Ian Cooper
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On the article Amtrak to Replace Quarter Century-Old Locomotives Along DC-Boston Route
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On the article Gun Control, Gas Tax Hike Laws Signed Thursday
Ian Cooper
9:09 am on Saturday, May 18, 2013
ReplyAt least they increased the gas tax. It's about time.
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On the article SPEAK OUT: Is There an Alternative to Pepco?
Ian Cooper
5:52 pm on Friday, May 17, 2013
I lived for 8 years with a public utility in Massachusetts. Never had a single problem. The same cannot be said after just one year with Pepco. There are Third World countries with better power utilities than Pepco.
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On the article Bike to Work Day Pit Stops Near You on Friday
Ian Cooper
11:42 am on Thursday, May 16, 2013
Having said that, if anyone out there is using Bike to Work Day as a launch point for a week of cycle commuting, or a month, or making a commitment to a lifestyle change, that's great and I'm with you 100%.
But if you're planning to be back in your car on Monday, just don't bother turning out tomorrow, okay. Bike to Work Day ought to be more than an excuse for motorists to feel better about themselves.
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On the article Will You Bike to Work on May 17?
Ian Cooper
11:24 am on Thursday, May 16, 2013
@ The Big Egg: I think it would be great if more motorists took up cycling. The problem with Bike to Work Dayis that it doesn't do that at all. In fact it does the opposite - it allows motorists to think they're cyclists when in reality they are not.
Making the barest minimum effort to cycle every year - if the folks who organize Bike to Work Day are satisfied with that, that's all it will ever accomplish.
If people want to bike to work, they can start any day of the year. If they keep doing it, I'll be right behind them, 100%. But one day a year? That is an insult to anyone who claims to be a cyclist.
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On the article Bike to Work Day Pit Stops Near You on Friday
Ian Cooper
11:12 am on Thursday, May 16, 2013
ReplyThis is not an exciting time for cyclists. Bike to Work Day is a sham. It should be called "Motorists Bike to Work Day". It happens once per year and almost everyone that joins in is a motorist, not a cyclist. They ride one day per year and they think they've done their bit. For those of us who ride their bikes to work every day of every week of every year, every Bike to Work Day is insulting.
The day after Bike to Work Day, all the motorists will be back in their cars thinking they've achieved something for sustainability or for energy independence or for health or for any other ill that they think cycling cures. But the reality is that they haven't. 1/365th of an effort is an embarrassment. It's like a drunkard who limits himself to 15 drinks on a Sunday rather than his usual 16; or it's like a morbidly obese person who goes on a 5 minute run once a week and thinks he's working on losing weight.
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On the article Composting Key to Thousands of MD Jobs, Says Report
Ian Cooper
9:38 am on Monday, May 13, 2013
ReplyI would certainly compost if the government made more of an effort to support us in doing so.
As for Rick's worry about rats, trust me, the rats are in our neighborhoods whether we compost or not. The trick is to find composting containers that the rats can't access or chew through.
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On the article 4-Year-Old Silver Spring Boy Killed in Crash
Ian Cooper
9:39 am on Saturday, May 11, 2013
ReplyAnother speed-related crash. When are people going to understand (and do something about) the fact that speeding and speed limits that are already too high on many roads are the primary cause of what should be entirely avoidable accidents. In my opinion, no general traffic road, where pedestrians cross and non-motorized traffic is allowed, should have a speed limit over 30mph. With the vast majority of commutes being of 3 miles or less, motorists are saving themselves a total of 2 minutes and 156 seconds. Can we not use those seconds to save a few lives?
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On the article Poll: Americans Support Death Penalty For Terrorists
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On the article Plainclothes Police to Conduct 'Pedestrian Sting' Series
Ian Cooper
9:59 am on Wednesday, May 8, 2013
So might makes right - is that it? Let's hope you never fall foul of the driver of an 18-wheeler who shares your philosophy.
Clearly you have no idea why the rules of priority exist.
The road should not be a place where the heavier vehicle gets to bully the more vulnerable. If it ever becomes such a place, no one will be safe. Rules of priority exist for a reason and the idea that people would flaunt their right of way over those operating larger vehicles is, frankly, offensive. It is a road user's RESPONSIBILITY to act according to rules of priority - that means people, no matter what size or type of vehicle they use, MUST take their proper turn. That means going first even when a large truck is approaching a 4-way stop. When people don't go first when they should, chaos rules and people die. It's not about giving the finger to larger vehicles - it's about proper use of the road.
All people have to do is know and obey the rules of priority. It's not that hard. The Maryland Driver's Manual is all we need to know the rules. Sometimes it takes a little moral fiber to take one's proper turn or to wait for someone to do so, but that's what road use demands.
Ian Cooper
9:48 am on Monday, May 20, 2013
It's about time Amtrak came into the 21st Century. But 125mph is pitiful! Japan has trains and infrastructure that support trains that can run as fast as 350mph. Just imagine, DC to New York in 40 minutes, and DC to Boston in 75 minutes.