Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1893-09-14
The Bicycle and the Sidewalk.

Much discussion and consequently mucl
feeling has been elected on this subject
| some claiming that the wheelmen SHOULD
have full and undisputed right to oul
walks, and others that they should bl
wholly excluded from them.
/ We have law, made by the voters o.
| this village and recorded on the corporal,
books, prohibiting bicycling on the side
walks and yet there is not a wheelmar
| within twenty-five miles of our little viii
lage who does not know that he can ride
on the walks with perfect impunity. He
knows that il we have a law against theil
use by the cycle, 1t is not enforced Except
to some OF the residents).
For my own part, see no reason why
gentlemen, and ladies too, should not be
allowed to travel with their wheels on the
walks.
| have leisure and have been taking
"Notes on the bicycle and its pedal push
ers." From my notebook / read, "All
wheelmen are evidently humane. There
is as much difference in their dispositions
and manners as there is in the dispositions
and manners OF any class of business men
or pleasure seekers.
July 10, 1S93.-Went out for walk this
morning. While passing through Sum-
mer street, | saw a bicycler coming like
the wind.
When within a few yards OF me. he sud
denly left the walk, passed round me, then
back to the walk and was gone like flash.
AS turned to watch his progress, / mem
tally calculated, There goes a gentleman
| soon reached School street and in the
distance saw another bicycler coming.
saw at glance, he was out on exhibition.
He rode an expensive English wheel, and
was rugged with all the paraphernalia of
swell wheelman.
When yet some distance from me, he
II l. Ia. hall .a..I
to pedal with renewed vigor, as much as
to say,-'Just see how smart | am He
brushed past me and thought, Yes, you
are out for show and are succeeding rea-
sonably well; you have shown to one per-
son, at least, that you are no gentleman y
/ might go on reading from my note
book, for these are but samples OF what is
taking place on. our streets daily.
Few men are so utterly destitute of good
breeding as to willingly be heard shout
ing to persons whom they are about to
pass,-"Get out of the way, am coming
and yet this is exactly what is meant by
the bicycler and everyone knows it.
He uses the bell, as he wishes to warn
persons of their danger, rather than his
voice, but neither is the mark of good
breeding. / appeal to the voters to amend
the bicycle law, giving permission, with
out discrimination as to caste, for the
walks to be used by the bicyclers at pleas
ure, provided they either leave the walks
or get off their machines when meeting or
passing all persons.
A smart fine for those who will not live
up to it, supported by responsible persons
without any distinction as to the offend
ers, and enforced, will do much toward
mitigating this evil.
Some have said, -"All wheelmen cannot
leave and return to the walks with safety
to themselves"
AS practice makes perfect" so they can
acquire the requisite skill il they but apply
themselves.
II there be any who are so lacking in
common decency as to refuse the simple
and consistent rights of those for whom
the walks were first established, then the
road is the best place for them.
Isn't this but fair? The aged, the fee
BILE and the nervous could then travel our
walks with feeling of safety, the bicy-
clists have all the rights gentleman could
claim, and the bicycle controversy come
to an end.
A TAXPAYER.