BIKE: The Most Heinous Menace Out There

[Patrick Goetz]

Torture of prisoners?  No, far from it; that's actually kind of routine. 
  I hate to start a post with an aside, but those of you who got all 
teary-eyed over Bush's heartfelt apology for the torture of prisoners in 
Iraq might want to devote a few of your scant neurons to wondering why 
the Bush administration specifically selected someone to oversee the 
reopening of the Abu Ghraib prison who had been forced to resign for 
torturing prisoners right here in the good old US of A.  See the New 
York Times for details: 
(http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/08/national/08PRIS.html?ex=1085147949&ei=1&en=b728f669bd3cd0cf)


No, the menace I'm talking about is ... fast-moving bicycle traffic. 
Think I'm making this up?  Guess again:  It was on the front page of the 
Statesman yesterday: 
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/auto/epaper/editions/monday/news_04f982b82350c0200029.html

"For years, administrators have been working toward improving the 
hike-and-bike trail along Boggy Creek near Rosewood Avenue, drawing 
designs and acquiring a federal grant for construction.  The plan, part 
of a proposed bikeway from Austin to Round Rock, includes paving the 
dirt trail and reconstructing three bridges.  But Rosewood residents, 
who are wary of fast-moving bicycle traffic, don't want a paved trail. 
City officials, meanwhile, say they can't make improvements without 
including the asphalt treatment."


I can understand this since, I too live in mortal fear of fast-moving 
bicycle traffic.  However, I do have an issue with this:

"The debate, as well as a 197-signature petition delivered to city 
leaders by area residents, was enough to persuade the Austin City 
Council to hold off on the plan last month, saying the groups should 
seek a compromise."

I happened to obtain a copy of this petition from an anonymous source, 
and it looked something like this:

      Bob Snerd		2525 Rosewood Ave  (illegible scrawl for signature)
      Bob Snerd		2525 Rosewood Ave  (illegible scrawl for signature)
      Bob Snerd		2525 Rosewood Ave  (illegible scrawl for signature)
      Bob Snerd		2525 Rosewood Ave  (illegible scrawl for signature)
      Bob Snerd		2525 Rosewood Ave  (illegible scrawl for signature)
      Bob Snerd		2525 Rosewood Ave  (illegible scrawl for signature)