Originally Posted by bragi

I don't think I'd like the idea of mandatory licensing for bikes. First of all, as has been mentioned, bad bicycling skills and/or poor judgement are mostly just a menace to the bad bicyclist. Second of all, one of the real attractions of cycling for me is its utter simplicity and purity, and I'd hate to see that diminished by a lot of unnecessary bureaucracy. Finally, I don't want to pay for it. A fee for licensing bicycling would be the ultimate regressive tax, and the very idea of it gives rise to strong Bolshevik feelings within my soul. Let those SUV-driving fascists pay for licensing, not the poor proles on bikes!!! (OK, not very many workers are actually on bikes just yet, but give it time...)