It would render taxis almost useless too and take some of the worst offenders – as far as vehicles go – off the road. but i know i’m dreaming if that actually happens while i live here. lol

In the meantime, you and I and the many others who choose to ride here can remain secure that it is both a benign and laudable activity, and a good example to others, despite whatever hostility and intolerance we might be subject to from the “community”. And, perhaps counterintuitively, I believe the more of us that do it, the safer it will actually become. So don’t yield to the bastards! (Except, of course, where they might have the right-of-way.)

mooshu wrote:

Brady- yeah. There’s more on that here:http://www.virgin-vacations.com/site_vv/11-most-bike-friendly-cities.asp

But biking is still not as popular here as walking, even running (also great methods of exercising)– no way. Hoboken’s population plus its too-narrow blocks make such an activity a not-so-good-idea. Maybe for kids biking is doable (since they have use of a number of parks as well as the waterfront). But not for big boys and girls like you ‘n me.

If cycling were a great idea here, then I’d probably see tons of bikers on our streets. But I don’t, and I walk around here everyday. And unless you get all the street-parked cars out of the way to make room for bike-lanes (which is obviously not going to happen anytime soon), our town is not going to be one of those “safest/best cities for biking” that we read about in the ‘zines.

Those signs have gone up because cyclists have, unfortunately, become hurt or tragically killed in this town. And the light that went up right around Newark, by the PATH? That light was needed by everybody (pedestrians and drivers included– not just cyclists).

To push the issue further by making believe that we’re living in a bike-friendly town is not going to change the town we live in. I know “it’s not fair”, but so many things aren’t, and we should adjust to our reality. Only in that way are we going to better tolerate one another, because the ego-infused competitions for “my space” and “my recreational ‘rights’” and “my this-that-and-the-other” haven’t been working– they never have and they never will. And, forgive me, but they piss me off.

Perhaps if more of an eco-friendly dynamic played into this, we could see some real changes with regards to biking rules and privileges and so forth. But that’s gonna take a long time to achieve– it’ll take years– and we know it. So maybe we should just be patient about all of it, or simply accept our reality as it is, even if for the time being…

we’re not making believe that it’s a bike friendly town. really, no town in the US is, relative to other countries. Portland has come a long way, but still, something like only 5% of all trips are made by bike. That doesn’t touch places like copenhagen or amsterdam.

we’re not advocating safe things for cyclists ONLY. we all like the light by the PATH, as it’s good for all commuters (except the pedestrians that ignore it and still cross at will).

i don’t know why you don’t see tons of cyclists. i see people on bikes pretty much every day. i see tons of bikes locked up by the PATH also. I see bikes locked up by NYSC on newark.

there’s no reason to ever accept the status quo if you believe something improves the quality of life. if you disagree that it’s a good thing, that’s fine – so don’t participate and keep walking. i’m sure you enjoy your life. but for those of us that enjoy our bikes, we’ll continue to try to make it safer for everyone – awareness, education, and infrastructure.

that’s all about biking that i’m going to discuss directly with you. i honestly just don’t understand how anyone, about any issue, should just accept “reality” and not try to change things for the better. but oh well, whatever floats your boat.

dont-cha-know wrote:

mooshu wrote:

My perspective should not go overlooked just because it makes you feel better, for it is realistic and it speaks volumes about the truth of the town we live in.

No, your perspective should be overlooked for it’s self-centeredness/non-openmindedness, and, frankly, bizarreness. Not only do you “disapprove” of bike riding here, but you presume to decide for those who choose to ride that it’s not worth their while to do so? You’re really out there, man. And btw, lest you think it’s just me who thinks so, read all the other responses to your comments.

Hope that you feel better about yourself.

chili agee wrote:

You guys need to stop engaging moo moo. She’s a nut job. There is nothing to be gained it.

Go get laid.

But biking is still not as popular here as walking, even running (also great methods of exercising)– no way. Hoboken’s population plus its too-narrow blocks make such an activity a not-so-good-idea. Maybe for kids biking is doable (since they have use of a number of parks as well as the waterfront). But not for big boys and girls like you ‘n me.

If cycling were a great idea here, then I’d probably see tons of bikers on our streets. But I don’t, and I walk around here everyday. And unless you get all the street-parked cars out of the way to make room for bike-lanes (which is obviously not going to happen anytime soon), our town is not going to be one of those “safest/best cities for biking” that we read about in the ‘zines.

Those signs have gone up because cyclists have, unfortunately, become hurt or tragically killed in this town. And the light that went up right around Newark, by the PATH? That light was needed by everybody (pedestrians and drivers included– not just cyclists).

To push the issue further by making believe that we’re living in a bike-friendly town is not going to change the town we live in. I know “it’s not fair”, but so many things aren’t, and we should adjust to our reality. Only in that way are we going to better tolerate one another, because the ego-infused competitions for “my space” and “my recreational ‘rights’” and “my this-that-and-the-other” haven’t been working– they never have and they never will. And, forgive me, but they piss me off.

Perhaps if more of an eco-friendly dynamic played into this, we could see some real changes with regards to biking rules and privileges and so forth. But that’s gonna take a long time to achieve– it’ll take years– and we know it. So maybe we should just be patient about all of it, or simply accept our reality as it is, even if for the time being…

mooshu wrote:

My perspective should not go overlooked just because it makes you feel better, for it is realistic and it speaks volumes about the truth of the town we live in.

No, your perspective should be overlooked for it’s self-centeredness/non-openmindedness, and, frankly, bizarreness. Not only do you “disapprove” of bike riding here, but you presume to decide for those who choose to ride that it’s not worth their while to do so? You’re really out there, man. And btw, lest you think it’s just me who thinks so, read all the other responses to your comments.

it’s one of the biggest bike cities in the world though. and it exists because they built the structures to support cycling.

i don’t see why it’s impossible for a city of 40,000 people to have cyclists in it.

if you choose not to because you don’t see the benefit, that’s fine. but that doesn’t mean those of us that do are arrogant or entitled. i really just don’t understand that logic at all. biking it a quite enjoyable method of transportation and recreation, not to mention exercise. if there’s a lot of people in the city that want things done to help make it safer, why is that a bad thing?

We don’t approve of bike-riding in this town of 45,000. Not because we’re selfish, arrogant, me-me-me types. But because bike-riding can’t possibly be as pleasurable an activity in such a crowded community, one chock-full of heavy foot and automobile traffic. It simply creates unnecessary hazards not just for pedestrians and drivers, but for the cyclist as well.

Whether or not you elect to ride your bike ’round here is your choice as well as a huge responsibility. But to us, and certainly lots of others, a cyclist may as well ride his/her bike in a messy closet.

My perspective should not go overlooked just because it makes you feel better, for it is realistic and it speaks volumes about the truth of the town we live in. It’s small, quaint, convenient and heavily-populated. And you can defend your “privileges” and “entitlements” until you’re blue in the face. But no amount of signage or protesting is gonna make Hoboken a bike-friendly town. Not to mention that we have bigger fish to fry, anyway.

Run me over, will ya’? Cute. But I don’t doubt the possibility of that.

On the plus side, I’m not shakin’ in my boots. And as you’ve witnessed, I do not go down without a fight.