[*BCM*] all those other guys

[MHolley345 at aol.com]

I've been biking in this town for over 25 years, and working in the 
transportation industry.
I drive a taxi.  One thing we should not lose sight of is that these "traffic 
laws " are made for motor vehicles.
Traffic lights to be effective must be obeyed, by cars for cars.  The most 
important law for peds and cyclists has to be the law of physics, when 
interacting with motor vehicles be aware that 116.8 people die
on American roadways everyday.  Cars are the leading cause of death for all 
age groups up to age 55.
The statistics are staggering, leading to certain conclusions, 1) the larger 
the car the safer you will be even if you are the one at fault, thus leading 
to the rise in SUV sales.  2) Driving a car is an easy thing to do
automatic cars are especially simple, so simple that people are able to drive 
after consuming vast amounts of alcohol.  3) There has been a great amount of 
lobbying done by the auto dealers to convince us that cars are safe, this has 
never been true,...R.Nader's Unsafe at Any Speed   finally persuaded 
legislators to require that seatbelts standard issue in new cars.  The cities love 
cars it's win/win, in theory they provide proof
of economic eligibility, that is cars carry consumers.  Then the city taxes 
them tows them levy's parking fines on these lienable portable real estate and 
rakes the in $.
    Meanwhile the social costs escalate, Boston has one of the highest asthma 
rates in the country,
our system of 1 car 1 person leads to massive congestion, time wasted and 
even has America
mired in a dirty questionable war that can only be about our right to sit in 
traffic and burn fossil fuels.
The very action of driving poses a philosophical dilemma as we race against 
one another to occupy the paved real estate, I could go on, I often do but for 
me I stop at redlights and green lights as well because I have noticed that no 
matter how strong a red light is it does nothing to halt 2 tons of metal.  I 
feel that I have an inalienable right to stay alive and that includes 
responsibly crossing intersections.
    In 1984 I was a bike courier for about 8 months, I quit the day a fellow 
courier was run over, she was stopped at a red light, the truck didn't stop 
and ran her over she died in the hospital 2 days later.
    Remember roads were built for cars and trucks not for anything else, use 
them at your wise discretion
     
M



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