Regular Collum by Malatesta
Mercury Rising #2, November 1991
As messengers, we are a highly visible community whose future dependsheavily on the promotion of bicycles, check?! Every day more people everywhereare realizing the advantages of pedal power, yet many remain discouragedby a society largely ignorant and hostile towards bicyclists and theirrights. Buckling under to the interests of big business, our governmentcontinues to reinforce this nausea with sexy oil-guzzling energy and transportationpolicies that perpetually subsidize the freeway gridlock libido cancerindustry...Get the Fuck Outta My Way, it’s high time we added our chaindriven ambition into the mixin’...think about it! A network to keep usinformed, active and unified would benefit us greatly. A voice for ouranger, an effective vehicle for our bicycle moxie!
The fight to make our streets safe for bikes is fuelled not only byour vision and desire, but also the painful memory of too many friendsmaimed, crushed and killed by reckless Buicks, Fords and BMWs. The deathlast year of Richard Dreger was a loss we have yet to recover from. Anavid bicyclist and venerable S.F. messenger, Rick was murdered most brutallyby a DUI hit and run asshole in San Diego. The disturbing details of theaccident clearly illustrate the danger and injustice of horse-powered atrocities...
Collision Report no. DO21382
0 feet: Initial Contact Point. Start of skid from bicycle tire. 4’4":End of skid mark. 68’2": Left shoe.
106’5": Begin fabric scuff. (This scuff, created by some part ofRick’s shoes or clothing, ends 400 feet later.)
112’9": Knapsack from bicycle.
138’ 11":Rick’s eyeglasses.
199’1 1": Front axle of bike at rest.
202’1": Rear axle of bike at rest.
301’2": Styro bicycle helmet.
498'1": End of fabric scuff.
498'1 : Body point of rest.
The owner of the murder weapon (a '75 Chevy) was later identified tothe police by concerned neighbors who heard a drunken confession and spottedhim cleaning blood off the front of the car. He was an alcoholic with fourprior DUI's and outstanding warrants. He had no driver’s license nor autoinsurance and was not apprehended because of a lack of witnesses to pinpointhim as the driver at the time of the accident. Rick was cited as havingno rear reflectors and listed as the driver most at fault...yet he waswearing cycling shorts coated with reflective material tested to be visiblefrom 2000 feet and the seat-stays of his bike had 10 square inches of redreflector tape on them. The police did not even impound the offending car.What we are left with is a chilling collision report, a profound senseof sorrow and loss, and the fact that the killer is still free to crawlbehind the wheel of his '75 Chevy. (In 1989 alone, U.S. highway slaughterclaimed the lives of almost 4,000 bicyclists and over 6,800 pedestrians!)
This article is dedicated to Big Rick, and I hope we can keep an on-goingforum in this magazine to help spotlight ideas and opportunities for SFBMAmembers to further empower bicyclists everywhere. For instance, letterwriting. If one person from each bike crew could cattle-prod his co-workersinto writing letters and advocating bicycles, we could deliver some interestingmail to our friendly elected officials!
Currently, our Congress is slowly stumbling through the reauthorizationof the Surface Transportation Assistance Act (S.T.A.A.)...which is notoriouslyconcerned with reckless over- paving at our over-taxed expense, there areactually some pending resolutions/bills worthy of note towards bicycliststhis year...
H.R. 2102 - The Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvement Act of 1991 perhapsthe most ambitious resolution, introduced by Joe Kennedy (D-MA) is basedon the 3% initiative sponsored by bicycle lobbyists. That is, state highwaydepartments would be obliged to spend 3% of funds that the states receiveyearly from the federal budget on bikes and peds. This would amount toat least 100 million dollars. H.R. 2267 - introduced by Jim Oberstar (D-MN)this bill would require state highway departments to include provisionfor bicyclists in their highway designs. It also would require each stateto have a full-time Bicycle Coordinator . HR. 2869 - introduced by PeterDeFazio, D-OR), involved elements of both the above and calling for "Abillion of bikes !?! (Gee, whiz? And swollen cranks....) As the House andthe Senate dicker over these important issues, maybe we need to treat themto a free lunch in Jackson Park before they finalize the STAA at the endof the month!
At a more local level, it should be noted that the San Francisco BicycleAdvisory Committee (SF BAC) was created by the Board of Supervisors in1990 to help promote safe sharing of the roadways and develop a plan forbicycle related improvements in the city, i.e. bicycle routes, secure parkingand transit-bicycle interface. They also recommend action on funding forsuch bicycle projects and advise improvements in city policies, programsand goals. The SF BAC meets monthly, all meetings are open and the publicis invited to attend. Agendas are posted in front of Room 235, City Hallat least 72 hours before each meeting. Check it out. Our knowledge of thestreets needs to be represented at these city-sponsored soirees! The nextfull meeting of the SF BAC is Thursday, November 21, 1991, 5:45 PM at 450McAllister, Room 605.
Our bicycles afford us a healthy self-determination and a liberty tomove about freely that is indeed revolutionary. It is time to demand achange in misguided transportation policies - time to recognize the bicycleas America's true Freedom Machine!
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