The Barometer Online

You pedestrians need to be more aware of rules of the road. Remember the guy who got a citation for failure to yield to a campus shuttle? You don't just walk in the middle of the road, oblivious to everything in sight, and then be indignant when you get run over. There's a reason why pedestrians are prohibited on freeways like I-5. I think I'm speaking for the rest of us bikers when I say I expect people to stay on sidewalks, and not walk with mouth agape in the middle of the road.

Alex, CS student
OSU campus

Agree that bikes should be registered and the fee go towards bike lanes, biker safety education, etc. Hawaii does that. But I don't see your logic in railing against bikers on roads and then complaining about the cost of bike lanes. Bike lanes get the cyclists out of the way of traffic -- isn't that what you want???
Your argument about making bikers go on sidewalks is faulty in 2 respects -- you would have far greater number of accidents if bikers were allowed on sidewalks (and serious injuries, not just scapes) and the assumption that there are sidewalks wherever there is a road.

And yes, bikers should follow all traffic laws to the letter.

We can all share the road safely. You ought to try bike riding -- you might like it.

By the way, your article was posted on a national triathlon forum -- standby for some feedback.

Marty Smith, Naval Officer
Hawaii

Praises to your article about bicyclists and their lack of respect for the laws. I have found the problems ten times worse in Portland. If anyone is familiar with Burnside or Stark on the East side, then you are also familiar with bicyclists in the morning commute. These are two busiest commuter roads with no bike lanes, in addition to Tri-Met bus routes, but never the less, there are bicyclist putting their lives in danger as well as other commuters. I believe the problems in Corvallis are the same, bicyclists believe they are excempt from the laws.

Becky
Portland

I hate bicyclists. first off, they ride too close to the road, and second they're never aware of their surroundings. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to switch lanes and some A**hole is off in his own combustion free world. Get a job, get a car.

Steph, student
osu

Your article was the biggest piece of crap ever written. I have worked in helmet crash test labs for years and have seen the carnage cars cause to motorcycles, yet those are somehow exempted from your argument. You are quite obviously a young journalism student with no real work experience looking to stir up some conversation and conflict on campus. You have done a disservice to the thousands of families dealing with sons and daughters crippled by errant drivers by posting such a view as ignorant as the one you did. You should be ashamed of yourself, and even worse, your editor should be ashamed for letting you print it.

Dave, Safety Manager
San Francisco

"Get a job, get a car."? More like "Get a life, get a bike."

Jeff

I'd be very curious to see Lester's driving record and habits. People with the "roads for cars only" attitude should not be allowed to drive anything, not even a shopping cart in a parking lot. He misses the illegality of riding bicycles on sidewalks, ignores other wheeled transportation methods such as motorcycles and rollerblades, and is lost in the great automotive society of the 1960s.

I would agree that bicyclists need to reminded about conspicuity, lane position, rules of the road, and signalling. But these are items for ALL roadway users, not just bicyclists. Considering the number of cars vs. bicycles in use, you can expect cars to commit more scofflaws and be involved in more accidents with other vehicles and pedestrians than bicycles. 90% of bicycle accidents involve no other vehicle!

Now tell me again about drinking hot coffee while talking on a cell phone and driving a 2 ton auto.

Finally, look up the national requirements set by ISTEA. Federal law says consideration for bikes must occur on Federally funded projects... because that's what America wants.


Brian
Corvallis community

I have never read such an uninformed opinion on this topic. Let me begin my introducing myself-- my name is Ben, and I am the President of the Virginia Commonwealth University Cycling Team. I rode mountain bikes for 2 years, then switched to the road for the past 3. I love riding my bike. It gives me a sense of freedom unmatched by walking, running, or driving a car.

I have also been the victim of road rage while riding, and last May a teenager flicked me off while I was training with my friend and then gunned his car ahead of us, then slammed on the brakes; my friend bounced off the side of the car and I plowed into the back, smashing my face in the rear glass and losing some teeth in the process. Then he drove off. We were following all the traffic laws, riding on the extreme right side of the lane, but for some reason this person did what he did and nearly killed us.

As for your article, there are many flaws that I saw. First of all, it's a "pedal," not "peddle." Next, of course cars have the advantage when it comes to collisions, but forcing them to ride exclusively on sidewalks is silly as it (as you mentioned) is a risk to pedestrians, whom the sidewalks are meant for, but since the rhythm of pavement is so uneven, serious training would be well-nigh impossible.

Then you rip into cyclists, lumping them as a whole, and committing the fallacy of attacking the "straw man." Cyclists are not all hippies who ride without hands-- some are, but could you call Lance Armstrong that? Certainly not. Cyclists come in all different flavors: Road, Mountain biking, Downhill, BMX, track cycling (once the biggest spectator sport in America, by the way), Cyclocross, Touring, and many other sub-categories. Perhaps some research instead of emotion could bolster or even alter your tirade.

The biggest laugh I had reading your piece was your insinuation that cyclists do not follow the rules of the road, and thus their privlidges should be reconsidered. Stopping at red lights, reducing speed when necessary, using turn signals; these are all things regular motorists fail to do every second of every day. I think the rolling stop has been around ever since the invention of the automobile. And when drivers in their two-ton vehicles are not obeying the law, do they not put a wider range of people in danger, like the small child or handicapped person crossing the street, or even other motorists?

Of course, not all cyclists abide by every traffic law on the books, and that is wrong. But to frame it as they are the only ones guilty is irresponsible.

Remember, that "idealistic, nature loving crusade" is only "dangerous" when participants on the road, motorists, cyclists, and motor cyclists alike, do not follow the law.

Thank you for reading my opinion. As a college student, someone who should be open to differing opinions, please analyze the validity of my points and see if they do not change your convictions.

Yours in peace,
Benjamin Fitts

B. Fitts, student
Richmond, VA

All your arguments could boil down to the same thing: @#$ing pay attention to your driving and give cyclists some space. You're absolutely right - when cars hit bikes, cyclists die. Very insightful. Very funny thing to write, until it happens to a friend of yours. It's almost as funny when a car hits you and sends you 50 feet across the street - my helmet did a lot for my head, but strangely didn't do much for my collar bone. Fortunately, the woman who hit me didn't have to interupt her cell phone conversation or slow down at all until it became clear that I wasn't getting up. And FYI, I was in the goddam bike lane at the time and the dopehead driver in question later told police that "... it was an accident!"

Oh, well, that's perfectly fine then.

You're right. Unpredictable things do happen. Potholes can throw you a couple of feet to one side or the other. People don't do visual checks when they step into traffic ("I couldn't hear anything coming") and cyclists do sometimes do stuff that a driver isn't expecting.

Deal with it. Learn how to drive, and @#$ing give bikes enough space so that when they swerve to avoid somebody stepping into the street they don't get killed by you.

Gord

Mr. Lester, why he sucks: First off, let's get just one thing straight. If our friend Jim knew a lick of history, he'd would be aware that bicyclists, those pesky little vermin that he so obviously loves to hate, were responsible for convincing the government to build paved roads in the first place. That's right, bicyclists. It was called the Good Roads Movement, and it began in the 1880's, long before people started driving cars. Then farmers saw the advantages of paved roads for transporting goods and pitched in their support. Years later, the unwashed millions (read: Mr. Lester) decided to crawl inside little metal contraptions with wheels and hurl themselves down these roads as fast as possible to their daily destinations. They've been in there ever since, spewing forth over half the the world's emissions of carbon dioxide and, to add insult to injury, stupid drivel like that seen in Mr. Lester's article.
Now Lester is obviously not the environmentalist type; he strikes me more as a sheltered city kid who doesn't really get out much and has little, if any, appreciation for the natural world, so I won't bother explaining why the interstate highway system (built for your cars and the government's war toys) has ruined America, or why I think cars were the worst invention since agriculture in the history of our little planet. But if you take home one message from my little rant, let it be this: bicyclists and pedestrians put up with a whole lot more shit because of your beloved automobiles than you ever have on our part. Because, face it, we do pay taxes on the roads (most bicyclists drive cars occasionally and buy gas too, in case you forgot), and we are obligated to obey the rules of the road, yet we are the ones who must be constantly on the defense against being turned into road-kill (another gift of the automobile) by drivers. Get on a bicycle, drive on the roads that were formerly ours, you'll see what I mean.

Maxwell, misanthropic machine-killer
Montana

First the obvious, which you missed. Bikes were invented before automobiles, and the first "car mechanics" were bicycle repair people.
I really can't believe that your Editor allowed this article to be published, unless, as another reviewer pointed out, it was intended to cause this kind of controversy.
I agree that some bicyclists should be more aware, careful and pay closer attention to laws and surroundings, but do not assume that all "bicyclists" are all the same - would you like me to assume that all motorists have road rage issues?
Have you forgotten which country you live in? In America, we have freedom, and with that freedom comes responsibility. We don't need more governmental control & rules, we need less. Helmets save lives, but adults have the right to choose to protect themselves or not - do you want a law requiring condoms?
Bicycle registration? What do I pay taxes for? Motorists pay registration fees, plates, gas taxes, etc. because a 5000+ lb vehicle destroys the roads. A bicycle does no damage to a road. So if there were no cars on a bike lane, they would need no repairs, thus not needing funding from bicyclists.
Your kind of thinking is what is wrong with America today - bigger houses, bigger cars, more payments, more pollution, more stress. Bikes are a great form of transportation, especially for those short trips (<5 miles), which eliminate the need for finding time for exercise and allow the rider to enjoy the trip, not just focus on the destination.

Clifton Johnson
cjohnson@science.oregonstate.edu

I agree that in a college setting, cyclists can tend to be a nuisance to motorists and pedestrians alike. But I think if you look at the bigger picture, cyclists do tend to follow the rules. Besides, most of us cyclists are paying taxes on the roads we ride (did you forget that a person can own both a bike AND a car?), so I fear you'll just have to continue dealing with them.

We're no different than motorists: some of us follow the laws, and some of us break them. But you're not asking for auto reform, are you?

Chris, Web Designer/Developer
Santa Clarita, CA

The title of this article should have been Bicycle Law, a fictional novel by James Lester. I did a little research this morning on my local bike forums, the Oregon legislatures website, and by calling the local police and the office of the Governor. Turns out that the law was killed last year and never even reached the Governor to be signed. As good an idea as it was it isn't the law. I hope that if someone does run a stop sign after reading this article they sue Mr. Lester for everything he owns. At the very least anyone receiving a citation, which by the way is the same one you get for running a stop sign in your car, should try to recover the costs from him. I can't believe your editors are this lazy about checking facts.


Bjorn Warloe
President Corvallis Bicycle Polo Club and Member of the Citizens Advisory Committee on Transit.

Bjorn Warloe, Engineer Hewlett Packard
Corvallis Oregon
nospam@sorry.com

go back to texas, this is oregon

rob, engineer
corvallis
rob_gandara@alum.mit.edu

Becky is dumb... really dumb. never mind that she doesn't mention anyway that bikers are disrespecting law ("there are bikers on streets, without bike lanes... dear lord") but also that there is no bus line on Stark.

this hubbub might be compared to obeying speed limits. I drive fast, i bike fast, i break every law i can get away with and yet i have never been in an accident... amazing who knew there were so many laws so easy to break that would do so little damage to anyone. But please continue to complain, i'll be another mile past you by the time your done waiting at a stop light so you can burn some more iraqi blood. dont forget to drive to the gym to work off the supersized lifestyle you deserve.

revphil, markets analyst, bike culturist
PDX
rev.phil@eudoramail.com

FYI: Taxes also come from working people, not just car drivers. I sure as hell bet more taxes are generated from the working than just vehicle taxes. Everyone pays for their share of the road. Its called public goods and services.

As far as bicycles cruising through intersections, and riders going without hands on handlebars, those are moving violations, and are ticketable offenses.

As for swerving and veering in and out of traffic; Let he he who is without sin cast the first stone.

Has OSP stopped enforcing these?

As far as drivers feeling angry towards bicyclist and acting on it. That's a criminal offense! Can you say Assault with a deadly weapon? Anyone that stupid, should be arrested, penalized, and have their driver's license and vehicle impounded.

Conrad, Alumni
Alaska

what the ?
bikes are the problem?
but cars are fine?
lets see...
how many people die from bike accidents each year?
how many from cars?
cars cause so many bad things in this world (pollution,war,death,noisy citys,lack of space for children and adults to play, etc.etc.) and you are worried that a bike may get in your cars way!
your the one taking up all the damn space on the road!
i am not a pot smokin hippie w/dreads are you tryin to be ignorant just to get a rise out of people?
what ive notticed is that the people that hate bikes, that drive cars, hate cars even more!
ever ridden with someone in a car?
its all "look at this jerk","nice f-ing signal a-hole" "where did you learn to drive" etc.etc.
you people need to get out of your cars more!
also,
please give bikes a little more respect
they are helping make the world a better place (if you realize it or not)
-david

david, baker
portlan,or
freebeebumble@yahoo.com

Gee, Lester, you is so smart! I can't wait until the whole world thinks like you! A world where everyone has an SUV, but no one can breathe the air. A world where shining highways rip apart virgin forest. A world where obesity is normal. A world where more people die in traffic "accidents" than died in the entire Vietnam war. A world where driving 15 miles takes one hour because of all the cars on the road....What a great place it would be if everyone was as smart as Lester!

Solide Goldstein, bike avenger
pdx

Hey lester, nice hair! i just loooove that faux bedhead look! so mid-90's indie rocker! it shows "hey, i'm hip, even if i am a young republican!" and that smirk! delightful! it seems to say "hey bro, i'm for real, just a working class joe telling it like it is!" conveys volumes without even speaking a word. profound! so let this be a lesson to all you polo-wearing conservatives out there, it's hip to be square!

Corey Sevigny, bartender
pdx

Irresponsible Journalism should carry fines.

My first instinct when I read this garbage was, "he's just trying to stir up some controversy..." But whether that is his intention or not he is irresponsible. #1 He is using a forum intended to pass information as his own personal soapbox. #2 He is forgetting to point out that bikes use our bodies to move forward, thus PROTECTING our environment from harmful auto emissions.
I could go on reaming this idiot but instead I leave you with this...

I once read (from a reputable source) that Tri-athletes tend to have higher degrees and make shit-loads of money. My point you ask? Well, since they tend to be smarter and have better jobs they PAY MORE TAXES. Therefore, the roads you want to exist solely for your use are paid for by people like us. So next time you DON'T hit a pothole, thank a cyclist- his cash paid for that road.

San-d, television producer
LA, CA

Hey I like his hair! Alas he is a moron. he's like a shock jock: inepet misrepresentation of facts? check. hurtful diatribe to incite reasonable people? check. useless drain on public resources? check.

but i do like his hair... too bad them follicles couldn't stage a revolt, im sure we would be better served by them (they probably got a better writing style too)

I hear Lane Community College has a intro to writing class... just thought you should know

Dr Sarno, Freelance Stylist
Hippie, Oregon

Since you are obviously speaking frankly I'll do the same. That being said because of your choice to say we suck and completely degrade bicyclists as a whole.

You are a complete and utter buffoon with the common sense of a "Peddle". I'll get strait to the point. I am not a pot smoking hippie riding on the street with no hands nor are 99 percent of us. I ride for exercise and fun usually at an average pace of 18 to 22 miles an hour. Granted the average commuter is at speeds closer to 12 - 15 MPH however still 4 - 5x walking pace and you want this done on the sidewalk? Did you take into consideration when you where doing your much thought out "the car's going 40 mph ... carry the two ... and we have a dead bicyclist" equation that I outweigh a 60 pound child by 3X. You actually think my hitting such a person would only result in scrapes and cussing? Once again I must say it, you are a fool... We are completely capable of merging with car traffic at normal city limit speeds. If you had put any thought at all into the act of riding a bicycle down the sidewalk at anything over 5 miles an hour you'd know just how incredibly dangerous that would be. Have you ever crossed paths with someone and didn't know which way they would go and end up dancing back and forth until you about run into each other, now think about doing that on a bike at 15 to 20 MPH. How about the last time you pulled out across the sidewalk and stopped to pull out onto Ninth Street or one of the alleys down town or any other street for that matter? Now ask yourself, did you check BOTH directions for one of us coming down the sidewalk at speed before doing so... I'd hazard the guess, NO. You be a responsible driver, I'll be a responsible biker and we'll all get along. Plane and simple, even you should be able to understand it.

Did you still have the crack pipe in your hand when you wrote this thoughtless un-researched drivel?

Devin S.



Devin, IT Manager
Corvallis Oregon
bogarttsimons@hotmail.com

The title of this article should be Bicycles, a first novel, by James Lester. I spent a few minutes this morning and contacted the CPD, the DA, the Governor, a bike forum, and the legislature's website. All responses agreed with each other, with just the slightest bit of research you can learn that the bill Lester refers to was killed last year in the legislature. That is right not only did the governor not sign what was a very good idea into law, he didn't even have the chance. Nice work Lester, it borders on slander, how did you get it past your editor? I hope that if anyone rolls a stop sign and gets a ticket because they read the blatant lies in your article that they come looking for their 275 bucks.


Bjorn Warloe
Hells Satans Bicycle Polo Club
Corvallis Oregon

Bjorn Warloe, engineer
corvallis

At first I thought this was satirical humor written by a sophomore creative writing student, but as I read a little further, it dawned on me that Mr. Lester was both apparently serious, and seriously ignorant.

Randya
randya@ipns.com

James is just opinionated and ignorant! The vast majority of cyclists obey the rules of the road. Just like the most of the drivers. There are jerk drivers, swapping CDs, playing on cell phones, smoking pot, etc... These drivers give cars a bad name. They have no business on the road either. They are just dangerous. At least the "stoned hippie without a helmet" is not going to kill you when he swerves into your lane (by his own admission of the laws of physics) He simply nominates himself for a Darwin award, and this James Lester is proved right.

As for cost, who does he think is paying the taxes. He is still getting his tuition paid by mommy and daddy while the rest of us work and pay property taxes. I own plenty of cars. I pay for plenty of gas (TAXES) I pay registration (TAXES). I pay for tires (TAXES). And all this pollutes the air. What damage to the environment is the bike performing? We should be subsidizing the person who is riding his bike. He is doing us a favor by helping us breathe clean air and drink clean water, reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, helping keep us from war with little countries with psychotic rulers over oil.

I am a bicyclist and a commuter. I have been hit by cars. I have not hit any. I follow the rules of the road. Have been driven off the edge, slammed to the ground, blinded, beer bottles thrown at me, sworn at, you name it. Who is wrong here? I ride my bike 5000-10000 miles per year. How much gas is that? For that matter, how much wear on the road does a bike cause.

James needs to think more globally and responsibly. Let's do our part. Get out of your comfortable sofa machine while you complain about corporate America, ride your bike. There are lots of us. We are not the enemy. Most of us are well educated college graduates with good jobs and our own homes.

I will ride with any of you. You are welcome on the road.

Mark



Mark Trevisiol, Software Engineer
Corvallis, OR
markt@proaxis.com

Wow. James is presenting what unfortunately is typical ignorance. First, a little study into the taxes and costs involved shows that cyclists / pedestrians subsidize Cars. Yes, those miserly little license fees probably just cover the salary of couple of DMV clerks. Most the money for roads comes from Property Taxes...

Second, where's the freedom of choice? Why should I be forced to use a car? Why should I be forced to possibly kill someone? Why should I be forced to spend my hard-earned money on a car? Will you pay all the costs for me? Its a freedom issue, that Right of way, that LOC (line of communication) belongs to all of us. Its public land. Whether a tractor, a horse and buggy or a bicyle or some gal walking.

Third, yes bicyclists should follow the same rules of the road as autos but if they don't is it really a big deal? NO! Because a cyclists ain't going to kill you. Cars can and do on the order of 40,000 plus per year in the USA. Not to mention the many many more that are maimed, injured. Yes a World Trade Center Bombing every month. God this pisses me off! So Who's the Terrorist, you un-patriotic bitch? Maybe your new name should be James "Osama" Lester. Sorry to be Harsh, but you idiots need to understand. Driving a car is not a Right, Not even close. Being able to transport oneself via own power is, however, a basic human right, as basic as breathing (yeah thanks for the pollution too)


john, mechanical engineer
portland
schmidjo@lifetime.oregonstate.edu

Mr. Lester,
I just have one question for you: Do you still plan to drive when you can't breathe?
Maybe you need to start making a contingency plan.

Yuso Lamo

James Lester implies that roadways were built for the automobile and that bicycles were "allowed" to be used on them. History tells a different story.
The invention of the bicycle is credited to Drais de Sauerburn of Germany in 1817. Bicycling was a difficult task on the existing roadways built for trains and horse carriages. During the early 1800's bicyclists were lobbying for improved road conditions. During the 1880's, members of the League of American Wheelmen became the primary advocate for improved roadways. Through their persuasion the U.S. Office of Road Inquiry, under the Department of Agriculture, was created in 1893. By 1900 the League of American Wheelmen was the largest special-interest group in the United States with over 100,000 members.

Bicycle mechanics Charles E and J. Frank Duryea of Springfield, Massachusetts invented the first successful modern gasoline automobile in 1893. The earliest developers of the automobile depended heavily upon the bicycle industry for parts and workspace. It wasn't until the 1908 introduction of the Ford Model-T, and more importantly the first auto assembly line in 1914, that the automobile became a practical mode of transportation. Incidentally, the 1909 Model-T got about 30 miles per gallon.

I hope that Mr. Lester is neither a history major, nor on the debate team.

Jason
Portland
ilikebikes@riseup.net

I completely agree with Alex. People in general need to be more aware. This probably also holds true for our fearless editor mister lester, who I think lacks the mental capacity to think outside of the little box in which he exists.

Tom, student
corvallis

I guess that Lester doesn't travel by anything but a car, and it sure is scary out there walking or biking. I couldn't disagree more, more should be done to make it safer and encourage biking/walking. It would also be great if more cyclists were more predictable and some people are just not very responsible or respectful. But I really hate the economic indicator that Bikes don't pay their own way. Most people who ride or walk also have cars. It is a very small percentage of the population who do not and those who don't have cars are generally very poor and don't pay much in taxes anyway. I recommend that Lester get out and walk or ride somewhere are see how vulnerable you feel and how poorly designed so many ways that people walk or ride are.

candee pearson, manager
Moab Utah

Do you really believe what you write, or are you just trying to rattle someone's cage? If the latter, it might serve you well to learn how to spell the names of certain bike components -- it would lend your rant a bit more credibility.

thanks
- A (non-polluting, tax paying, money saving, helmet-wearing) bicycle commuter

Lneer

Is this an example of the kind of critical thinking that an OSU education offers? Our state educational system is in trouble, indeed....

Jeff Smith, factotum
Portland
jeffsbiker@yahoo.com

What a stupid article. I can't believe it is really serious. But it's not funny either. Pathetic.

A bicycle commuter


Eryn Vorn, Bicyclist
Tokyo, Japan

My response to the below quote:

"I once read (from a reputable source) that Tri-athletes tend to have higher degrees and make shit-loads of money. My point you ask? Well, since they tend to be smarter and have better jobs they PAY MORE TAXES. Therefore, the roads you want to exist solely for your use are paid for by people like us. So next time you DON'T hit a pothole, thank a cyclist- his cash paid for that road."
From Irresponsible Journalism should carry fines...

Bill Gates drives a fucking car.


jared
Portland

the laws, which you list, are that bikes must share the road with cars. bicyclists will recieve a ticket for using the sidewalk. i live in NY and bike to work, from queens to manhattan, every day. I also get honked at, have cars try to pass me on a one way/one lane street, just about every day. drivers need to chill out. they need to be aware that they are driving heavy vehicles that can kill, and that a few seconds shaved off of their commute because of a bike will not kill them. look up the top causes of death in the US. i can gaurantee that cars are near the top and that bikes don't even factor in.

As a student who is interested in working with the Barometer next year - as a columnist, no less - I am appalled that this type of "opinion piece" would be considered by both the author and the editors as journalism worthy of being circulated.

Having spent enough time working with those who don't took their jobs seriously enough, I was hoping that, at Oregon State, their writers and editors would understand that you can take any position of any issue that you want, so long as it's informed, thoughtful, and honest.

This column is none of these things.

Rather, it's a ploy (that worked quite well) to drum up opposition toward a piece that takes a complicated and delicate issue and frames it as hopelessly simple. This is the classic way to get people to "take notice" of your work: Turn everything into black and white, remove the intelligent consideration from its many folds of its nuance, and regurgitate it somewhere were many people will see it in order to elicit a response. Is this where the next generation of journalists really want to take the profession?

Shame on the author, and shame on the Barometer.

-Brandon

Great article. Bicyclists do suck! I'm copying your article and emailing it to friends. They agree that bicyclists are morons also =)

UM HI. YOU'RE ALL ABOUT FIVE YEARS TOO LATE WITH YOUR ARTICLE BASHING.

Check when this article was printed, morons.