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From: ccrbrian@ucdavis.UUCP (Brian Reilly)
Newsgroups: net.bicycle
Subject: Re: Bicycles, Violence and Hatred
Message-ID: <128@ucdavis.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 24-Apr-85 12:28:44 EST
Article-I.D.: ucdavis.128
Posted: Wed Apr 24 12:28:44 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 27-Apr-85 01:20:26 EST
References: <1370@reed.UUCP> <66@harvard.ARPA>
Distribution: net
Organization: University of California, Davis
Lines: 43

> 
> 
> 
> Is there a solution to this problem?  How would bikers feel about a
> "biker's license" that would be required of all on-street bikers?
> Perhaps such a measure would serve to remind bikers that they are
> also required to obey the traffic laws.  This is just a suggestion.
> 
> Do similar feelings exist in other countries?  Amsterdam:  you should
> be in a good position to respond!
> -- 
> 
> David Albert

Here in Davis, which likes others to refer to it as the 'bicycle
capital of the U.S.', things are a little easier for people riding
bicycles.  Most of the major streets have bike paths and many of
these are as wide as the car lanes.  There are about 30 miles of
paths I think, and Davis is a small town - maybe 5 or 6 miles wide.
There are also bicycle police who give tickets for running stop
signs, parking illegally, riding with no light and driving without
a license.  Tickets are fairly common.  People are also occasionally
arrested for drunk riding.

Since there are more bicycles than people in Davis, most drivers are
also cyclists, so they usually look out for the bikes. If people
are educated to treat the person on the bike as someone sharing the
road and not depriving them of their right to speed, perhaps some of
the problems of uncaring drivers will go away.  Last week I was
riding on a back road with no bike lane and I knocked my pump off
and into the path of a truck.  I waited to watch the truck crush the
pump, but the driver slowed down and stopped so I could retrieve it.

	Brian 
-- 
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                                        Brian Reilly
                                        U.C. Davis Computer Center
                                        Davis, CA 95616
                                        ucbvax!ucdavis!deneb:ccrbrian

"If I had something clever to say, it would go here."
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