I mean, really. Clicky here.
No, really, like this:
Reasonable.
In addition this quote from 70 year old footballer Roger Craddock :
“I’ve got one cartilage left in my knee, so it would be absolutely stupid to pack it in before I tear that.”
Pretty much sums it up. I’m thinking he know what its about.
A link from the Saratogian about a family fighting for their bike rights! You know its serious when they call the state troopers out on elementary school kids.
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SARATOGA SPRINGS — The first day of school, already a happy and trying event for any student, saw a little additional stress for Maple Avenue Middle School student Adam Marino.
Marino and his mother, Janette Kaddo Marino, left for school by bicycle on Wednesday morning, as they often do in good weather, despite a phone call placed to students’ homes by school officials, asking parents not to allow students to walk or ride bikes to school.
After a cold reception on Wednesday, local transportation advocates are rallying around the family, and plan to accompany the pair to school today in a bid to bolster calls for a policy change.
The Marino family had previously encountered trouble while cycling to school in May, when school officials informed them they were in violation of a school policy that forbids students from walking or riding to Maple Avenue Middle School. They rode anyway, noting that the family regularly rides for exercise and recreation.
Following the May incident, the school district charged a policy review committee to examine the rule, but the committee has not yet reached a conclusion. In the meantime, Kaddo Marino said she felt the district was stepping on her toes.
“I think it’s my parental right to transport my child to school in the way I deem is appropriate. I think the district is usurping its authority by telling me that I can’t,” she said.
One section of the school policy states: “The Board of Education forbids the riding of bicycles by students to and from Maple Avenue Middle School.” Another section also prohibits riding to elementary schools.
In an apparent contradiction, a third section states: “Secondary school pupils may ride their bicycles to school and shall park them in the racks provided.”
The policy was written when the Maple Avenue school opened in 1994, and has never before been reviewed, Superintendent of Schools Janice White said.
“At this point, the committee’s work is in the final stages, and the board has not yet considered what, if any, changes will be made,” White said.
While White acknowledged that the district does not have any apparent authority over how parents choose to bring students to schools, they do have a right to control activities on their property.
“The policy, when originally put in place, was put in place because of the location of the building,” White said. “The rights of individuals to ride their bikes on Route 9 is their decision.”
Route 9 is designated by the New York State Department of Transportation as a bike route.
Upon arriving at school on Wednesday, Adam and Janette Kaddo Marino were met outside by school officials and a New York State Trooper, who were on hand for the first day of school. They were informed that they were “out of compliance,” and had a lengthy discussion over where Adam’s bike could be locked.
“I was extremely bothered,” Kaddo Marino said, “after reviewing the way we were met at the school. It was very intimidating to be met by these three men, one of whom was a trooper.”
Kaddo Marino, who is involved in reviewing the transportation policy, said she knew she and Adam might raise concerns if they rode to school and left the decision up to him.
“Adam feels pretty strongly about it,” she said. “I told him I didn’t know if there would be an issue.”
Still, even after their icy reception on Wednesday — which ended with Adam going to school, his bike left locked outside — they decided to ride again on Thursday, this time accompanied by a group of adult friends.
Friday’s rain kept the bikes inside, but members of transportation advocacy group Saratoga Healthy Transportation Network sent a call to members on Friday, requesting that more cyclists join the Marinos for their ride to school today.
“I feel we must support and ride with Janette and her son, Adam, every morning we can until something gets resolved or until it gets too cold to ride,” SHTN member Charlie Samuels said in an e-mailed message. “If it causes a ruckus, which it seems the school wants to avoid, then we win because it will attract attention …”
Members of the group plan to participate, but SHTN has not yet taken a formal stance on the matter.
Although Kaddo Marino said she did not initially intend to make a political issue out of her son’s commute to school, she sees validity in SHTN’s adoption of the issue.
“If SHTN is going to rally around anything, this is probably a good enough cause. It’s not just a school district, but a municipality that is quite resistant to making this safe for bikes, cars and pedestrian traffic,” she said.
Caroline Stem, another member of SHTN who is also involved in examining transportation policies, said that while the Marinos’ plan to continue riding to school will bring necessary exposure to the issue, she hopes it will not undermine efforts to examine district policy.
“It’s bringing an awareness that kids should be able to walk and bike to school,” Stem said. “If safe conditions don’t exist, we should create those conditions, and if a parent decided to walk or ride with their kid, they should not be reprimanded for doing so.”
Stem pointed out that while SHTN members are planning on riding with the Marinos today, it was not a formal action by the group.
“As an individual, I think it’s very grassroots and makes a statement, but I personally want to work the formal channels as well,” she said.
Doug Haller, another SHTN volunteer, added he hoped the policy committee’s review would be meaningful and lead to changes.
“We’re hopeful that they’re going to progress a little bit, especially because of the movement throughout the state and country to get kids to ride to school,” he said. “It feels to some of us that they are not moving forward.”
Superintendent White declined to discuss proposals that may come from the committee on the bicycling policy, saying that work should be completed before it is discussed publicly. The committee will report to the school board at a Sept. 21 meeting.
In the meantime, White said the district plans to continue to work with Kaddo Marino to ensure that district policy is followed.
“We are trying to come to some reasonable understanding,” she said.
This is a really short story, unfortunately, but still a tribute to the man and his bicycle.
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Keiichi Iwasaki has travelled across 37 countries on his bicycle with only $2
Ex-air conditioning company worker packs it in and cycles his way around the world – and has so far been arrested, attacked by a rabid dog and robbed by pirates. Picture: Barcoft Media /
A TOURIST has spent eight years travelling across 37 countries with the equivalent of $2, relying on his bicycle for transport.
Keiichi Iwasaki, 36, left his Japanese home in 2001 with just 160 Yen ($2) in his pocket after becoming bored with his air-conditioning job, the UK’s Telegraph reports.
After cycling the country for a year he decided to extend his journey to South Korea and, eventually, 36 other countries.
During his trip Mr Iwasaki was attacked by a rabid dog in Tibet, robbed by pirates and was even arrested in India.
He cycled over 45,000 kilometres during his marathon adventure and become the first Japanese man to climb Mount Everest from sea level without using any transportation.
Mr Iwasaki said he raised funds from performing tricks, and only his “strong will” has kept him on his bike.
He chose to avoid air travel and opted for cycling or ferries for transport in order to soak up the atmosphere.
”I didn’t want to use aeroplanes because I wanted to see and feel everything with my own skin. With bicycle, I can always feel the air and atmosphere of the place.”
Mr Iwasaki is in Switzerland and hopes to climb Mount Blanc, Europe’s highest peak, before travelling to Africa and the US over the next five years.
He plans to write a book about his adventure.
Is this real? Is it serious? You tell me cause I don’t know anymore. Apparently the hipsters/fixters have become self aware, and are now becoming ironic within their irony. That is to say, yo dog i put some irony in your irony so you can be ironic while you’re ironic.
ironic irony of the ironc ironic?
“check it bro
no name all black steel “track frame” with “track ends”
dp 18 wheel with formula hub on the front wheel, prolly needs a new tire but I haven’t had any problems with it
velocity deep v with fixed/fixed formula hub on the back
sugino cheapo crankset which needs ONE chainring bolt. yeah, that rules, right?
generic saddle
generic pedals
risers with old ass oury grips that prolly need replacing
no brakes
spokecards included for bike cred
it can do BAR SPINS. thats right, dude, BAR FUCKING SPINS!this bike would be perfect for someone who wants to harvest the parts or use it as a polo or winter beater bike. it rides smooth other than the things listed. cmon, make me an offer, i’d like to buy a handle of whiskey and take my girlfriend out on the town.”
So. We have an admittedly crappy bike for sale. It is posed in a decidedly “urban” location, complete with…delicious ironic graffiti apparently reading “one gear one world”, and spoke cards which the poster affirms lend “bike cred” to the machine. Oh and lets not forget the deep V’s and the fact “it can do BAR SPINS. thats right, dude, BAR FUCKING SPINS!”
So. Is the person selling this bike actually being sarcastic about it? Actually aware of the ludicrousness of it all? My vote is yes, but sadly the possibility exists that he/she is not. I cant tell the “irony” apart from the “irony” anymore. Either the seller wants the hipster that may buy his bike to purchase it because it is a state of disrepair and therefore better than a properly cared for and maintained bike, or it “rides smooth other than the things listed.”
Ouch, my brain, its enough to make me go put on a unicorn sweater and get a neck tattoo. No, seriously bro, check it.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/autoban-german-town-goes-carfree-1720021.html
No cars? And en exorbitant fee if you want to keep one “on the out skirts of town”? Yes please.
From craigslist:
http://columbus.craigslist.org/mis/1228329181.html
I was the dude who swallowed gravel during a cycling disaster at the construction zone near the Blue Danube. You were the “ohhhh shit” out of my right ear moments before impact. Damn, that hurt. Thanks for insisting that I go to the hospital. They charged me $5900 for a cat scan and an 11 hour wait in the ER. You were sure that it would be pretty cheap even though I don’t have insurance. You owe me $5900 or a bunch of BJ’s; your call.who/what did this
I ride through this construction are fairly regularly and the road is beyond awful. And so are the remains of that bike. The post doesnt say what caused it though, other than a disembodied voice yelling “ohhhh shit”. Since there was a voice, we can rule out bears and an out of control drunken cheetah. This still leaved the amount of damage to the bike itself however, I’d assume it was a car, but with the disembodied voice, the driver must be exceptionally loud. Perhaps a scooter or a motorcycle? The title however is “we crashed bikes” so it must have been a bike. I wonder then what the other bike was? A bear riding a bike? A bike with a snow plow attached? An abrams tank riding a bike? A BEAR DRIVING AN ABRAMS TANK WITH A SNOW PLOW ATTACHED?
And who believes that a visit to the hospital is cheap? Honestly? Especially a cat scan, nowhere in logical thought would I expect that to be cheap, but I suppose after an accident like that I wouldn’t be thinking clearly anyway…
And this is further proof that no one under any circumstance should go within say, five blocks of that shithole bar.
Things like this have been going on for quite awhile, and my jury is out on if its a good idea or not. I just wish the artwork itself was of higher quality, I dont know that its enough to fool anyone, though possibly from a distance. In addition, the article says:
“The majority of cyclists share the space amicably. However, there are a handful who refuse to slow down. That’s why we commissioned this art – we hope it will shock.”
shocking!
If there are only a few cyclists who are riding dangerously, and either see this article or ride over this once its purpose is all but lost.
Although im certain it will terrify people that have sight issues for years to come.
I think that alligators or a lion would be much more effective, or tried and true traffic calming devices such as this policeman:
Yes, shoving cyclists to the ground certainly does slow them down considerably.
I’m speechless. This is out of control, hopefully more of the story will unfold, but if anyone needed further proof that any and everyone employed by fox news is an out of control reactionary, here it is from gawker.com:
In typical Fox News fashion, when we asked a Fox News writer how a Central Park cyclist ended up being dragged on the hood of his SUV for four blocks, he blamed the victim, calling the biker a “vigilante.”
Brian Dooda, a Brooklyn film archivist, was riding his bike on East Dr. in Central Park at about 5 p.m. on Thursday when he says a grey SUV cut him off, nearly swiping his front tire. Angered, Dooda caught up with the car, which had “NYP” license plates designating its driver as a media representative, at the next red light. He positioned himself in front of the SUV and told the driver to slow down and observe the park’s 25 m.p.h. speed limit. Here’s what happened next, according to an account Dooda gave to the NYPD and posted on a cycling message board:
The driver then accelerated, lunging straight into me, knocking me and my bicycle to the ground and to the left side of his car. I quickly got to my feet and positioned myself in front of his vehicle to prevent him from fleeing the scene. I called out to bystanders to call the police and yelled at the driver that he was insane, he just hit me, and he can’t leave. The driver again accelerated into me, with no intention of stopping, forcing me, prostrate, onto the drivers side hood of his vehicle. Riding precariously with a 4,000 lb wheel inches from pulling me beneath it, I screamed for the driver to “Stop!!! Please Stop!!” over and over. He continued to ignore my pleas for some 200ft. keeping a steady 5 or 10mph. He then stopped suddenly allowing me to fall off the side of the hood. Just as quickly as he stopped he violently accelerated again knocking me to the side. This time I managed to stay standing. The driver then sped off Northbound. At this point several witnesses came to my aid and reported his license plate.
Dooda emerged from the ordeal with only a scraped elbow, but another poster to the message board who claimed to witness to the incident, painted a pretty scary picture. (In fact, it was her post that originally prompted Dooda to come forward with the statement he gave to police):
It was a bizarre sight … a cyclist was on the hood, shouting at the driver, to please please stop the car. That cyclist kept shouting to the guy to stop, he was saying/shouting, “You could have killed me. Stop, Please stop. This is my life.” something like that. We saw his bike in the road, left behind, as the SUV drove on, with the cyclist on his hood.
When the cops arrived and told Dooda that the “NYP” plate meant that the driver who nearly killed him was a journalist, Dooda told Gawker he joked: “I wonder if he’s from Fox News, because he was such an asshole.”
He was!
Gawker tracked down the driver, Don Broderick, who says he is a news writer for Fox News (he was formerly a reporter for the New York Post). When we first called him to confirm that he was the man to whom the vehicle that dragged Dooda for blocks was registered, Broderick said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” and asked if he could call us back. A couple hours later, he called to acknowledge that he was indeed the driver, but said that he was the victim of a “vigilante” bicyclist who had attacked him: “Whatever this guy is claiming, there’s no truth involved—he punched me. And I left, because he was attacking me.”
Dooda says he never laid hands on Broderick, whom, he says, stared with “cold psychotic intent” while Dooda was on his hood, and answered his pleas to stop with shrugs of the shoulders and the occasional “get the fuck out of here.”
“He wasn’t like hanging out the window screaming ‘you fucking pussy!’” Dooda says. “He spoke with his car.”
Both men agree that the altercation started because Dooda was riding his bike in the left-hand lane at roughly 25 m.p.h., which caused a line of ten or so cars to back up behind him. Broderick’s was the last car to get around him, which is when Dooda says Broderick tried to send him a message by abruptly cutting back over into the left lane in front of him, coming close to his tire. “He initiated the whole encounter by almost running into me,” he says. “I’m sure he felt like I was antagonizing motorists because I was in the left lane riding a bicycle. But did I attack him? If he considers me pointing out that he is an aggressive and dangerous driver to be an attack, yes. Otherwise, no.”
No matter who started it, actually hitting someone with your car, and then hitting them again, and then dragging them on your hood for 200 feet, and then driving away can’t be legal! Dooda, who was only slightly injured with some scrapes and bruises, filed a police report with the Central Park Precinct, and says a detective has been in touch. Broderick says he hasn’t been contacted by the police, and an NYPD spokesperson couldn’t immediately confirm that an investigation is underway.
New York Press license plates are issued to members of the working media who can demonstrate that they are employed by a news organization—in Broderick’s case, Fox. They let reporters park in special reserved spots in New York City and avoid tickets for illegal parking if they’re actually covering a news story. They also let road-ragers get tagged as media employees, which sparks the interest of bloggers.
A Fox News spokeswoman didn’t immediately return calls for comment.
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Hopefully the cyclist will get criminal charges filed against the driver and sue the hell out of the guy, people like that have no right to be operating a vehicle.
Found this on wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_streetcar_conspiracy
not that wikipedia is reliable, but this is interesting nonetheless.
I’m going to see what else i can dig up.
http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bicyclefriendlyamerica/
This is entertaining at least, im not sure where they are getting the information from but…Columbus is the only city in Ohio named, and it got one star for “encouragement”.
I suppose if horrible road conditions and some of the most uptight yuppie drivers of any city I’ve lived in are “encouraging” then sure it is. At least campus is a nice place for hipsters to do track stands…
It’s not all bad, but it has a long way to go to be a viable biking community, but i’d be willing to wager that its just another trend like everythng else in this city. The upside is that there is barely any traffic which makes riding on most roads really nice, if the roads are rideable anyway, the city is perpetually under construction so there is that to deal with and many of the roads arent terribly well cared for, but thats probably too much to ask. Once you get out of the city and sprawling suburbs its even nicer with less traffic but not much to see or do.
The mayor is sympathetic to bicyclists but depending on voters and the economy he may have a tough road ahead of him for furthering the cause.Columbus has a great potential if people are willing to invest the time that it will take to get it where it can go. Hopefully that is the case but I’ll believe it when I see it.
