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Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on September 3, 2015 at 3:53am

He pretty much trotted out every single untrue cliche reason not to ride a bike. Clearly he thinks cycling is just for a leisurely stroll on the weekend in a park. Wonder if he is bankrolled by large oil companies or car companies the way he is lobbying so hard for cars. Does he think there's no global warming? Next he'll write about how Santa Claus is coming to town. 

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Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on September 3, 2015 at 5:56am

I've often wondered why our early day founders and planners of this great city and other cities east of us didn't have the foresight to envision and design the outlay of our cities with the future in mind? Did they foresee us as traveling by horse and buggy on narrow streets forever? Why couldn't they think wider? Their poor foresight is affecting us to this day.

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Permalink Reply by Juan 2-3 or more mi. on September 3, 2015 at 11:40am

The comments section is a good indicator of the kind of common ignorant mentality I see posted on any cycling related issue. There are some real great retorts though that are worth reading ;

Jennigringa726

"Urban roads aren't meant for bicycles." Right, and the roads in Boston weren't built initially for cars either. They were built for cows, horses, and pedestrians. Certainly modifications have been made to make the roads more appropriate for cars, but traffic is still terrible during peak hours. Ideally people should be using mostly public transportation to get around densely packed cities. If you question that, try traveling to major cities around the world that don't have subway systems. The result is terrible gridlock and stifling pollution. Where real estate is so limited, we shouldn't be clogging downtown with single-occupant cars and parking lots. Unfortunately, the public transit system is also in need of a lot or work in Boston, which is part of the reason many people choose to cycle to work--it is often the fastest and most convenient option. 

For many, bike commuting is also the only time they have to exercise during the day. It is a very efficient way to get to work and also get in a workout, which helps out all of society in the way of much lower healthcare costs compared to couch potatoes. I'm sure cyclists would love to bike along the Charles, but for many, that is not a practical route to work. So they are forced onto shared roads with cars. 

It's time to come down off your high horse (or truck) Jacoby. Maybe cyclists annoy you, but at least they are getting some exercise and helping to take cars off the road. What are you doing to contribute to society, other than writing inflammatory and unhelpful articles that don't suggest any practical solutions?

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Permalink Reply by Roland on September 4, 2015 at 4:22am

I'm guessing this author had to "put up with" being stuck behind a cyclist on the way to work and didn't have much else to do today. 

I see articles like this far too frequently without any sort of constructive advice on how we can remedy this situation. If you are going to spread this vitriol towards cyclists at least provide some solution to the problem instead of acting like a two year old that lost their toy. 

Why does everyone fixate on the percentage of cyclists being so low instead of wondering WHY the percentage of cyclists is so low? Maybe we can bring that percentage up above the "rounding error" the author notes (not sure if the author knows what a significant figure is, or not, though).

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Permalink Reply by Jim Reho on September 4, 2015 at 7:58am

This is an ill-informed, lazy article, although I noticed others in the Globe that were not.  I do think that cyclists right now have to be like Jackie Robinson -- refusing to lower themselves to fighting back with their own cheap shots, and setting a very high standard of conduct for themselves.  The comments sections to articles about cycling are full of bitter references to cyclists running red lights, making dangerous turns, and otherwise acting recklessly.  And there's some truth to that.  I see it every day myself.  It's also true that many drivers drive badly.  But the fact that drivers are bad doesn't excuse cyclists from acting poorly.  We are trying to gain broader acceptance and respect.  We will have to win that, whether we like it or not, by setting a higher bar for ourselves than most drivers set for themselves.  The misbehavior of the small minority of cyclists who act out immaturely and ride recklessly has a disproportionate harmful effect on the entire cause of cycling.  As with Jackie Robinson, patience, while very difficult at times, is an essential virtue.

That being said, I would also point out that eighteen-wheelers and huge tractor-trailers like the one that ran down that poor doctor should not be allowed on side streets and in city centers.  Their blind spots are enormous, especially on the right side.  You'd think they'd have some kind of camera system by now.  It irks me to see the signs on the back of trucks pretty much saying that if the driver doesn't see you and kills you, it's your own fault.  No, if the vehicles are such that the driver can't see sufficiently in urban conditions, then the vehicles need to be downsized or limited to larger roads.  I don't see in the Constitution where there's a God-given right to right-hook cyclists.  But I digress....   

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Permalink Reply by Joe Guzzardo on September 4, 2015 at 4:27pm

Well said. I totally forgot about Michael Franks until I remembered his song about baseball. A few keywords entered in a Google search and I found him. Thanks, dude!

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on September 6, 2015 at 9:48am

When I lived out that way, I always found a lot of humor and a certain amount of truth in the sarcastic saying that, to navigate older parts of Boston (laid out on 17th century cowpaths, or so they say), one would do best to think like a 17th century cow. ;)

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Permalink Reply by Joe Guzzardo on September 4, 2015 at 6:02pm

Let's be grateful we're not cyclists in China. Funny how many times BMW's were mentioned.

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Permalink Reply by Juan 2-3 or more mi. on September 9, 2015 at 11:29am

The full "human" expression of the ultimate driving machine. Living in that part of the crowded world, figures they would not care too much how horrific they go about controlling the population.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on September 6, 2015 at 5:36am

I've never been on Massachusetts ave. But much like Chicago some streets just aren't bike friendly, Mi ave. Western, Ashland, far north Sheridan.
His no taxes speal leaves out that those 3,000 pound vehicles do ALL the damage to the road as well as the winter freeze and thaw not a cycle.

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on September 6, 2015 at 9:46am

Parts of Mass. Ave. are somewhat like Sheridan or Ashland. The intersection with Beacon where the doctor was killed is a slower section.  That being said, there are a limited number of crossings over the river. That particular one gets a lot of bike and ped traffic due to all the colleges nearby.

That article was a shitload of ignorance in one big smelly dose.  The comments sure don't help. The writer sounded like the Kasshole's spiritual cousin.

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Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on September 6, 2015 at 9:58am

Anne Alt said,
"That article was a shitload of ignorance in one big smelly dose.  The comments sure don't help. The writer sounded like the Kasshole's spiritual cousin."

+ 1 ! I'm with you on that, Anne ! Good way to express it !

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