Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-17
ARGUMENTS ON WHEELS
Modern Civilization Staggered by the
Bicycle
'L's" Comments Arouse the Cyclists
Into Making Pro-
tests.

|
| nesday's Star has aroused the wheelmen,
| and their protests are now being received.
"Velocipede" writes follows:
LAS one who has graduated in the art of
two-wheezycling in Germany, and has
| established that fact by riding in and out
between a few fixed stakes, / would say to
| l.. that If he would be phlegmatic and
stationary as a post when he sees a bicy-
| Gle coming full tilt, he will be more apt 10
avoid a collision than by a lot of uncertain
nervous maneuvers. For, after all. avoid
ing bicycle is like getting out of the way
| of a horse and rider! 1t is a matter of
nerves with both parties, the avoider and
the avoidee
However. L. has his rights as foot pas
| senger, and / am sure the majority of
| riders Will recognize and copcede them
without argument The bicyc11st has no
more right to ride through the streets at a
| reckless and high rate of speed than a
| mounted horseman. and IL an example
| made of these irrepressible scorchers in the
way OF arrest and fine, its effect would he
| a lesson very salutary to the thought
| less and careless In Germany. Belgium
| and France the license tag on the wheel is
| sold not for the protection of the pedes-
| TRAN, but is a tax, and is levied to increase
the revenue for the support OF the standing
armies AS far the pedestrian Is con-
| cerned. he has very little show when he
steps off his domain, the sidewalk into the
| streets. / should hate 10 see such reckless
| diving of vehicles as is allowed under the
very noses of the police in Berlin and Paris,
particularly the latter, where it is said
| jokingly, but expect with a large spice of
| the truth, when pedestrian is run over in
| the street, IL he is not killed, he rs fined
! for being in the road. / believe tax on
bicycles In the District would be good
| thing if the revenue therefrom was used
| solely for the construction or Improvement
| OF the suburban roads used by wheelmsn. i
| agree with l.. as to the adoption of a bell
I a rnt ln,pH hrrf
| clear tone; it would be much better than
| the startling gong bell, and would give both
| parties better chance to avoid collisions.
| III l.. would take a few lessons on a bicycle
| In some secluded lot. where he could not
| injure any one, / am sure all those gloomy
| forebodings of his, a sign of dyspepsia, or a
| torpid liver, would disappear. and he would
feel more charitable toward his fellow
| man"
They Don't Want the Earth.
| Another communication is signed by
| Affair" and reads thus:
Il do not desire to wrest from I. the honor
| due him, by presenting more 'extraordi-
rary' article than HIS but desire to correct
| some unjust and incorrect statements made
by him. The first is the fact that cyclists
| through politics and other influences, are
Ii clined 10 rim the world Not so: we, as
| cyclists, desire cyclists to represent us in
pontics That is ALL l. quotes New York
| where the cyclists defeated the bin requir-
| ing brakes. If a cyclist is not the one to
| judge If brake is necessary for him, who
Is? If he thinks he can stop his wheel just
| as well without brake. why should any
| one else contradict? Another gross inius-
| tice and insult to the cyclist is his state
| nent that 'scrfcher may run down an old
| lady, blu he never stops to pick her up' He
| calls them towards. This / deny There
] are towards Oh wheels as we'll as on foot
and there are also many gentlemen ,pon
lne silent steed. In my seven years as a
| cychst have caused the downfall of but
| Two persons, and liz neither. case did 1 ride
! on like coward / stopped to see If they
| We're hCrt And in one case. that of a news
| boy, PAID for damaged PAPERS. / do not
| mention my conduct in these cases for
| praise. but simply to clear the cyclist from
| TINS false accusation. As for LIS plan of
| license, 1 would simply say IL is most .ex
| traordinary.''
"L's" Criticisms Answered.
The same general view is taken by &C..
| in these terms,' so should like to know II
| all the riders of the city should be placed
| under certain heavy and unnecessary re-
| strictions or account OF the conduct of a
| Few reckless and foalhafdy riders If pc
| destrians would XIII dIy look where they
| were going before stepping off the sidewalk
there would be fewer accidents Some peo-
| pie have an idea that knocking down ne
9estrians is favortte pastime for cyclists
| Such people evidently do not take il into
| account that the rider stands Just as much
chance of getting hurt as the pedestrian.
| and that he would be very likely to have a
broken wheel In the bargain Why, then
| shouiu ne De any" less anxious to avoid a
collision than the person on foot? A good
| many drivers of teams seem to regard hi
cyciists as outlaws and those who have no
right to any portion Of the street More
| imam once l have been crowded on the side
| walk by drivers turning corners on the left
side of the street. 1 am sure the riders of
| this city would be willing to provide them
serves with bells, but are bells a protection
| TO pedestrians? l find that when a rider
rings bell the pedestrian is frightened
and the bell does more harm than good
| All that is necessary Is for the rider to
TURN 10 one side. and no harm is done. Ber-
| nm method of making riders pass a salts
| factory examination has not been shown
| TO be success. To be sure, ii puts on the
streets only those who know how to man
age wheel hut experience has shown that
II Is the accomplished riders who make the
| most trouble, as they become reckless The
| correspondents suggestion that riders wear
1 conspicuous number / do not think would
able riders of the city. and the ladies in
| particular, like to parade the streets with
large numbers displayed on their backs
like racers? Who has ever suggested that
all teams be licensed? And yet in a COLI
| sion a team would do a great deal more
damage than a bicycle. And collisions are
| Just as apt to occur. since the team would
| not be likely to sustain as much injury as
bicycle under similar circumstance As
TO the 18th street transfer station. is a BIZ
| cycle going through the crowd any more of
| an annoyance than a team? If bicycles are
| smut out v hen the crowd is there, teams
| should be, and as transferring is going on
all the time, We might as well forbid traffic
on 18th street altogether. Pedestrians have
| an ldea that they are prosecuted. But have
the bicyclists any rights that the pedes-
| the earth. All that the sensible ones want
is that other people be as careful as they
| are"