From: evan@telly.on.ca (Evan Leibovitch)
Subject: Re: Interesting facts about bicycles in Ontario (from MoT)
Organization: Somewhere just far enough out of Toronto
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 13:38:02 GMT

In article <1992Jul28.010451.911@zooid.guild.org>
	Ross Ridge <ross@zooid.guild.org> writes:

>>There are more than 3 million bicycles and 2 million cyclists in Ontario.
>>...not one of which must be checked for roadworthiness at any time.

>Why should they be?  Unlike cars, a poorly maintained bike doesn't
>result in more polution.

Besides the point. (When you don't have a reasonable answer, I guess you
can always throw up the old pollution argument...)

Are you really saying there's nothing wrong with having poorly
maintained bikes on main roads?

>Unlike cars, bikes don't kill, mutalate and injure thousands of people
>every year.  

Then why the push for helmets? The only reason bike don't injure as many
as cars is because there are fewer bikes on the major roads.

>>>6% of Ontarians (460,000) over the age of 15 use bicycles for primary
>>>transportation.
>>Not one of whom is tested for knowing the rules of the road on a bicycle,
>>or knowing the safe way to drive on a road which also has cars on it.

>Again why should they be?  An unlicenced cyclist is less of a danger
>to society than a licenced motorist.  

That someone believes this is really dangerous. A licence can be revoked
from a bad motorist. There is no such manner with which to keep a bad
cyclist off the road.

Or are you really suggesting that there are no bad cyclists?

>>>Safety equipment (e.g. lights, brakes and horns) and operating procedures
>>>for bicycles are mandated by legislation.
>>
>>...such legistlation being rarely heeded and never enforced...
>
>For cars too...

I got stopped by police a few years ago because the light over my rear
licence plate was burned out. This kind of surveilance is also not
heavily enforced, by whatever it is, it's greater than the non-existant
checking of bicycles.

>>>Studies indicate that bicycle helmets can reduce cycle related fatalities
>>>by 75% and head injuries by 85%.

>>A little knowledge of the rules of the HTA, required as a requisite for
>>driving bicycles on major roads, wouldn't hurt either.

>An even better idea would be to improve testing procedures for motor
>vehicle licencing, it's clear too many motorists ingore the HTA making
>Canadian roads just about the most dangerous in the world.

Such is the mind of the cyclist apologist, to whom cyclists can do no
wrong and motorists can do no right. Saying that motorists ignore the
HTA dances around the issue that cyclists aren't even required to know
the basics of it.

>One driver going 120km/h on the 401 is more dangerous than legions
>of cyclists riding on the sidewalk.

Proof, please. This is a myth.

>You're just blowing a lot of
>smoke here, bicycles don't cause anywhere near the problems that
>cars do. 

Which of course excuses the problems that bikes cause.

I never said cars and motorists don't cause problems. I just suggest
that the glowing terms with which bikes are referred to aren't so
glowing. And the cyclist's habit of constantly avoiding the issue of
poor cycling practices by citing poor motoring practices became tiresome
long ago.

Cyclists on sidewalks of the main streets of Toronto these days is as much
a nightmare to pedestrians as motorists are a nightmare to cyclists. One
doesn't excuse the other.

>>>The bicycle industry and related tourist activities contribute more than
>>>$150 million a year to the Ontario economy.
>>
>>Which would be spent elsewhere in the economy if it wasn't spent here. Yawn.
>
>Not true at all.

So if people didn't spend money on bikes, they'd just keep it in the
bank? Riiight.

>>>In the audience for the press conference were two Metro Toronto Police
>>>officers from the bicycle squad, complete with bicycle shorts, night-stick
>>>and gun.
>>
>>How quaint. At least bicycles don't shit on the road like horses do.
>
>At least bikes don't shit in atmosphere like cars do.

Absolutely amazing. Not a single response that doesn't duck the issue by
bitching about cars.
-- 
 Evan Leibovitch, Sound Software Ltd., located in beautiful Brampton, Ontario
         evan@telly.on.ca / uunet!utzoo!telly!evan / (416) 452-0504
   Said Captain Jean-Luc Picard to the tailor at his machine: "Make it sew!"
Newsgroups: ont.general