Wednesday Morning Commute - Seatless

Good morning

• Don't ride a bike without a seat, or you could get ticketed. 
• Newtown 26 arrive at Capitol Hill. 
• WeMoveDC meetings - you should go.
• $32,000 bicycle looks like this. 
• Summary of this LTTE: Some cyclists behave badly, so all should be registered.
• Charles Hurt - the Washington Times writer/sexist who called Capital Bikeshare "broken-down socialism" is now going after Pittsburgh's bike share program. 

"here’s another clue for something to cut. Turns out, you are paying $1.6 million to subsidize freeloaders in Pittsburgh who are too cheap to buy their own bikes. Under the “bike-share” program announced this week, freeloaders and freeloading tourists get 500 fat, ugly, red bikes to ride around on — bikes that you paid for....Why not just “repurpose” all those fat, ugly, red bikes away from the freeloaders in Pittsburgh and give them to the freeloaders here and make them pedal their sorry butts into work every day? It would fix but a tiny fraction of the damage they have cause but it sure would be funny to watch them sweat a little for a change." 

$1.6 million is coming from Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality money. I'm not sure if he thinks that bikeshare will not improve those things, or if he thinks congestion mitigation and air quality improvements are not noble goals, or if he thinks that that they are not the job of the federal government or if he thinks. Hurt's share of that $1.6 million (and on average, every taxpayer's) is about 7/100 of a penny. So if he's really bothered about it, I'll reimburse him for his share (and then some). He can stop by my house anytime and pick up a penny.

Also, just because DC's bikes are red, does not mean Pittsburgh's will be, but red = communist.

Comments

[Rob F]

"No person shall operate or ride a bicycle other than upon or astride a regular seat attached to the bicycle."

Maybe this is targeting people who ride their bike scooter-style, with the right foot on the left pedal, and the left foot pawing at the the ground. I've done this when my crank fell off once.

[Fred]

Charles Hurt - Marxist sleeper agent from the Onion.

[washcycle]

Rob F, Adam Voiland wrote an article about this - he called it shluffing or something. It's a good question as to whether it's illegal. I do this when I'm rolling through the tunnel under the New Carrollton Metro station (if it's not crowded).

[Crikey7]

LTTE could easily be writing about me on Mass Ave. I do both at times.

My question is, if I take the lane and behave like a car, LTTE doesn't like it. And when I filter, LTTE doesn't like it. Neither are illegal (assuming cars are stopped), yet the answer to legal irritations is bicycle registration.

How about a little less self-absorption on LTTE's part instead?

[MM]

Re: LamboBike

A)Cadel rode a TeamMachine, not an impec in the 2011 TdF.

B)Selling a TdF yellow bike, two years after winning, and a year after putting up a pretty terrible showing? Poor form.

C)Lugged carbon is ugly.

D)Italian car maker pairing with a Swiss bike company? That doesn't make sense.

[SJE]

LTTE: I get angry at bikes on the road!
Biker: I am afraid of crazies, so I filter, ride on the sidewalk, or go through red lights to get away from the cars
LTTE: cyclists are a hazard to pedestrians
Biker: I was on my cell phone, calling the cops on the crazy lady honking at me on Mass
LTTE: I saw bikers on cell phones!

Best quote from LTTE:
"road monsters"

[T]

Probably a good thing the Newtown 26 didn't ride through two nights ago otherwise they may have become part of the city's crime statistics @NY & North Cap. Of course, their ride will get attention and those folks shot by the senseless inner city violence won't. Sorry, pet peeve and I'm sounding like Courtland Malloy (can't stand the guy) so I need to stop.

Loved the LTE. I kept thinking of Jay-Z humming, I got 99 problems...and cyclists are every one.

[contrarian]

I'm with you T. Fifteen people shot in DC and it doesn't even make it out of the Metro section. Because the victims were, you know, "those" kinds of people.

Onto seats: I once had my seat stolen, so I rode home standing up. It sucked, but it was the least-worst option. I can't for the life of me think what public purpose is served by the seat law.

[oboe]

The good thing about the Washington Times, and the Examiner for that matter, is that it reminds us that there really are people out there who are that fucking stupid.

Don't believe me? Read an Examiner comments thread sometime.