This letter seems more like a childish rant than someone trying to pose questions or make a point... in that sense it seems like alot of the trolling posts I see on the forums here
Every question he poses can be torn to shreds by anyone here who has ridden on a country road, or even a suburban street at night.
If bikes are vehicles, too, where are their lights? Too often we cannot see them at night until we are almost on the riders. To make matters worse, these nincompoops usually dress in dark clothing.
In every state I can think of bikes are required to have lights if being ridden at night, so are any other vehicles. During daylight hours having lights is not "mandatory"
AFAIK. So some cyclists are ignorant enough to not have lights at night. Who here hasn't seen a car with only one light barreling down some back country road doing 90mph at 1:30 in the morning? Or who hasn't seen someone take off out of a parking lot and drive several blocks with their lights out.
So to answer this question, some cyclists, like some vehiclists, are, from time to time, the same type of idiot.
If bikes are vehicles, too, where are their horns? You can't hear them until they are at your side, or worse, up your rear.
Erm, makes no sense to me really. Looking out my office window I have seen 20 cars drive by and have not heard one horn. If he is talking about sounding a horn in traffic, that is a differant story all together. Personally, I hear horns in traffic so much that I ignore them anymore, but who here would ignore someone shouting at the top of their lungs "WATCH IT YOU PRICK, I'M RIGHT BEHIND YOU"?
If bikes are vehicles, too, where are their licences? If they wish equal treatment, then they must be prepared to pay the dues that all other vehicle owners must pay -- the annual licence fees.
This is yet another case of 'if I have to suffer so do you, no matter if you make more sensible choices than me'. A license plate is there for really one purpose, identification. If a police officer attempts to pull over a car, the driver can attempt to flee, but that license plate is his Acheles heel in most cases, though not the sole reason for plates is to catch fleeing offenders. That plate number is attached to more than just a name or car. I don't know of many bikers out there that can outrun a police cruiser, if any. The fee drivers pay go towards public programs, not just road improvements.
If bikes are vehicles, too, why don't they follow the rules of the road like other drivers do? We see bicyclists weaving in and out of traffic, seemingly oblivious to the oncoming vehicles. Perhaps they just don't care, or are subconsciously suicidal
And we don't see vehicle drivers do this? Once again I say "some cyclists, like some vehiclists, are, from time to time, the same type of idiot."
If bikes are vehicles, then their owners should be subject to fines for not having the required safety items that other vehicles require before being allowed on the road.
They are here in Michigan, and probably all other states. One has to search for the specifics but it most definately is a civil infraction for violating one of these laws.
If they are not willing or able to adhere to the rules of the road, then perhaps cyclists should stop thinking of their bikes as vehicles and consider them really as glorified recreational toys.
One should not group ALL cyclists, as one should not group ALL vehiclists. I for one do not like being stereotyped into the same group as a 12 year old out having fun. I would assume that this person would also not like being unfairly grouped as a punk kid in his overpriced toy. Who hasn't seen some teenager in a new shiny graduation present ripping up the residential streets because to him, that 40k sports car is a toy.
I will share the road only with bikes that have the required features mentioned above.
Hrm, is this not the definition for wanton endangerment or terroristic threatening?
If I write into a paper and say that "During hunting season, while I am packing a dangerous weapon, I will only share the earth with people like me ie: white/male", who wants to be that I'd receive a visit from the authorities the next day?
I hope your letter is informative and makes this guy think about what he wrote, and like others say, use some humor. Nothing shuts people up faster than think that others are laughing at them.