 12:29 AM, John B. Slocomb wrote:
On Tue, 11 Sep 2018 14:11:48 +1000, James
wrote:

On 11/09/18 10:34, Andre Jute wrote:


About separate facilities for cyclists: where are the votes in it?
Even less likely is votes for making automobiling less convenient in
favour of cyclists; it's a non-starter.

There are more votes in it now than there have been since ... forever,
and growing. The votes come from the inner city dwelling
environmentalists we call "Greenies", who shun the stinky tailpipe of
automobiles in favour of cleaner and healthier active transport.

Sure they have dreadlocks, eat mung beans and fart like there's no
tomorrow, but they also vote.

Councillor Sri is a Greens party man.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...cc955fd0f65f5c

Your reference shows up as an offer to furnish me news for 50 cents a
day, no mention of Greenies.

I got a blank page instead. Maybe I wasn't patient enough to wait for
the begging.

--
- Frank Krygowski

On 11/09/18 14:29, John B. Slocomb wrote:
On Tue, 11 Sep 2018 14:11:48 +1000, James
wrote:

On 11/09/18 10:34, Andre Jute wrote:


About separate facilities for cyclists: where are the votes in it?
Even less likely is votes for making automobiling less convenient in
favour of cyclists; it's a non-starter.

There are more votes in it now than there have been since ... forever,
and growing. The votes come from the inner city dwelling
environmentalists we call "Greenies", who shun the stinky tailpipe of
automobiles in favour of cleaner and healthier active transport.

Sure they have dreadlocks, eat mung beans and fart like there's no
tomorrow, but they also vote.

Councillor Sri is a Greens party man.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...cc955fd0f65f5c

Your reference shows up as an offer to furnish me news for 50 cents a
day, no mention of Greenies.


I think this is the same article but from another site.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-Brisbane.html

--
JS

On Tuesday, September 11, 2018 at 11:43:48 PM UTC+1, James wrote:
On 11/09/18 14:29, John B. Slocomb wrote:
On Tue, 11 Sep 2018 14:11:48 +1000, James
wrote:

On 11/09/18 10:34, Andre Jute wrote:


About separate facilities for cyclists: where are the votes in it?
Even less likely is votes for making automobiling less convenient in
favour of cyclists; it's a non-starter.

There are more votes in it now than there have been since ... forever,
and growing. The votes come from the inner city dwelling
environmentalists we call "Greenies", who shun the stinky tailpipe of
automobiles in favour of cleaner and healthier active transport.

Sure they have dreadlocks, eat mung beans and fart like there's no
tomorrow, but they also vote.

Councillor Sri is a Greens party man.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...cc955fd0f65f5c

Your reference shows up as an offer to furnish me news for 50 cents a
day, no mention of Greenies.


I think this is the same article but from another site.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-Brisbane.html

--
JS

I like "die-in". Very Jane Fonda.

AJ

On Tuesday, September 11, 2018 at 3:43:48 PM UTC-7, James wrote:
On 11/09/18 14:29, John B. Slocomb wrote:
On Tue, 11 Sep 2018 14:11:48 +1000, James
wrote:

On 11/09/18 10:34, Andre Jute wrote:


About separate facilities for cyclists: where are the votes in it?
Even less likely is votes for making automobiling less convenient in
favour of cyclists; it's a non-starter.

There are more votes in it now than there have been since ... forever,
and growing. The votes come from the inner city dwelling
environmentalists we call "Greenies", who shun the stinky tailpipe of
automobiles in favour of cleaner and healthier active transport.

Sure they have dreadlocks, eat mung beans and fart like there's no
tomorrow, but they also vote.

Councillor Sri is a Greens party man.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...cc955fd0f65f5c

Your reference shows up as an offer to furnish me news for 50 cents a
day, no mention of Greenies.


I think this is the same article but from another site.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-Brisbane.html

--
JS

I don't think that the people on this group really appreciate the numbers of cyclists there are in the larger cities around the world. In India alone there is an estimated 330,000,000 bicycles owned and used daily.

In New York City the daily trips depend heavily upon weather but have a high of around 62,000 trips PER DAY. This is rapidly increasing in the San Francisco bay area as more bicycle lanes are installed. They would increase even more rapidly if there were some bicycle lanes on the San Francisco/Oakland bay bridge and the San Mateo Bridge.

The costs of owning, insuring and operating a car today is so high that anyone that can avoid those costs is doing so in order to have a better apartment.

sltom992 wrote:

The costs of owning, insuring and operating
a car today is so high that anyone that can
avoid those costs is doing so in order to
have a better apartment.

OK, but still, aren't there more cars today
than ever? In the affluent parts of the world,
as well as everywhere else?

--
underground experts united
http://user.it.uu.se/~embe8573

On Fri, 14 Sep 2018 09:24:11 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

On Tuesday, September 11, 2018 at 3:43:48 PM UTC-7, James wrote:
On 11/09/18 14:29, John B. Slocomb wrote:
On Tue, 11 Sep 2018 14:11:48 +1000, James
wrote:

On 11/09/18 10:34, Andre Jute wrote:


About separate facilities for cyclists: where are the votes in it?
Even less likely is votes for making automobiling less convenient in
favour of cyclists; it's a non-starter.

There are more votes in it now than there have been since ... forever,
and growing. The votes come from the inner city dwelling
environmentalists we call "Greenies", who shun the stinky tailpipe of
automobiles in favour of cleaner and healthier active transport.

Sure they have dreadlocks, eat mung beans and fart like there's no
tomorrow, but they also vote.

Councillor Sri is a Greens party man.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...cc955fd0f65f5c

Your reference shows up as an offer to furnish me news for 50 cents a
day, no mention of Greenies.


I think this is the same article but from another site.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-Brisbane.html

--
JS

I don't think that the people on this group really appreciate the numbers of cyclists there are in the larger
cities around the world. In India alone there is an estimated
330,000,000 bicycles owned and used daily.

In New York City the daily trips depend heavily upon weather but have a high of around 62,000 trips PER DAY.

In New York city there are over 5 million people ride the transit
network each weekday. So, 62,000 / 5 million = 1.2%
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transp...City#Ridership

This is rapidly increasing in the San Francisco bay area as more bicycle lanes are installed. They would increase even more rapidly if there were some bicycle lanes on the San Francisco/Oakland bay bridge and the San Mateo Bridge.

The costs of owning, insuring and operating a car today is so high that anyone that can avoid those costs is doing so in order to have a better apartment.
--
Cheers

John B.

On Saturday, September 15, 2018 at 12:23:59 AM UTC+1, John B. Slocomb wrote:
On Fri, 14 Sep 2018 09:24:11 -0700 (PDT), sltom992 wrote:

In New York City the daily trips depend heavily upon weather but have a high of around 62,000 trips PER DAY.

In New York city there are over 5 million people ride the transit
network each weekday. So, 62,000 / 5 million = 1.2%
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transp...City#Ridership

I'm not arguing that this isn't appallingly low, especially after two generations (since Rachel Carson, the patron of genocides) of the uninformed political or simply lying Left using underhand methods ("all scientists agree that there is global warming and that man is responsible" -- Christ on a stick!) to make anyone in a car feel like a Gaia-rapist.

However, in terms of levels of bicycle use only a decade or two ago, those are impressive strides that commuter and shopping cycling have made, in some places at least, and actually rather quickly.

I'm always amazed at how laughably soon the most unsmilingly earnest campaigners expect people to change their minds and even their behavior. Any psychologist who deals with mass markets knows that most people vote for the party their parents voted for but only just possibly not for the party that earned their grandparents' adherence -- and that is after admitting that there is now a larger unaffiliated group (the "undecideds" on political polls) who in fact determine the destiny of everyone, which is why so much effort is directed at them.

Andre Jute
I'm impressed, Tom, even if the "spokesmen for bicycles" aren't