Reason #36 why Austin is a bike-friendly city

MichaelBluejay · 2017-10-19 01:00:39

Our local "alternative" weekly newspaper, the Austin Chronicle, is running its annual Reader Poll, and one of the just 21 categories in the "Services" section is "Best DWI lawyer".

Just shoot me.

(Or have a drunk driver run over me, I guess. That would be more appropriate.)

RedFalcon · 2017-10-26 15:05:31

Yeah, that’s just amazing. But, if Austin is going down that path, how about these?

Best Mortician: Goes to whoever does the best job making a traffic fatality victim presentable for an open casket funeral. (Sick? Yes, but let's follow it to the logical end.)

Best Anti-Cycling Rant Posted Online: Bonus points for getting a dig in at cyclists when the story being commented on isn’t even about cyclists.

I had some others last night but they got wiped out when I closed the wrong window. Now I can’t remember them.

Jack · 2017-10-27 16:54:50

"Someone please comment on this."

Write the weekly's editor a letter, why not?

MichaelBluejay · 2017-10-27 20:26:43

Good idea. I wrote one recently, so I'll need to wait a while if I want it to have a chance of it seeing print.

MichaelBluejay · 2017-12-07 18:24:08

Bike Austin just sent out their email newsletter. No update on Shoal Creek Blvd., of course, but this bit from a family which splits its time between Austin and the Netherlands caught my eye:

"In the Netherlands, we often allow our daughter to ride about 15 km by bicycle a day because it is a safe route. By contrast, in the United States, my daughter does not ride her bicycle to school ever because a single mistake on 12th street or MLK or Manor road will be deadly for her. The right to safe transportation is not something we can overlook. Furthermore, riding bicycles in Austin at night (and in most of America) is dangerous."

MichaelBluejay · 2017-12-20 05:34:08

Taking Jack's suggestion, I wrote a letter to the Chronicle. There used to be a time when the Chronicle not only printed my letters, but more often than not they made it the lead letter. But my last two letters haven't made the print edition at all, much less received star billing. Clearly I've lost my mojo.

FWIW, here's what I wrote:

My Dear Editor,
The reason the roads are so dangerous is because of the culture we’ve created. Austin has the special shame of having a hit-and-run rate that’s 50% higher than the national average. For bicycling, it doesn’t matter how many miles of new bike lanes we stripe in; unless and until we change drivers’ hearts and minds, the roads will never be safe.
That’s why it’s especially disheartening to see our alternative local weekly deciding that one of the few categories in its [“Best of Austin”] Readers Poll for Services should be for the Best Drunk Driving Lawyer. You didn’t think best doctor, best bank, or best dentist would have been more appropriate, not just because those categories are far less controversial, but also because those services are far more likely to actually be used by the average reader? No, instead you chose to glorify the defense of drunk driving. With friends like these ….
Michael Bluejay

https://www.austinchronicle.com/feedbac … 1/2131512/

Bicycle Austin forum

#1 2017-10-19 01:00:39

Reason #36 why Austin is a bike-friendly city

#2 2017-10-26 15:05:31

Re: Reason #36 why Austin is a bike-friendly city

#3 2017-10-27 16:54:50

Re: Reason #36 why Austin is a bike-friendly city

#4 2017-10-27 20:26:43

Re: Reason #36 why Austin is a bike-friendly city

#5 2017-12-07 18:24:08

Re: Reason #36 why Austin is a bike-friendly city

#6 2017-12-20 05:34:08

Re: Reason #36 why Austin is a bike-friendly city

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