DH>growing areas south of Houston. But, I see people with nice-
DH>looking equipment even, who should know better, riding on
DH>the left side of the road (????!!!). One of these days, I'm
DH>just going to stop one, and at the risk of pissing him off
DH>real bad, tell him about it before he has a serious
DH>encounter with a motor vehicle.
The debate over whether cyclists should be licensed has come up numerous
time around the Metro Toronto area, especially with the annoying habit
quite a few cyclists here have of riding on the sidewalk ( piising off
pedestrians, including a number who like to write to their local
councillor ) or who behave eraticly in traffic. Add to that the often
self rightous "I'm saving the environment" tone.... and of course that
of motorists who feel " I've paid many times over for the road, why
don't they pay for it if they want to use it"....
As for the habit of riding against traffic, I am at a loss as to where
this comes from, except perhaps that it may be an old childhood one, or
else a erroneous connection to walking - i.e. you must walk against
traffic if there is no side walk. It may simply be a reaction to the
fear many cyclists have of getting hit from behind. I'm not sure how
many fatalities or injuries are caused by this habit, but I do know of
one fatality about 12 years ago while I was an undergrad at Sonoma State
in California - a young and promising athlete was on the way to SSU,
cycling against traffic and swerved out to avoid a truck she apparently
assume was about to make a right turn - it didn't and she hit it head on
- I read this in our university paper and in the local paper. It's
something I often tell to others... but then humans have this
"wonderful" ability of self-denial " it won't happen to me..."
Phil
 * SLMR 2.1a * Answers: $1;Short: $5;Correct: $25;dumb looks still free
--- Maximus/2 3.00
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