I spewed my venom and felt better for it. I realized there was a chance for nuclear holocaust and probably would be if the thread had been placed anywhere else. I am totally amused and delighted with the witty responses couched in bike analogies - on both sides of the issue.

So here is my attempt do put more details into the analogy.

We all start out on our bike journey, some of us worked hard to prepare and train for it. We saved for our bikes and bought them years ago when they cost much less than what bikes cost now and we didn't replace them with new models every year. We went through times when the price of bikes went up and went down, some even lost our bikes - in the days of 18% interest rates our bikes were worth less than what we paid for them, we rode through it. We also stuffed away supplies for the journey as we went, we could have bought better bikes with all those supplies we saved, we could have bought fancy equipment or cloths but we choose to put aside resources incase the journey got tough. Others were less prepared.

Unfortunately about 5 miles back most of the group hit a big pot hole and lots of our our supplies were tossed out the back, and now we only have about half of what we had put away for the long journey. Some folks - the guys who made the pot hole got rewarded with a big contract for road repair and picked up all our supplies that got tossed out the back, the rest of us schleps just road on.

Riding with us are folks in the latest kit, newest carbon bikes with the lightest fastest tires. They have little if any supplies, some did have a little before we went over the big pot hole but have none now. Some have only been on the journey a short while and never really had an opportunity to accumulate much or haven't even bothered. Some just never bothered to accumulate (the ones with the latest kit and best CF bikes).

Now we come to the broken glass, We all have to ride through it, some of us who bought hardy tires will make it through just fine, we're slow but we keep moving. We may loose a little life in our tires. We may even get a flat but we have a spare in our supplies. We will make it. Others who have those new expensive, light and flimsy racing tires will flat out.

If we go back and fix all the flats those who were unprepared have learned a new lesson - they don't have to worry about flats, there a bunch of old guys out there with new tires that will be right there to make their situation just fine again. In addition the guys who loaned them the money for all that stuff are in good shape because they had no loss on the credit they extended those riders, their bonuses are secure. Besides, they have all the stuff that got tossed out the back that they picked up from the pack. Lastly, the price of fast flimsy tires and expensive bikes stabilizes because they get fixed for "free". But alas - that only lasts until the next spot of glass.

If however, we let the situation sort itself out, some of the riders tires will get fixed by friends or family who can spare some extra supplies, some will get helped by strangers they don't know, some may have to sell their new cloths and bike swag to get a new tire, others will sit on the side of the road and cry and some will walk.

Those that barely have enough supplies left (after the big pot hole) may choose to help despite the danger or may see that they have their own journey to worry about and go on - it's their choice. Lastly, the price of tires & bikes will settle where the market bears and eventually climb again because all bikes & tires eventually wear out and every cyclist needs them.

Charity feels good when it is your choice.