Welcome to the end of yet another year, with the promise that somehow, tomorrow will be different.
Numerically, at least.
Assuming we all get there.
Think of New Years Eve as the world championships of over-drinking. And almost everyone is in on the competition.
A lot of people will have the day off, and may start drinking — and yes, driving — by midday; others will get off from work early and head straight for the nearest bar, if they don’t start drinking at lunch.
From noon on, you can safely assume many, if not most, of the drivers you see will have had one or more for the road. And if you ride tonight, assume every motorist on the streets will have been drinking, if not actually drunk.
You won’t be far off.
So ride carefully, and extra defensively, at all times.
And no, I’m not kidding. I want to see you back here next year, in one piece.
Please.
If you’re going out tonight, walk, take a cab or catch a free ride on any Metro bus or train. Or if you insist on driving, consider a free tow to get back home.
Or ride a bike.
Yes, drunk bicycling is illegal here in California. But the penalty is nowhere near as stiff as a DUI, and won’t count against your license.
Granted, you might kill yourself riding home under the influence.
But at least you’re not likely to take anyone with you, unlike those who insist on pouring themselves behind the wheel.
And no, I have no sympathy for anyone who gets busted for DUI.
And a hell of a lot less for anyone who kills or injures another person because they’ve been drinking.
Seriously, don’t be that guy. Or girl.
………
Apathy may be the biggest obstacle facing L.A.’s 2013 mayoral candidates; at least one voter wants more bike lanes in Wilmington. The Army Corps of Engineers unexpectedly razes a section of the Sepulveda Basin, a popular Valley biking destination. The Bicycle Kitchen wants your help deciding what color to paint itself. If only more merchants realized their customers don’t always come by car. C.I.C.L.E. hosts a class for traffic-averse cyclists next month. Memorable things happen when you ride a bike. Friends hold a successful Frisbee golf fundraiser for injured Canyon Country cyclist Kevin Korenthal. A new DMV study shows unlicensed and suspended drivers are three times as likely to cause a fatal crash. Carlsbad cyclists are startled to see Superman flying past — yes, Superman. The joys of riding at night. Cyclelicious is giving away books on bikes starting Wednesday.
Bicycling lists five things cyclists should have in their cars; bike riders need cars? Turns out Kirsten Dunst is one of us. Baton Rouge has tripled its bike lane mileage in just three years; I don’t think they had any when I lived down there a few decades back. Memphis aims to be friendly to bikes as well as blues. A cyclist is killed in the other Hollywood on Sunday. Three cyclists rammed by a car in South Florida last week say it could have been a lot worse. Tampa Bay sees a big jump in bicycling deaths this year. Continuing today’s Florida theme, a cyclist is intentionally pushed to the ground by a bike lane-walking pedestrian.
Riding a bike on Sunday was once seen as a road straight to hell. The UK needs to maintain momentum now that cycling is reaching critical mass (lower case, please), even while the country sees soaring sales of black market bicycles. British cyclists move a house by bike. Cyclists push for road safety in Greenwich. Leicestershire drivers ignore an injured cyclist lying on the roadside. Walking and biking are on a dangerous arc in Scotland, as fatalities could soon surpass those of motor vehicles within a few years.
Finally, helmets are evidently now required for every waking activity. And an Italian judge says cyclists are scruple-less, because we cheat and steal low-quality drugs. So make a resolution this year to only steal top-of-the-line pharmaceuticals.
You’re worth it.
