B a r r y wrote:

percentage of all federal road construction dollars are now supposed to

disobey laws as often as motorists, and that the right of way is
granted, not taken.

I have no problem with the theory, but in practice, it just doesn't work.
If you're *in* the road, you're in the way. It's hard to even *idle* a car
at the same speed an average bike is moving. That means you need to get
off to the side, but there isn't any place to ride off to the side in the
vast vast majority of situations, so you're left either trying to run up
the gravel, or run up the narrow strip of pavement on the gravel side of
the solid white line. Either way, it's dangerous, and you're still too
damn close to the traffic. People generally will move over a little when
they can, but they often can't, and they often don't even when they could
have. It all adds up to making cycling on public roads look like one of
the most suicidal endeavors ever invented. Except in the 0.01% of places
that actually have intelligently designed bike lanes and whatnot anyway.

None of that around here, so I either walk or drive. I feel that when I'm
walking, I can dodge faster, and more safely. Walking feels comparatively
secure, while riding a bike feels like I've got a target painted on my
back. Oh well, walking is good too. Easier on the knees too. Pedalling
up these hills around here is absolute hell on my knees.

I had a lot of fun on my bike while the highway was being built though.
Dirt at first, then pavement mixed with gravel and dirt, then mostly
pavement, then eventually full blown pavement with lines and everything. I
bought a speedometer so I could see how far I rode and stuff. It was cool
getting on my bike at the top of the hill in one town and then pedalling
like a ******* for awhile, getting the thing up to about 45 mph, and then
coasting the rest of the way up and down a few more hills until I wound up
in the next town. Going right down the dotted white line. That was so
cool.

Until they opened the highway up.

(Actually, 45 mph was too fast for that Wal-Mart special. It felt like I
was going to wreck if I ran over a flea, so I only did that a couple of
times.)

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
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