'WE DON'T NEED TO BAN ALL BICYCLISTS'

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Washington Post, November 9, 1987

Bob Levey's Oct. 27 column, "Bike Messenger Watch: More Horrors,"does little to help anyone. Mr. Levey tells the stories of two Washingtonianshurt by some bike messengers and then, from the cocoon of his column, saysfour times that we should get bike messengers off the streets. Althoughhe shows a respectable compassion for the people hurt by bad messengers,his naive and idle cries are uncalled for. A serious look at the entiresituation is needed to find constructive answers. For starters:

Yes, bad bicyclists need to be stopped. No, we don't need to ban allbicyclists. There are plenty of good people working hard and riding safelyas bicycle messengers in the District. Having worked as a messenger forthe past five months, I've met some of them. All are answering the city'sneed for deliveries.

Every day, law offices, businesses of all kinds, government officesand private individuals call in orders for messengers and pay hefty sumsfor their services. This system not only supports the messengers but alsopressures them to ride unsafely. Rush deliveries and filings have savedthe shirts of many workers in Washington. Indeed, several bikes can usuallybe seen outside the delivery entrance of Mr. Levey's place of employment.Bikes are simply the cheapest, most efficient means of delivery downtown.

The city needs to get rid of the bad bike messengers and the negativepressures on messengers while retaining the messenger business. A tougherpolice watch would help. Courier companies that insisted on mature andcourteous workers would help. Licensing might help.

Washington would also do well to deal appropriately with the eternalsafety hazards caused by wandering pedestrians and irresponsible car, truckand bus drivers. So, to Bob Levey, I say: stop making simplistic, generalizedand, yes, unfair attacks on bike messengers.

ANNE BECK Rockville

Having sat out for so long, I feel it is time now to join issue withthose who believe that the greatest threat to urban civilization as weknow it is the bicycle.

First, one should recognize that a far greater threat comes from motoristswho, in their collective haste to get to and from work, ride roughshodover the rights of those who are not encased in the protective shell ofan automobile. When I was living in New Haven and in Boston, I thoughtit was only drivers in those cities -- and, of course, in New York -- whoexhibited such blatant disregard for niceties such as red lights and stopsigns. However, since returning to Washington I have yet to see a motoristticketed, despite the numerous traffic violations I observe each day. Itseems that the D.C. authorities are not up to doing more than fining theowners of parked cars for meter violations.

Second, much of the behavior of cyclists that is considered offensiveis really defensive -- made necessary by the conduct of motorists who forgetboth that bicycles are entitled to use the streets of our cities and thatthey are operated by living human beings vulnerable to being severely injuredby a driver's thoughtlessness.

Finally, the complaints of pedestrians and joggers would find a moresympathetic ear if made by persons who were not frequently lost in theirown world created between the earphones of their Walkmans.

DAVID B. GLAZER Washington

If you have comments or suggestions, email me at messvilleto@yahoo.com