I'm not your father, but...

[nathan.barten]

Ok, Everyone, I want you to take a good look at this article.  http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/anti-cycling-facebook-page-gains-32000-fans-24554  Don't get upset, I know you've all heard this sort of thing before.  I just thought it's important that everyone know that this is out there.  They say that there's 32,000 members in the group (not much at all when you look at the grand scheme, but significant still).  I posted this to stress the importance that none of us in this area ever say things like the featured "Tiffany Bakehouse."  I know it's often easy to take the low road and get pissed and go off on a tantrum, and we've all done that in the past once or twice I'm sure.  Do the best you can this upcoming riding season to stay as cool-headed as possible.  Now I'm done being everyone's father, that is all!

Nathan M Barten

[Toaster]

I'm much more cool headed on the road than I used to be, and I'm much happier for it.

Let's all remember that the vast majority of drivers cause us no problems whatsoever, not that that excuses the minority that do.

I can honestly say that I see more irresponsible driving and am treated with more disrespect when I am in my car than when I am on my bike.

[Sal Atticum]

In the four years (wow) that I've been in Grand Forks, things have gotten much better IMHO.  I'm trying to do my part to not antagonize people--sometimes a friendly wave makes people wake up more than the finger--but it gets difficult sometimes.  I think the fact that cyclists in general have gotten a lot of positive press lately in town is making people realize that they can take 30 seconds and wait most of the time.  Hopefully the good behavior I've seen so far this winter will continue--I haven't had anyone almost hit me or be a jerk since before it snowed.

[Sal Atticum]

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oew-mionske12-2010jan12,0,394431.story?track=rss

Although five years is good news in general, this guy was trying to provoke the cyclists into confronting him before he "tried to teach them a lesson."  Be careful out there!

In particular, I liked this comment.  What better sentence could this guy have received than five years?

In the late 1970s, a local doctor committed big time Medicare fraud. The courts got very creative in their sentencing. Instead of a prison sentence and revocation of his license, he was sentenced to a set number of years practicing medicine on the Navaho Indian Reservation. Too bad the judge in Dr. Thompson's case didn't do something like that.

Kuczynski (01/12/2010, 11:05 PM )