[*BCM*] October riders can light up the night!

[Paul A. Steckler]

Turtle wrote:

> Just FYI, you are required, by law, to have a headlight if 
> you want to operate your bike at night.  The fact that bike 
> manufacturers and dealers don't install them as standard 
> equiptment, or even tell you that you need one, indicates 
> that we still have a LOOOONNNNGG way to go to get people to 
> realize that bikes are perfectly respectable vehicles for 
> transportation, and not just toys.

So, last Saturday night I went with a friend up to San Francisco 
to attend one of the Bicycle Film Festival programs 
(http://www.bicyclefilmfestival.com/).  No doubt, my friend and 
I were the oldest folks in the young and rowdy crowd.  Many in 
the crowd rode bikes to the show, and surely considered their 
bikes "perfectably respectable vehicles for transportation".

When the films were over, it was 9 p.m. and dark out.  Of the 
many riders I saw leaving the theater, only one had a headlamp 
of any sort.  Not only was that disappointing, but dangerous: one 
of the riders, who I did not see at all, almost creamed me as I 
hailed a cab.

These were "bicycle people", but they didn't know how to ride 
safely!

-- Paul