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unvfia wcic uvci mwuKUUgiy puuie iuthe tour, there were those specimens wfft were willing to risk a biker’s life to save themselves 15 or 20 seconds on theroad.Generally you see more of that kind out at the time of the full moon.•One-guy-in a—pickup truck almost ripped off your columnist just outside of Iowa City. I was tooling along with bikers in front and behind me and suddenly I heard this screech and I looked back in time to see a pickup truck stop inches from my back wheel.(I know you think I am exaggerating but.that’s the way it was: a screech and inches.)I got off my bicycle and offered to remove his head for him since he didn’t seem to be using it anyway, but he declined the honor.I still think the greatest single stroke for safe biking would be to require drivers, as part of their driving test, to ride a bike in traffic for awhile.2.—There are a good many ding-a-ling bikers on the road.I hate to say it of my fine, brave comrades on.the ride, but a lot of them don’t know the first thing about staying alive while biking. .They apparently are under the impression that drivers are on the lookout for bikers doing foolish things — like riding in the middle of the road or zigzagging through traffic.Drivers are not even on the lookout for other drivers. Bikes are invisible to them.A biker has to assume that he is ' invisible and bike accordingly.I’d be in favor of licensing bikers, except that it hasn’t seemed to work ■very well with car drivers.3 —Not enough bikers wear helmets. Hardly any do, as a matter of fact, andalmost everybody should.*The exceptions are those people who are good with their hands and can earn a living weaving baskets, making rugs and so on.When you’re going down the road on the bike and suffer a mishap, the chances are about 9 out of 10 that you’ll land on youi* head.And if you’re going to go around landing on vour head, vou'd best dress for
Newspaper Details
Des Moines Register
Des Moines, Iowa, US
Sun, Sep 02, 1973
Page 67
Full Page
Clipped by
University O.
IA, USA 11 May 2023
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