19 Responses to “Memorial Bike Ride Website Established”
Comments
September 28th, 2012
So the memorial ride has a political agenda? "same roads, same rules, same rights" You have to be kidding me. You want to make it political no problem maybe we should be out there protesting the ride. You don't pay gas and registration taxes and your consistent deaths indicate that the roads have grown to crowded and you need to be removed from the road and placed onto bike paths.
September 28th, 2012
Sad comment. The message isn't political; it's a fact and since you apparently don't know that, it also serves to educate. Gas tax? I have 3 cars in the garage – actually parked out front because the garage has 9 bikes inside – so I'm paying plenty in gas tax, like most cyclists. Don't forget that every cyclist you see represents one less car in traffic and one more available parking place for you. Instead of protesting the Memorial Ride, how about dusting off that rusting bike in your garage? This ride will be a memorial, but also life-affirming; we'll ride and enjoy the exercise, feel the breeze as we pedal along with new friends, heartened by the increasing political awareness of cyclists and all the good things that cycling brings: a healthier population, less congestion, reduced pollution. All this and more is coming to pass. You may not see it, or think I'm dreaming, but take a look around: cities everywhere are waking up to the benefits of cycling. The trend is slower here in Orange County, but it's gaining steam. Huntington Beach, San Clemente, Fullerton, Irvine, and Anaheim are all moving as fast as they can to improve conditions for their bike riding citizens. It's human nature to resist change, but this is a change for the better. Your children and grandchildren will enjoy healthier lifestyles, less time stuck in traffic and breath cleaner air. And don't forget the economic advantages; our city will attract even more tourists who will come to experience the beauty of our beaches while enjoying transportation choices, biking and walking, perhaps more than they have at home. "Everything's better on a bicycle," a friend once told me and if you give it half a chance you'll find it true.
September 28th, 2012
Yes, you're right, Really Sad. It is horribly sad that you seem to have such a small heart, and apparently, a small mind to go with it. "Same roads, same rules, same rights" is far from political; it is simply a reflection of the law in every state of the Union. Bicyclists have the right to ride on any public street where cars are allowed, with the exception of some high-speed freeways and expressways. And what, pray tell, causes you to labor under the ridiculous assumption that bicyclists don't pay gas or registration taxes? Virtually every cyclist you see on the road is also a driver, with a drivers license, car registration — often more than one — and liability insurance which covers them on the bike as well as in the car. And they pay gas taxes, as well as the other taxes that pay for the overwhelming majority of road construction and maintenance that the miniscule gas tax doesn't cover. As for your absurd comment that our "consistent" deaths mean we need to be removed from the road, do I really need to remind you that around 700 +/- cyclists are killed in the entire U.S. each year, compared to over 30,000 motor vehicle occupants? By your standard, no one would ever be allowed to drive again. However, you do have one very good suggestion. I do think you should go out and protest the memorial ride. That way, everyone can see what someone who would leave such a cold, uncaring and factually incorrect comment really looks like.
September 28th, 2012
I donated my $ to Semperfifund.org in honor of Dr. Campion. I urge everyone to choose a REAL charity. Do not give your money to the City of Newport Beach. They have enough - just look at the $127 million taj mahal they are building in Fashion Island. What if they had only spent $120 million instead and then used $7 million for bike safety. Unbelievable.
September 28th, 2012
The gas tax comment has no basis in reality. All the gas and other taxes and fees motorists pya put together don't come near to covering the costs of providing and maintaining roads, freeways, and below-market parking. In fact, non-driving folks, including bicyclists who don't also own cars, are overtaxed to pay for the vast asphalt spaces drivers require. The cyclists that "really sad" disses are actually helping keep your taxes lower, as well as your air and lungs cleaner and your roads more open. Read some details here: http://sustainablecitynews.com/rr69.html Yes, cyclists have aright--legal, financial, and traditional--to the roads. And they more than pay their way.
September 28th, 2012
Really Sad, at least come ride your bike. It should be safe that day. If you don't have one, borrow one. If you can't ride, I'll teach you how.
September 28th, 2012
For all those in favor of spending tax dollars this way, be sure to vote the first Wednesday in November.
September 28th, 2012
Really Sad, I wonder if you would more carefully consider your message if you had to publicly identify yourself. The accountablility of Facebook-type comments would likely promote more genuine conversation. We have a real problem in this community with bad behavior on the roads, and if you want to talk about it you should come to a Bicycling Safety Committee Meeting where people are working to improve things instead of posting anonymous sad comments.
September 28th, 2012
This idea, along with others proposed so far, is that they promote the false idea that there are two factions at war in this issue. This is not a cyclists vs motorists issue. Its about people who are safe on the road and people who are not. For as many motorists who are unsafe there are an EQUAL amount of unsafe cyclists. We see them (meaning bikers and drivers) every day doing something stupid and introducing life threatening situations into the mix. I also think that its false to assume that people inside of cars are in a safer position that people on a bike. We've heard about two cyclists dying lately where the driver was just fine. But it is completely possible for a cyclist to cause an accident that will take the life of a motorist. Its happened and is frequent. Their body flying against a car will never win, but a cyclist's bad behavior can cause a car crash behind them that can kill someone. So really, stop thinking about this as being cars versus bikes. Its idiots versus the rest of us. Which side are you on?
September 28th, 2012
TK, I'm confused about your message. You point out it's not about cyclists vs. motorists and we all share the risks of bad behavior. That sounds like you would like us all to be on the same side - the side of making the road safer. So why move from that positive thought to "idiots vs. the rest of us" and "which side are you on"? Instead of making anonymous and divisive posts, you could come to the Bicycling Safety Committee Meeting and meet some of your neighbors who want to work together to improve the roads for all of us.
September 28th, 2012
1. Anonymity on the internet is something people either engage in or they don't. Its been a feature of the web forever. This is the second time i've seen you try to bully someone into typing out their full name and show up in person. I, and any other poster on this website or any other has the right to reveal or conceal their names. Besides, what does it matter if i express my opinion via a thinly concealed nickname or not? 2. Whether my comments are judged to be divisive or not is up to subjective opinion. I don't find my message of "be smart on the roads and don't be an idiot" to be divisive unless someone is already worried that they are in fact, an idiot. 3. Awesome that you guys are having a committee meeting about this but no, i'll decline going. Meetings, painting arrows and writing checks is not going to keep me safe if i'm on a bike or in a car.
September 28th, 2012
Really Sad, something like 30,000 people are killed and injured in automobile accidents every year. Should we ban cars from the road too? Your logic makes no sense and is disrespectful to the two women being remembered. Bikes have a legal right to be on the road. Dust off your bike and ride it. You might find you really like it.
September 29th, 2012
"Same roads, same rules, same rights." That sounds wonderful, but when was the last time you went one day without seeing the MAJORITY of bicyclists breaking multiple traffic rules? When was the last time you saw a bicyclist stop at a stop sign? When was the last day you didn't see a bicyclist riding on the sidewalk? When was the last day you didn't see a bicyclist riding on the wrong side of the street? If the driver of a car did any of these things in front of a police officer, they would get a traffic ticket, but bicyclists break the rules ALL the time and the police do NOTHING. Same rights? Hardly.
September 29th, 2012
I was crossing the orchid crosswalk with the lights flashing this morning, cars in both directions stopped(which does not always happen), but a pack of 6 or 7 cyclists blew through the crosswalk cutting me and a woman walking her dog off. The cyclists were aware enough of us and the crosswalk to say "our bad", which was said in an arrogant, sarcastic manner. These cyclists are part of the group of people that need to change. I would like for NBPD to set up a motorcycle cop to sit on this crosswalk on Saturday and Sundays. It would be a great revenue generator and would make everyone safer. Keep in mind these inconsiderate cyclists had me and another woman standing in the middle of coast highway waiting for them to pass. I should start walking with a stick. Oh and Frank, knock it off with the lines about cyclists being one less car on the road and making our air cleaner. Please.
September 29th, 2012
Jim, I couldn't agree with you more.
September 29th, 2012
Jim, it was me in the crosswalk with you with my dog. Yes the bikers nearly ran me over. I normally would not comment on this but to ask that everyone , biker and driver alike understand that it is one road and one set of rules and to try our best to obey the laws for the safety of all. Today while walking on the sidewalk along pch a croud of bikers came screaming up on my neibors, me and our dogs. One had the audacity to say "thank you " sarcastically when we jumped onto the grass. Another said "share the road." All I could say was "it's not the road. It's the sidewalk." I don't think they got the message. Could you imagine what would happen if a car drove on the sidewalk? Why does only one class have to obey this one set of rules?
September 29th, 2012
Really Sad, Safe Driver, and Jim, people on bikes need to obey the same rules and laws as people in cars. In 7 miles of riding the other evening, I saw 5 cars roll through stop signs and I watched someone in a pickup truck drive over a median to make an illegal U-turn. Should we ban cars from the road? Carmeggedon and the London Olympics prove that it takes a very small reduction in cars on the road to relieve congestion and make the roads safer for everyone, including pedestrians (who get run over almost daily in SoCal).
September 30th, 2012
Really, Mr. Law; if there were no cars on the road, bikes would be crashing and tumbling in all directions. The average biker is no more intelligent than the average driver, and we all know that the average driver is an imbecile. I of course am an excellent driver.
September 30th, 2012
@Really Sad Political? How does advocating safety and responsibility equate to politics in your mind? "same roads, same rules, same rights" It's not political, it's reality - welcome to the real world. Oh, and good luck with your protest of the memorial event, it kind of reminds me of what the Westboro Baptist Church whackos do.
