Issued Annoyingly Enough, Any Message Can Backfire
Late last Friday afternoon, Jim Shamp of Cheney was driving to a downtown Spokane towing company to have a broken-down car taken to the shop by closing time.
“I got stuck behind Critical Mass and didn’t make it in time,” he says. Critical Mass is a monthly event held by bicyclists who ride in groups during rush hour to promote bicycling as an alternative transportation mode.
“Needless to say,” says Shamp, “I was not happy. It is childish and arrogant to obstruct other people’s rights just to make a point. These so-called ‘cyclists’ should be given negligent-driving tickets and fines or have their bicycles confiscated every time they pull this stunt.”
While Philip J. Mulligan of Spokane also disagrees with Critical Mass’ tactics, he says he shares the cyclists’ frustrations.
“Since the 1970s when society once again realized the bicycle is more than a mere toy and began to view it as a significant aid in curbing excess gasoline consumption, little has been done to accommodate it in accordance with that progressive perception. Bike paths seem to be more of a grudging gesture and are seldom comprehensive in scope in most communities.
“Painting bike lanes on the right of way is better than nothing, but I’m of the impression that cyclists continue to suffer far more deaths and injuries from automobiles than do pedestrians from being struck by bicycles. It is due to realistic appreciation of the true dangers that cyclists take to sidewalks. But even where they are accorded bike paths, they seem to be losing that ground as well.
“Unless I remember wrong,” says Mulligan, “the Centennial Trail was originally proposed as a bike path. Later, I heard of an elderly gent who decided otherwise and swore to prove it with a lead-tipped cane.
“When I last biked on it, I was glad to see it was expanded and double-laned to accommodate both pedestrians and cyclists.
“Whatever the controversy concerning bikes vs. pedestrians and automobiles, I think we’ll all be ill-served if bicycle traffic continues to be discouraged by the many obstacles it long has encountered, much less new ones. I sincerely hope that a way can be found to accommodate all means of transportation without pitting one against the other.
“After all, each type caters to people who can’t use the other options,” Mulligan says.
More cycling comments will appear in Tuesday’s column.
, DataTimes MEMO: “Bagpipes” appears Tuesdays and Thursdays. To respond, call Cityline at 458-8800, category 9881, from a Touch-Tone phone or send a fax to 459-5098 or e-mail to dougf@spokesman.com. You also can leave Doug Floyd a message at 459-5577, extension 5466.