riva

Even if he was being satirical, that doesn't change the fact that the "real idiots out there" (his words) might read this and be more likely to go out and hurt somebody.. I don't see what it matters if he was or was not being satirical.

tashi

Anyone else notice that his e-mail is at the end of the article? F the editor (he's clearly asleep at the wheel as well) and hammer this kid's e-mail account instead.

knucks

I know that kid.
He's a friend of an ex of mine.
Just spam the f*ck out of his Facebook if you'd like.
I'm about to.

LeCollectif

I can't help but think this is an attempt at satire. If so, he needs practice. If not, I'm thoroughly shocked he was able to work his way into post-secondary.

brendon_ak

god i love the responses to that article, priceless

knucks

https://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/p...2355844&ref=ts

ENJOY

mooseblend

Well in addition to emailing him directly I also emailed the editor, this was her reply:



Hello, Jeremy:

Thank you for writing in. It's very clear to me from the tremendous amount of reader feedback we have received today that Zack's column was misconstrued by many. It was meant to be a satirical piece raising to light the issues of safety and inconvenience that bicyclists may or may not cause in using the road and/or bike lanes in our community. In no way was direct threat of violence ever intended. Many of us at The State News also bike around campus, and we would not wish harm on them or any other member of our campus community.

Your comments have not gone unacknowledged. I hear your concerns and appreciate you taking the time to write in.

Our goal is to have the Opinion Page serve as a forum for collective commuity discussion about various issues - including opposing viewpoints on would-be controversial or contentious topics - so your response to Zack Colman's latest column only further enhances this mission. Thank you again for writing in and voicing your thoughts.

Respectfully,
~ Kristen

--
Kristen M. Daum
Editor in Chief, The State News
435 E. Grand River Ave., East Lansing, MI 48823
Newsroom: (517) 432-3070
Office: (517) 432-3071

Geordi Laforge

satirical? sounds like damage control. he sure didnt seem to be practicing satire when he emailed me back and defended his statements.

this reader comment ftw:

I really hope you read this. I intend to tear your opinion to shreds. I also hope you respond to it.
First of all, you lose any respect that you may have had right at the start by listing things you could be doing in your car. If you are ever messing with your ipod, texting, or at risk of falling asleep while driving, you shouldn’t be driving. You probably shouldn’t even be given a license.
Let’s consider how safe it is to ride on a sidewalk: A bike moving ~20 mph (which really isn’t as hard to accomplish as you seem to think; yes maybe Lance’s average was 24.9, but that was for the TOUR DE FRANCE, we’re talking about a 1 mile bike ride) weaving through pedestrians moving at ~4 mph who can’t hear you calling from behind because they’re all listening to ipods. First off, hitting a pedestrian at that speed could seriously injure them. Secondly, falling off a bike while moving that speed (even if you’re wearing a helmet) can seriously injure the biker. And considering the dodging that needs to be done on a sidewalk, along with the uneven paving, it’s much easier to fall while riding on a sidewalk than the road.
Let’s consider riding on the road: A bike again moving ~20 mph with cars that should be driving at no more than 25 mph on campus. There’s no reason a car should need to pass that biker, and if they wish to, there’s no reason that they shouldn’t have the patience to wait for the opportunity.
Now consider the fact that you’re driving on a college campus with approximately 45,000 student enrolled. If it is even necessary for you to take a car on campus (I mean honestly, are you that lazy? If you live far, take a bus, stop crowding the streets and polluting our air), you should already be using extreme caution considering the number of pedestrians that you should expect to interact with.
And most of us don’t really care if you honk at us. Just know that I won’t hesitate to respond with obscene gestures.
I guess you did say one smart thing: bikers should wear helmets.
But that’s really about it.
Driving is a privilege. That’s why you need to wait until you’re 16 and take a driver’s test before you can actually do it legally. As it turns out, anybody can ride a bike, regardless of age or some sort of license. I think that’s a pretty good indicator that YOU, the driver, need to be responsible for what happens on the road. Watching for pedestrians and cyclists is a very simple task. If you aren’t capable of doing that, you shouldn’t have a license. Bottom line.
Hope you enjoyed,
Alex

I forwarded the link to bikesnob - maybe bikesnob will show him some "satire"

tashi

Anyone post this article in A&S yet? They'll hammer him good.

j3ffr3y

that was a great comment, excellently summed up my feelings.

rarebird

o damn his moms got in on that action, i told her she should correct her boy!

Zack's Mom
04/09/09 @ 2:27pm

Be nice to my boy! Stop the name calling! Grow up!!!!


What?
04/09/09 @ 2:32pm

Zack’s Mom, ask your boy to stop endangering people needlessly with bad behaviour behind the wheel and to stop promoting that baehaviour.
i am fairly certain that it is your responsibility to tell him that.

cs1729

Even though they say it is satire, it is descriptive of people's behavior here in Lansing.

I ride everyday and through the winter and now that windows are rolling down people are starting to try to cause me more problems by yelling things and acting like *******s.

There are times when I have almost gotten into fist fights because some guy was telling me that I should get out of the road because he almost hit me (as if he couldn't control his vehicle and change lanes).

I try to smile and wave, but one thing I really hate is passive aggressive jerks trying to start some trouble from the safety of their automobiles.

Geordi Laforge

I think you should invest in an air zound: https://www.deltacycle.com/product.php?g=1

bhamlax

Rofl I went to high school with this idiot, just another reason out of 1,000,000 to stay far away from Lansing.

jet sanchEz

Call me Ismael.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.

I am an invisible man.

I am a sick man . . . I am a spiteful man.

All this happened, more or less.

He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish.

It was a pleasure to burn.

The towers of Zenith aspired above the morning mist; austere towers of steel and cement and limestone, sturdy as cliffs and delicate as silver rods.

Black 2001 Saturn SC2. That’s the car I drive

synapsemusic

colmanz1@msu.edu
colmanz1@msu.edu
colmanz1@msu.edu
colmanz1@msu.edu


blow it up till he writes another article apologizing for his mistake.

ornmnt

Dude loves his paragraph breaks!

imthewalrus

hey all you angry MSU cyclists:

there is a ride tomorrow because of this article. we're meeting up at beaumont tower at 6pm. While you're at it, join the facebook group Beaumont Bicycle Enthusiasts. it's how we coordinate most of our rides and events and such. despite morons like this guy, there is a community out here.

Onuts

Should he ever have a collision with a bicyclist I should hope that article comes to haunt him in civil court...the rest of his days.

Geordi Laforge

awesome.

Geordi Laforge

lolz

ibcrewin

You guys should find out where he his ride up to him and everybody can take a turn berating him.

malpag3

It's why I hate E. Lansing.

ilikebikes

Maybe he's a dick?

elTwitcho

I think he tried and failed massively at being funny. Personal feelings about cycling aside, he's a terrible writer and an idiot for thinking that joking about running people down in your car was going to elicit anything other than contempt