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November-December 2001
Downtown businesses and streets with no bicycle parking and now-you-see-it, now-you-don't bike lanes receive Goathead and Flat Tire Award for November-December
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This is the only easily accessible and readily visible bike rack in downtown Bakersfield. Hardly state-of-the-art. |
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| Bike lane on Chester at 19th Street. "Beautification" curbing suddenly and without warning blocks the lane. Would they do this to a motorist lane? | |
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Result: bicyclists are left to improvise when it comes to parking |
Bike to downtown Bakersfield and you'll have to hunt to find any secure parking for your bicycle. And if you ride Chester Avenue, you'll have to contend with a curb that suddenly takes over the bike lane (part of the downtown "beautification" project). What does Bakersfield have besides the rack above? One bike rack hidden inside the Superintendent of Schools parking structure (hard to find), a few bike parking slots (unmarked) behind Bakersfield College's Weil Center, and one good bike rack in front of the city police department several blocks from downtown. Every bicyclist means one less car. The City and downtown businesses might want to consider this when allocating resources for downtown parking as the downtown expands and grows. |
Santa Barbara and many other bike-friendly cities have bike racks on every block of their downtown, and beautification projects that don't make life ugly for bicyclists. As a result, they have more people bicycling. Hey, it isn't brain surgery. Provide facilities that make bicycling easy and pleasant, and people will do it. Provide "facilities" that make it difficult and even dangerous, and they'll choose to drive instead. Pollution will get worse, the city will become less livable and people will remain sedentery, unhealthy unfit and continue to die prematurely of cardiovascular diseases.
October 2001
Red light runners receive first Goathead and Flat tire
Award!
The October 2001 Goathead and Flat Tire Award goes to the unnamed bicyclist
on a road bike who was riding westbound on 21st street at about 5:20 p.m.
on September 11 and completely blew the red light at F street. We extend
the award to all bicyclists like him who blow red lights and stop signs.
HEY STUPID, IT'S A RED LIGHT. THAT MEANS STOP!
STUPID because you knew better and blew the light anyway.
STUPID because it's an act of pure selfishness and pride, without regard for other road users, or younger bicyclists who might be looking for an example to follow.
STUPID because it gives a bad name to all bicyclists. This bicyclist and those like him are traitors to the cause of bicycling. Don't expect us to defend you when you flaunt the law.
STUPID because it will kill you, eventually. When you die as a result of your own foolishness, we'll be sure to nominate you for the Darwin Award, for you will certainly have improved the human gene pool by removing yourself from it.
May Goatheads infest your tires and may you be forced to walk home the long way. You certainly don't deserve to ride!
All of the sentiments above also apply to motorists who run red lights. However, bicyclists can't expect to begin correcting others until we clean up our own act. That's why this first Goathead and Flat Tire award goes to errant bicyclists.
To nominate someone or something for the dubious and dishonorable Goathead and Flat Tire Award, send us information and as many details as possible, and we'll evaluate it. The information has to be verifiable. We don't do slander. Got something or someone you think qualifies? E-mail John Lotze and let him know. Thanks!
