To you?

You read a scathing review of an art exhibit or movie--and you know you've just got to go see it--even though prior to the review, you'd hardly given the work in question a moment's thought. But you know that anything that stirs up this kind of emotion just has to be worth a look.

Or you run into someone who rants against the evils of, say, chocolate ice cream. He tells you (and tells you) about the fat content, the cholesterol, the sugar, the calories, the exploited coffee bean pickers, and on and on and on. You may even agree with the guy in principle, but you also know as soon as you can get away you've just gotta get a big scoop of Ben & Jerry's.

Or maybe somebody on a message board continues to rail on and on and on and on against the evils, the postive evils I tell ya, bike lanes. At first you read the posts carefully. You see that this person may have some valid points, but over a few weeks, you come to see that his arguments are so militant, his acceptance that another opinion could be ok is so limited, his willingness to hog bandwith so annoying, that you know you've just gotta find a bike lane somewhere and go for a ride.

Rebel against the rebellion!

I can't ride in my bike lanes right now because they're filled with debris, snow, unfinished manhole covers and pylons.

We the people of the United States, in order to cling to the pioneer spirit that built this country, don't like to be told what to do.

A bit of rebellion every now and then is healthy, even if it's only in your mind.

Question Authority!

To you?


Or maybe somebody on a message board continues to rail on and on and on and on against the evils, the postive evils I tell ya, bike lanes. At first you read the posts carefully. You see that this person may have some valid points, but over a few weeks, you come to see that his arguments are so militant, his acceptance that another opinion could be ok is so limited, his willingness to hog bandwith so annoying, that you know you've just gotta find a bike lane somewhere and go for a ride.

My reaction is to wait for the inevitiable other shoe to drop, i.e. - railing on and on and on and on about the alleged virtues of the railer's preferred "cycling education" program.

I saw a science paper of the evils of dihydrogen oxide, which is water.

My last experience with bike lanes was in Montreal. They are just off the sidewalk separated by a concrete island on both sides. You have to be careful at every intersection because of the pedestrian traffic trying to cross the street.

I have to say this for dedicated bike lanes aside from the usual predictable rants against jogger and rollerbladers is this. Once you get past those obsatcles to momentum, you have a pretty safe means of travel if you are a commuter wearing a business attire, cuff clips and cruiser bike, back pack and cruiser bike at 10mph trying not to sweat too much (stinks up the office ya know).

If you plan to ride faster than that. Don't rant about the bike lane, just use the street as you normally would and leave the lane for those who appreciate it. When you do the family ride with the wife who does not want to muss her hair and the kids on the trikes, you will appreciate the bike lanes. They have their place, but are not for everyone.

Rebel against the rebellion!
This reminds me of time in my life in which I graduated from a very liberal liberal-arts college, and had an internship at the college the year afterwards. As I departed from the unofficial student "dress code" of torn jeans and tie-dye T-shirts, I found I kind of enjoyed not conforming to it, rebelling from the student status quo. It freed me to surprise people (or at least imagine that I would), and to observe how their reaction to me differed depending on my clothing.

We see it daily on this forum re; Lance and will he or won't he. His faults. goals , personal life are argued daily.

I say until you walk a mile in his shoes, shet yo mouff

on NPR a while ago they had an interesting report on the NRA. they said that everytime a major newspaper came out with a negative article on gun ownership - membership in the NRA would actually increase in response.

Question Authority!


Oh yeah? Says who?

on NPR a while ago they had an interesting report on the NRA. they said that everytime a major newspaper came out with a negative article on gun ownership - membership in the NRA would actually increase in response.

Gotta be ready for the Commie invasion....gonna stop those high-altitude bombers with my musket....gonna word off the nukes with my Colt 45.... lemme at 'em....

Every anti-bl rant I read just makes me miss the great bike lanes back in Seattle.