Mutual respect on the road

Read letter to the editor & follow the "Mutual respect on the road" comments at Pilotonline.com.

Post your comments here too.

"Free rides aimed at awareness" in today's Beacon

Pick up the paper today to read John Streit's article on page 17:

...Golden, owner of triathlon outfitter Final Kick Sports, is as conscious of bicycling safety along the Shore Drive corridor as anyone. But in April, just days after tragedy struck, he got a poignant reminder of how dangerous pedaling on the busy thoroughfare can be.

The discussion on how to make sharing Shore Drive safer continues

From a recent email to us:

Share Shore Dr??????
Mr. Hersch made a tragic and foolhardy choice.

Would you ride on I95? It is morally irresponsible and totally reprehensible to encourage people to ride in an area such as the Shore Drive corridor until such bike paths exist that offer a SAFE riding experience.

The Shore Dr corridor is hazardous for motor vehicle traffic. I am appalled that you would even consider anything akin to encouraging people to ride a bike in such an unsafe environment.

I suggest you get legal counsel, and consider the possible civil actions that you and your group would invite should your actions result in death or injury to other cyclists.

Your efforts would be far better directed in working with the city and state to have the bike paths built.

One need only drive Shore Dr or Atlantic Ave to see many, many irresponsible and unsafe riders who court grave injury to themselves and motorists by riding unsafely in this area. I understand that you WANT to be able to ride there, it’s a beautiful spot. But the REALITY IS that it is patently UNSAFE.

Please reconsider how you expend your energies. It is INEVITABLE that this tragedy will repeat itself UNTIL a separate bike path exists.

There is no glory, or martyrdom for Mr. Hersch or subsequent victims of this foolhardy behavior.

I love to ride as much as anyone, I’m just not willing to orphan my children or sacrifice my physical well-being to do so.

Most Sincerely,

xxxxx xxxxxx