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We Need Better Bicycle Advocates

I am astonished by the following quote found in a MySanAntonioNews.com story. Not meaning any slight to Gary Scharrer of the Express-News, but given the unreliable nature of the news, I am rather skeptical that this is an accurate quote.

Quote:

Lifelong bicyclist Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, authored the Senate version of the bill. He owns seven bicycles and rents a bike wherever he travels — including Cuba, South Africa, Egypt, Paris and London.

“People need to know that bicycles are vehicles and have rights on the road,” he said. “Oftentimes, they will hit a cyclist assuming they have a right to just run them over.”

"Oftentimes"? Really? Perhaps the good senator (That was sarcasm! No one is good—except God alone!*) would give an example or two?

As a "lifelong cyclist", how have you managed to live so long?

I am disturbed that a legislator who has been working extensively with "bicycle advocates" can have this perspective. What are they telling him? Who should he believe, the "bicycle advocates" or his own lying eyes?

To those of us who have adopted the practice of riding away from the edge of narrow lanes, we find this attitude silly and grossly mistaken. No driver thinks they have a right to run over anything. Ever.

Motorists commonly avoid debris, potholes, stray animals and other vehicles. All of us, cyclists and motorists alike see it happen thousands of times a day.

As a cyclist, I do not feel that I am in deadly peril from motorists. I think that cycling on the highways and by-ways of Texas is a low risk activity. I even think cycling is less risky than being in an automobile! How can my view of the risks associated with riding a bicycle be so at odds with this "lifelong" enthusiast?

Cycling needs advocates who deal with reality, not superstitious fears.

*Mark 10:18

I wonder if David Feherty has the same opinion??

David Feherty speaks: "I'm lucky to be alive"

I have to say, the senator sounds a lot like my mom and some of my friends. They are convinced that I'm just a statistic, waiting to happen.:rolleyes:

Have had the chance to peak to the Sen on several ocasions I am willing to bet this quote is out of context or at a min a paraphrase of more information he was trying to convey.

I think the main problem is that so many people do take driving safety for granted. They tend to do some really stupid stuff behind the wheel. For instance today my life was threatened three times on a 19 mile shopping trip. The first time was the worse, A car swerved into my lane and was heading straight at me almost hit the car that was coming up behind me, and continued to swerve dangerously after narrowly hitting me (a cyclist) and a head on with another car. Second time was an attempted right hook by a U-Haul truck, and the third was a pick-up backing out of a driveway too fast.

After that I deciced to stay in the rest of the day.