Dear Abby: Are you freaking kidding me?

From Fritz at Cyclelicious:

DEAR ABBY: I want to thank all the wonderful people who make biking to work possible. I am a mid-40s professional and never thought I could do this, but I am. My goal was to bike at least once a week to work -- 15 miles each way -- and I have been doing it since May and loving it! Thank you to the drivers who respect bikers, the municipalities who planned for safe cycling, and the companies that provide showers and lockers. It has been so much fun. I never thought I could do this because of work schedules, kids' activities and weather, but with a little thought it works. It's good, fun exercise. Help the environment, save energy and get fit, America! -- GEORGE IN MIAMI VALLEY, OHIO DEAR GEORGE: I'm pleased that you are enjoying your healthy new lifestyle, and I'm all for physical fitness. However, I hesitate to encourage large numbers of people to embrace your challenge until both cyclists and motorists are better educated about the rules of the road. Communities need to act now to provide safe bicycle lanes and paths for people trying to conserve gasoline. Awareness needs to be raised among drivers about the rights of bikers. The television and print media could be a significant help in this effort, and I hope they'll take the opportunity to inform their audiences.

Is she serious? I mean...really?

How can she possibly expect for any bicycle infrastructure to be built if no one is out there riding their bikes? We can't even get bike lanes built in the "liberal haven" of San Francisco (story here and here) where literally tons of people (seriously if you add up their collective weight) ride everyday. They can't find enough room for them on the trains and yet we are supposed to use fossil fuels and cause traffic on the freeways until the government decides that maybe the best thing for us is to build bike lanes and racks and the rest of the necessary infrastructure.

Really. It is taking every ounce of decorum that I have to not burst out in a stream of expletives.

Please feel free to send your thoughts to Dear Abby at the address below. And leave out the profanity, I understand she's not to keen on that stuff.

Write Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

-Matt the Weatherman




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