Merriwether is correct. One of my major concerns in recruiting more people to cycling is the prospect that these people will take the "it's only a bike" attitude. This is a problem because they won't learn to ride properly and display behaviours such as riding against the flow of traffic, footpath cycling, red light running and so on, which is likely to put them at considerable personal risk. While I believe Darwinism is a good thing, the major risk here is that a few of them being killed will increase the perception of cycling as a "dangerous" activity -- meaning more restrictions on the places you are allowed to ride.
Don't think it can happen? Three years ago a cyclist was bashed by a car load of thugs here on the Gold Coast (within 5km of where I live), another was killed by a stoned driver. The only government action was a prompt ban on cyclists from using a major road (not the ones where the incidents took place).
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I am clinically insane. I am proud of it.
That is all.