Speaking of bicycles....around here, a considerable amount of money has been spent on bike paths, but most riders WILL NOT use them, preferring instead to ride in the road, even when the road is narrow and passing is difficult and dangerous.

A guy a few weeks ago cut in front of me really fast and very sharply on his bike -- in traffic, on Lincoln Boulevard, which can move pretty rapidly. He's lucky my M.O. for driving is "everyone else is an idiot who's on their cell phone while changing lanes and can't see me in my tiny toy car." This meant I was prepared to slam on the brakes, which I did, instead of slamming into him.

I remember once I pulled up on my bike at Wal-Mart and parked in the bike rack. Then as I went toward the store, I was stopped by angry and profane barks from a man in a wheelchair. It seems my bike was blocking his passage.

I don't blame the man for being frustrated, but he started cussing me out and calling me names. I started to move my bike for him and explained that he should talk to Wal-Mart, since they're the ones who placed the bike rack where it was, and properly placed bikes can block customers with mobility issues, although I noticed he wasn't coming from the parking lot, and he could have gone around me with some inconvenience.

He continued to cuss me out, accusing me of being an idiot, having no consideration, etc.

So, I simply left my bike right where it was, and made a dismissive gesture toward my new friend in the wheelchair, who continued to shout profanities after me.

I saw a cyclist stop at a stop sign once. I think it was 2 or 3 years ago.

Patrick, you should have told the guy: "Knock it off! It's bad enough that you guys get all the good parking spaces!"

Such maniacal rudeness deserves a doubling down right back at the perpetrator.

Um, mpetrie98, I don't see how that would work with someone who's clearly unreasonable.

"Never argue with an idiot. First they'll bring you down to their level, then they'll beat you up with experience."

Or, as I like to say, you can blow off steam or you can say something that may or may not change the other person's mind - not both.

Actually, many businesses and right-wingers are beginning to debate the usefulness of the ADA act, and the hyper-sensitivity of the disabled to nearly everything.

Since when does the public have to pay for access for disabled people? Since the ADA act rammed it down private business operator's throats.

Now, in California, a rapidly growing form of lawsuit abuse is the fun of suing hard-working restaurant owners etc. because the bathroom mirror is not low enough. The going settle cost: $5,000. I wish I was making this up.

The disabled used to carry their weight, but have insisted on becoming parasites, along with the US military, most lawyers, and large parts of the federal government, especially the USDA and farmers.

It looks like that front wheel has a quick release on it.

Which would have made it easy to take the thing off and toss it in the bushes.

I saw a cyclist stop at a stop sign once. I think it was 2 or 3 years ago.

I'm a Lance Armstrong wannabee. In fact, except for the rubbery legs, shallow lungs, and mental fortitude best measured in femtoguts, I am just like he is.

Which means it is worth keeping min mind my outlook is thereby biased.

Stop signs exist because of cars. Bicycles have a tiny fraction of the kinetic energy of cars, are roughly 18" wide, and require no small amount of effort to get up to speed from a stop.

That means I rarely come to a stop at Stop signs.

Unless it matters.

Stop signs exist because of cars. Bicycles have a tiny fraction of the kinetic energy of cars, are roughly 18" wide, and require no small amount of effort to get up to speed from a stop.

Also, people perched atop upright bicycles can see what's going on around them far better than can people reclining in easy chairs encased in rolling glass-and-steel cages.

Well, yes, there is that.

And the whole self preservation thing, too.

> The disabled used to carry their weight,
> but have insisted on becoming parasites,
> along with the…

What?