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From: toddv@copper.UUCP (Todd Vierheller)
Newsgroups: net.cycle
Subject: Letter in net.auto
Message-ID: <192@copper.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 19-Feb-86 14:32:33 EST
Article-I.D.: copper.192
Posted: Wed Feb 19 14:32:33 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 20-Feb-86 23:36:55 EST
Distribution: na
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, OR
Lines: 48

[EAT ME]

The following appeared in net.auto by a poster I'll call "Bob" (not his name):
(I changed his name so all flames or comments can be directed towards me.)

> I ride a motorcycle part time (weekends/when my car is in the shop).  If
> you every want to be scared out of you wits, try riding a bike for awhile.
> I feel real *naked* without alot of steel around me.  I am also a most
> curteous driver of both cars and bikes.  I don't ride between lanes, except
> when coming upto a stop light, when the cars are already stopped.
> 
> Taking advantage of the gaps between cars, while the cars are moving, is
> a real good way of shortening ones life.  I, for one, like my life, so I
> don't do that.
> 
> note:	If we could pass a law requiring everyone to ride a motorcycle
> for awhile, their would be fewer accidents.  The people I know who ride
> or have ridden bikes are the best drivers I know.
> 
> Bob Smith
> -- 
> These ramblings are my own, and are surely not those of my employer.

(I wrote him a letter  such as you see below and copied it to myself, but alas
I didn't receive it.  So here is a quasi reproduction of it:)

I agree with the point of making everyone ride a motorcycle for a while; it's
certainly made me a more defensive driver even in my car.

(Here comes the flame)
However, I have to recommend against the practice of pulling up between the 
lines of stopped cars at a stoplight.  Certainly a motorcycle will out
accelerate ANY car, so the bike will in no way impede the progress of the 
car drivers.  The pinhead car drivers unfortunately don't realize this and
get mad as h*ll at the "G*d D*mned F*king Motorcyclist etc etc idiot" who
drove up between the lanes.   I certainly don't want pinheads who hate
motorcyclists driving around on the road with me.

Another (perhaps better) reason to avoid this practice is the chance that the
light may change before the motorcyclist reaches the front of the line.  Then
the biker is between two lanes of moving cars driven by irritated pinheads.
Not a safe position to be in.

                                      Todd Vierheller
                                      Tektronix Inc.

Me?  Express opinions?  Was I rambling?  My fingers typed this without my
company's or my brain's knowledge.  Honest.