Advocacy & Safety - Chicago Tribune Letter from LIB

The following letter to the editor appeared in the August 7, 2006 edition of
the Chicago Tribune:

Safe use of the road

Tis the high season for drivers and cyclists to trade their horrific stories
about each other not doing right on the road. The discussion needs to move
beyond who can come up with the most and worst anecdotal indictments.

Yes, there are good and bad drivers and cyclists. But simply stated, driving
a car or riding a bicycle does not give anyone any more or fewer rights than
others on the road.

Each driver and cyclist has the power to control his or her own road
behavior and should. The thought that drivers and cyclists can control
others¹ behavior through intimidation, threats and arguing doesn¹t work.
What does work is individuals taking responsibility for their own safety and
the safety of others at all times.

Dean Schott
Glenview

Dean Schott
Outreach Director
League of Illinois Bicyclists
847-291-1213

Each driver and cyclist has the power to control his or her own road
behavior and should. The thought that drivers and cyclists can control
others' behavior through intimidation, threats and arguing doesn't work.
What does work is individuals taking responsibility for their own safety and
the safety of others at all times.


This is the part I like the best... the realization that it takes all of us on the road, working together, to make it a safe place.

It is not the sole responsiblity of cyclists alone to ensure that their ride is safe... it takes co-operation of all the users of the road to make it a safe environment.

Sure glad others realize that too.

Billh, were there any responses to that letter in the paper? And what were they like?

That's probably the best letter with the fewest words that I've seen in a long time. He does a great job distilling all the long rhetoric so often employed into a few essential conclusions. A good succinct letter such as this is much harder to write than a long rambling one, but much more effective, and Mr. Schott is to be commended and emulated! :beer:

Each driver and cyclist has the power to control his or her own road
behavior and should. The thought that drivers and cyclists can control
others¹ behavior through intimidation, threats and arguing doesn¹t work.
What does work is individuals taking responsibility for their own safety and
the safety of others at all times.

I don't know if LIB refers to liberal or not, but the above statement on self control and personal responsibility is the epitome of conservative thought.

I took it to refer to the League of Illinois Bicyclists, which Mr. Schott is representing. But FWIW, this here liberal agrees with the sentiment as well.

Oh that makes sense. I am Lieberman democrat, and I agree with it as well.