🚀 go-pugleaf

In <65fapb$977@panix3.panix.com> fishman@panix.com (Harvey Fishman) writes:
>In <65f1bb$mhm@panix2.panix.com> mpoly@panix.com (Michael Polymenakos) says
>> In <65evis$r70@panix3.panix.com> fishman@panix.com (Harvey Fishman) writes:

>> >situations than bike-riding.  When walking on the sidewalk, I am fairly
>> >sure that I am unlikely to be hit by a car; would that it were the same
>> >with bicycles.
>> 
>>  You should not be. You are >20 times more likely to be killed by an
>> automobile *on the sidewalk* than by a vehicle. The DOT's figures for

>That is deliberate obfuscation of the problem; how about comparing
>numbers of injuries?

 Unfortunately, I have not seen those statistics, otherwise I would have
posted them (instead/in addition to the fatality counts). I suspect that
the cars will still come out far ahead of bicycles. Even if they don't, it
matters little, since *death* is far more serious than any injury in my
book. And these are just deaths off the road, how many more pedestrians
are killed on intersections when they have the right of way? 

> The point is that the number of bike-riders putting pedestrians at
>risk by deliberately flouting the law is obscene.

 I absolutely agree that there should be no bikes on the sidewalk, that it
is dangerous, criminal, etc. But the far greatest peril is from
automobiles, and there should be a more serious effort made to reduce
the large number of auto-caused pedestrian fatalities *in addition to*
the bike-related fatalities.

>And the percentage of all bike-riders that act out this totally asocial
>behavior is even more disgusting.

 Among recreational/commuter bicyclists, the percentage is probably less
than 1%. Commercial operators (delivery people, and some messengers) are a
different story. I don't have actual numbers, so if you do, please post
them; then we can discuss this on the basis of facts.
-- 
Michael Polymenakos+----------------------------- http://www.panix.com/~mpoly
  mpoly@panix.com  | "In this land", said the god; "who seeks shall find; who
     New York      | sits with folded hands or sleeps is blind." -  Sophocles