Oh crap, what did I say?
Letter to the editor of Chicago Tribune
I got an email yesterday from an editor at the Chicago Tribune:
I plan on using your letter to the editor on Saturday (tomorrow). Thanks for writing.
Sincerely, Dodie Hofstetter Editor, Voice of the people, Chicago Tribune
Thanks, Dodie. Except… I can’t remember what the hell I wrote! I write lots of cranky letters to newspapers. Let’s see… the Trib? It could have been energy conservation, gay rights, the invalidity of comparing Molly Ivins to Ann Coulter, or “bicycles and cars sharing the road”. At least I think I sent some of those to the Trib - I read a lot of newspapers online.
The winner is:
Sharing the street
Motorists seem to be most torqued off about bicyclists who run stop signs. The few who dart through heavy traffic deserve criticism, but cruising through when traffic is light posts no hazard to anyone.When you are your vehicle’s engine, you learn a lot about energy conservation. If I could, I would make every stop sign in the world into a yield sign for motorists and bicyclists alike.
Traffic is a fabric of forgiveness; let’s all try to cut each other some slack. Think of it as one thing you can do today to make the world a little nicer place for everyone.
George Wiman, Normal, Ill.
It must have been in response to the recent spate of letters from motorists and cyclists who each want the other drawn and quartered on national TV. I should have used the word “poses” instead of “posts”. And I do think it’s silly to bring any vehicle to a complete and full stop on a deserted street.
By the way, I just read that 2/3 of the energy in oil is wasted before it ever makes it to your tank. It triples the significance of every gallon of gas I don’t burn while riding my bike. I’m helping keep the price of gas down! (And so is everyone who makes the decision to buy a car that gets good mileage).
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