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Um, didn't your governor recently sign a bill into law that makes some majorly positive changes to MI traffic law as it pertains to bicycles, which includes language that forbids municipalities from enforcing such ordinances?
Of course, this is one of many reasons why I left metro Detroit 10 years ago... My parents stopped riding their bikes in SE Michigan altogether. They're retiring to the U.P., which is far more bike friendly, and that's where they ride. Sad.
Seriously, Salsa, It was likely passed due to a decent amount of lobbying by GM and the other detroit-based motor companies. Hooray for gas-sucking America!
Not sure. I found an article from July about that. It mentioned a bill, but it did not say if it passed. I am really unfamiliar with government, so I have no clue how long it takes for something to pass and afterward, how long to take effect. I'm contacting our league of michigan cyclists to find out the status on the bill. Let's hope it passed so we don't have to deal with these crazy ordinances anymore!Quote:
Originally Posted by donnambr
Salsa, while you're doing your research, send that letter to your local paper right away, and I wouldn't even delete #3. Maybe your paper has a guest-column feature on their op/ed page, and this letter would be perfect for that. It may alert other citizens to the injustice you're concerned about.
dear TE,
thank you so much for shipping out the new saddle so quickly! you guys have the best service ever!!!!
a loyal customer
dear weather gods,
please stop down pouring and be light on the winds tomorrow so i can enjoy my new saddle.
thank you,
the girl that lives with the weatherguy.
To whom it may concern:
thanks for holding back on the hurricanes so that my DH is now on his way home from the gulf coast instead of having to live there this month.
and thanks for the gorgeous weather we've been having here in the northwest.
Is it too much to ask for just ONE MORE day? just asking.
Mimi
Just sprinkle some TUMS on your sundae. :pQuote:
Originally Posted by SadieKate
Dear People Who Ride With The Helmet Hanging From The Handlebars:
Have you already sustained a traumatic head injury? I cannot imagine any other reason why you would make such a grievous error in judgement. You get on your bike. The helmet's dangling off the handlebars. You think...what? "It looks so pretty, I'll just leave it there"? Why wouldn't you put it on your head?!? Helmets prevent 80% of traumatic head injuries. I don't know how well they protect your handlebars.
Perhaps I shouldn't care about your questionable decisions. But it bothers me. SHEESH.
Signed,
Worried About Your Brains
Lise -- I've seen a lot of "helmet hangers," too. Usually on hot days. Then again, without fail, I usually see at least one doofus without a helmet either on their person or on their bike every time I'm out riding. More often than not, an IPOD is plugged into their ears and their bike handling skills are the pits.
I doubt they have much grey matter, so worrying about their brains, while generous of you, is probably futile. Maybe it's a Darwin thing.
I've also oftened wondered about people who ride without shirts (men) or chicks who just wear skimpy running bras when riding. Imagine the road rash if they were to wipe out.
Speaking of which, this summer, I saw a chick wearing a bikini top while riding her bike. A couple days later, the same chick, in the same skimpy bikini top, was jogging, holding her bouncing bosoms as she went down the trail.
Then there's the girl who bikes in shorts that say "hottie" on the back. No lie. Amazingly enough, she doesn't wear a helmet either!
:eek: :eek: :eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by mickchick
Holding her bosoms?
Again, I say, :eek: !
Not at all surprising that "hottie" doesn't wear a helmet. She's looking for a man rich enough to provide all her care when she's on the vent after her traumatic head injury. oooo! hiss! ;)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lise
I agree with Lise - :eek: :eek: :eek: !
Maybe she should hold out for a talented plastic surgeon so when they finally stretch down to her waist, she can get 'em hiked back up for free... Until then, it kinda makes it tough on the mammo tech. :( :)
heaven forbid you wear normal workout gear that would get in the way of your tan!Quote:
Originally Posted by mickchick
on that note: glad i'm so pale and my skin hasn't seen sunshine since last december!
um...
Is there anything so wrong with wearing a regular sports bra/top for biking in hot weather?
Sure I won't MELT or DIE if I wear a regular t-shirt, but as long as I'm wearing my helmet/glasses/gloves/hydropack, I'm not sure that I'm in any MORE danger for what I'm wearing (or not wearing)
...and YES, the ladies are properly restrained. :rolleyes:
I think it was more the:
andQuote:
skimpy bikini top
Although I know that the clothing I wear wouldn't give much protection in a real wipe out. Lycra and polyester. It's not exactly leather! And thank goodness for that. :cool:Quote:
Imagine the road rash if they were to wipe out.
I DO have nice 'battle scars' on my hydrapak from crashes. Generally, as long as I have that stuff (and I usu. wear baggy shorts for short rides. I like lycra, but feel sorta exposed) I feel pretty protected...
along with the 'Dear So and So'...
Dear DGF,
Thank you for riding with me far further than we'd ever gone together this weekend. You look SOOOOOOOOOoooo good in your new helmet, with those hot red sun glasses and endearing smile. You say I have a helmet fetish, but I just see you being safe and looking happy, and it makes me happy.
Yes, it DID make me giddy when you looked at the sandy humps around our campsite and said "It'd be WILD going over those on our bikes!" I just love the idea of you really enjoying what I so love.
You rock so much.
-Foxna
PS.
I'm winning!
Dear teachers and administrators at my 8 year old's school...
He's been homeschooled for the last three years. He's going to take some time to adjust to the classroom environment before he's comfortable performing for you...assessing him on the very first day of school when he's never been in a classroom before is not going to give you an accurate indication of where he is academically. Give him some time and do your best to help him adapt to this huge transition...I trust that once he's comfortable there, he'll do just fine academically.
Hey Brandy, in 6 months when your son is totally adjusted and doing fantastic the school system will re-test him and then they will say "look how much we accomplished with this child in such a short time!"
To whom it may concern.
Thanks for the amazing weather display. We woke up to a wet street and the smell of rain. We drove to pick up our friends in a downpour.
Then we headed to Enumclaw at the foot of Mount Rainier where we did our
practice ride for the uphill race we are planning in october.
The sun was out, the temperature was perfect! it never rained on any of us..
Thank you!
Oh mimi, you're so right. I have no doubt that they'll take the credit. Whatever...just be gentle to him and ease the way, that's all I'm asking of them.Quote:
Originally Posted by mimitabby
Too late for me... I resemble that remark already... :( :eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by Xrayted
Dear Bike Gods/Powers that be/ANYBODY WITH PULL:
Please give me the confidence and ability to ride my bike so quickly and so effortlessly and so EXPERTLY that I finally shove my DH's words down his throat and make him EAT MY DUST cuz I keep riding circles around him!!!
Oh, and please give my DH the strength to deal with the humilitation of defeat..........
... oh its coming....... its just a matter of time. ;)
hehe... Getting there myself. Here's a pic before I took up biking. :rolleyes: :D :D :D (Hope it works)Quote:
Originally Posted by mary9761
ROFLMAO!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Xrayted
ditto except DBF instead of DHQuote:
Originally Posted by CyclChyk
Originally Posted by CyclChyk
Dear Bike Gods/Powers that be/ANYBODY WITH PULL:
Please give me the confidence and ability to ride my bike so quickly and so effortlessly and so EXPERTLY that I finally shove my DH's words down his throat and make him EAT MY DUST cuz I keep riding circles around him!!!
Oh, and please give my DH the strength to deal with the humilitation of defeat..........
... oh its coming....... its just a matter of time.
Make that ditto X3 for a male FRIEND!!!http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...pythoughts.gifQuote:
Originally Posted by chickwhorips
Dear brain,
Dairy, granola, and 3-bean chili all in one day? What were you thinking?! :eek:
Too funny!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Dianyla
Plus side to working where I work-Quote:
Originally Posted by Lisa S.H.
10'x20' room, all by myself for 8 hours.
Minus side to working where I work-
10'x20' room, all by myself for 8 hours.
*glances around for someone, anyone to blame it on.*
One of those days you need a dog to follow you around.
Dogs- they take all that blame, and only ask treats and leftovers as payment.
:D
Dear shipping company,
Geez! Will you get it together already?! I've waited three weeks while you sorted it out which one of you companies was supposed to handle the final stretch. Then you waited for the check from them to actually reach your bank (another week). And now you say you have to wait til next week when you've got a truck scheduled to do the drive? It's an 8-hour drive, for gosh sakes, between the first and fourth largest cities in the country, and you only send a truck up once a week?
Sigh.
At least be careful not to damage my bike! I expect to be over my bronchitis by the time it gets here and I don't want to have to wait out repair time before riding it!
Duck on Wheels.
Dear powers that be,
Help me learn and become confident in my new bike and my own ablities quickly, so we can ride the rodes with confidence and speed. I love the speed. Help me to like hills!!! :eek: Cause thats all I have around here. LOL
Deat legs,
Thank you for putting up with the 10 mile headwinds, up hill. Thank you for tolerating me going all out for the nearly 20 miles that followed. Thank you not being sore today.
Dear rain gods,
Thank you for raining all day today. We need it sooooo much.
Texas girl
No, you do not look cool riding on the side of the road, against traffic, with no helmet. Oh yes, I forgot to mention you're wearing dark clothes at dusk (and you don't have a light) and appear to be listening to music. I can understand why you think you might, in your baggy jeans and laid back attitude.
But you're really risking your life every time you ride like this. A helmet, some lights, taking the headphones off - this seems like common sense when biking in a car populated world. Riding on the right side of the road, maybe not something you would guess is the right thing to do, but if you learned a bit about your chosen transportation, then you'd know this too....
Signed, a concerned cyclist and car driver.
Dear idiot woman in the mercedes who p***ed me off today...
Thanks for being the free spirit that you are by throwing caution to the wind when we came upon a 4-way stop with a skittish horse in training, attached to an Amish buggy full of kids. Thanks for not understanding when we decided to allow the horse all the time he needed to calm down and resume peacefully so we didn't get hoofed to death crossing the road. I especially appreciate all of the horn blowing and expletives out the window regarding how we are holding up traffic. (You were the only car around so I'm not sure that constitutes a line being formed. :confused: ) It certainly made and impact on us and I know it made the horse so much more comfortable with his ultimate decision to bolt in our direction. :eek: The fact that we didn't get trampled amazes me still. Now I have a nice gash in my leg from falling onto a good friend of mine and her bike. My first fall, thankyouverymuch. (I thought it would come when I finally get my clipless pedals on, but no this one is all on you, oh Diva of Mayhem.)
Not being from this area, I'm sure you may not have understood some of the language I was using as I limped over to your window for a close encounter of the dangerous kind. All I can say is, try Google, it knows all. If you can't quite remember all of the commentary, feel free to come on back around and I'll remind you again.
Have a nice day! (Here's your sign.) :) :)
-X.
Dear Woman With the Boxer,
If your dog is so mean that it will eat a small dog you might want to reconsider having it in an apartment complex. I realize my little Heidi should not have pulled away her leash, but I was chasing her down. She is simply a social butterfly and we have tried to teach her all dogs are not friendly. I felt bad enough without being scolded by a complete stranger.
Sincerely,
Glad to be moving to my own house with a fenced yard
Dear OTHER woman with the boxer,
You may think there is nothing wrong with chaining your boxer and your rottweiler to trees right in your front yard about 12 yards back from the road we ride along, as you informed me "they are on my property so I'm within my rights" when I came up to politely talk to you about it and you closed your door in my face.
But the fact is, your vicious dogs are barking and snarling and throwing themselves against their chains and collars with all their might when we pass on our bikes, threatening everyone on the public road, and one day their collar or chain may snap and from my hospital bed, covered with skin graphs, I will sue your sorry moronic a** for everything you've got. :)
Dear Losers Who Fish, Picnic, or Otherwise Populate the Banks of my River,
It's not a dump site you lazy SOBs and I don't appreciate kayaking amongst your filth. I'm surprised you can get your pathetic lazy butt off your couch. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
Hey, Squeaky, don't sugar-coat it--tell us how you really feel! ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Squeaky
Seriously, we've got the same problem here with people who boat on the bay and pull their boats up on little sand-bar beaches--leaving their crap all over the place when they go. It sux, big-time. Who do they think is going to clean up after them? Wonder if they'd like me to come along and leave trash in their yard like that. I'm with you, Squeaky: :mad:
I know, I get soooo mad about this. It's one of the few things that gets under my skin. And it did feel really good to vent.... :D
Dear Cycling Buddies,
Thank you so much for introducing me to the sport and helping me along in my initiation. You guys have been a constant inspiration to me and the best support group I could ask for, outside of the TE gals.
I know that when you guys ride with me (and I always appreciate your invitations) you are "slumming." Unlike you guys, I do not compete in Ironmans, triathlons, Xterras, ultramarathons, Death Rides, etc. I know that you are chafing at the bit to get moving, instead of doddling along at my 16-17mph clip. Instead, you do your 2,000 ft climbs before we meet, join me for my flat 30 miles and make sure I'm home safely before you finish the rest of your training ride.
You guys give me helpful hints, teach me the rules of the peloton, give me encouragement when I need it, spur me on when I feel lazy and generally protect me when I'm on the road. I don't mind the teasing because it shows that you have included me into your "club." And it does not go unnoticed that on windy days you ride so that you are blocking the worst of the wind for me. Dan, James, Jim and David... you guys rock.
Dear Digestive Tract,
I know that things have been hairy for us lately. Even though Reason claims absolute bliss for having found "the one" and the prospect of living together would be sooo much easier and just awesome until we get hitched and bike into the sunset. Please don't let parents filling the brain with seeds of doubt and disapproval get you all bent and twisted because it is mostly painful and uncomfortable to constantly feel anxiety over the future, life changing and the two of us moving on and no longer being the parent's little girl. Life changes and it will be okay.
Your Mind.
Dear Boss:
Please don't ask me in the middle of the day what my plans are for after 5pm. I have a life...doesn't the bike on the back of my car give a hint as to my plans? But thanks for not making me stay after 5pm just to sit in your office so you can feel "safe" interviewing a female prospective employee. Especially since I already did the initial interview last week. However, anytime before 5pm is ok....or at least a days notice.
Thank you,
Partially dedicated employee :)