Local NY legislator: No one 'should ever ride a bicycle' in Suffolk County

[Paul Kemp]

A bit of absurd local news making its way around today that I thought some here would enjoy/loathe/laugh at:

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http://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/legis-thomas-barraga-no-one-should-ever-ride-a-bicycle-in-suffolk-county-1.7057107

Full letter (sorry for the quality; it's what they posted):




I'm still looking for proof that "90%" of bicycle riders are hit by cars and suffer "serious physical injuries."

[traininthedistance]

What a turd-guzzling assnugget.

[NewYorkExpress]

And I thought the Nassau Legislature was weird...

[Paul Kemp]

And I thought the Nassau Legislature was weird...

The Suffolk Legislature has been awful for as long as I can remember...

[Lief 🗽]

Is it just me or is every politician in this state terrible?

[Smash255]

I just got dumber reading that, especially the 90% thing....

[Napoleon]

Lol Long island

[MaxQue]

He should be personaly be billed the hospital bills of every injuried cyclist. He is personally responsible of their injuries, because of his lack of action.

[Paul Kemp]

TPM has picked it up lolol.

[Sol]

What a doofus.

What a turd-guzzling assnugget.

Somehow I knew you'd be the 1st one to post here.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

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An excellent reason to move out of Suffolk County if true. Cars as the primary mode of transport and more than slightly dense populations do not mix.

[Zioneer]

Nonono, you've got it all wrong guys; he was singing Queen's "I Want To Ride My Bicycle" in reverse!

Seriously though, this guy is serious? Guess they make stupid people in New York as much as they do in the red states.

[Sol]

Suffolk County actually does have a lot of pubbies though- they make 'em just like in Oklahoma or Utah.

[CountryClassSF]

This person should run for President. I'm tired of  bicyclists thinking they are above the law. We have enough traffic problems without making the lanes smaller in the road.

[Smash255]

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An excellent reason to move out of Suffolk County if true. Cars as the primary mode of transport and more than slightly dense populations do not mix.

He's from West Islip (south shore, western Suffolk) so its not like he is in the more rural areas of the county far out east by any stretch of the imagination.

[Smash255]

Suffolk County actually does have a lot of pubbies though- they make 'em just like in Oklahoma or Utah.

The Suffolk GOP is in pretty bad shape.  The County Legislature is currently 10 Democrats, 6 Republicans, 1 member of the Working Families Party a member of the Independence Party that is a former Republican.  The County Exec is a Democrat, same with  the DA.  Locally the GOP is in much better shape in Nassau than Suffolk   Comments like this pretty much explain why the Suffolk GOP is in shambles.. 

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

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An excellent reason to move out of Suffolk County if true. Cars as the primary mode of transport and more than slightly dense populations do not mix.

He's from West Islip (south shore, western Suffolk) so its not like he is in the more rural areas of the county far out east by any stretch of the imagination.

Even worse.

[SUSAN CRUSHBONE]

This person should run for President. I'm tired of  bicyclists thinking they are above the law. We have enough traffic problems without making the lanes smaller in the road.

this kind of attitude is part of the reason america has such a big problem with obesity.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Bicyclists are so pretentious and annoying. Before I started driving a few months ago, I walked everywhere. I walked six or seven miles a day. I had a nice tan and my legs had muscles in them for once. When I walked, I never got in the way of drivers because I was on the sidewalk.

Now that I drive, I find myself stuck behind fat old men in spandex riding their bikes down the main highway going ten miles an hour quite often. Yes, this is Florida (“God’s waiting room”), and this is normal. Commence in bashing Florida when you finish reading my next to paragraphs. Anywho, it’s impossible to get around them sometime. The main road by the beach, A1A, is one of my favorite places to drive since there is never any traffic, and the speed limit is 35, but on the weekend, some 70-100 bicyclists get on the road in groups and make it a nightmare.

I also have a problem with this “watch for motorcycles” campaign. Motorcyclists need to watch for everybody else! The men on the Harleys aren’t usually too bad; they are responsible and drive in a well ordered pack on the side of the road. But at least twice a week, I get cut off by some f[inks]ing 19 year old riding one of those rice rockets who dodges in and out of traffic, cutting between cars that are already five feet apart, and generally creating a nuisance. I can’t say I empathize for them when I see their bike on fire by the side of the road, an old lady crying out of guilt (even though the accident is not her fault), and finally, seeing the riders body wrapped twice around a telephone poll.

[Hatman 🍁]

He's got it all wrong. No one should ride a car.  I can't count the number of idiots running red lights, opening their car doors in front of me, pulling out in front of me, etc while I try to bike to work and back.

DRIVERS: GET IT THROUGH YOUR THICK SKULLS! SOME PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD TO DRIVE / WANT TO STAY FIT / AND BIKE TO COMMUTE. SHARE THE ING ROAD *SSHOLES, OR STAY HOME. QUIT COMPLAINING ABOUT CYCLISTS, ***YOU ARE THE PROBLEM*** POLLUTING THE ENVIRONMENT, CLOGGING ARTERIES, KILLING BYSTANDERS!!!

There, one of my few rants.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

He's got it all wrong. No one should ride a car.  I can't count the number of idiots running red lights, opening their car doors in front of me, pulling out in front of me, etc while I try to bike to work and back.

DRIVERS: GET IT THROUGH YOUR THICK SKULLS! SOME PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD TO DRIVE / WANT TO STAY FIT / AND BIKE TO COMMUTE. SHARE THE ING ROAD *SSHOLES, OR STAY HOME. QUIT COMPLAINING ABOUT CYCLISTS, ***YOU ARE THE PROBLEM*** POLLUTING THE ENVIRONMENT, CLOGGING ARTERIES, KILLING BYSTANDERS!!!

There, one of my few rants.

Or, you can bike on the sidewalk. Or walk. Unless you have a horse and buggy, you shouldn't be on a road designed for vehicular traffic.

[Sol]

Bikes are not exactly great for pedestrians either. The sidewalk is not suitable for bikers in any way. They deserve the road.

[Hatman 🍁]

He's got it all wrong. No one should ride a car.  I can't count the number of idiots running red lights, opening their car doors in front of me, pulling out in front of me, etc while I try to bike to work and back.

DRIVERS: GET IT THROUGH YOUR THICK SKULLS! SOME PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD TO DRIVE / WANT TO STAY FIT / AND BIKE TO COMMUTE. SHARE THE ING ROAD *SSHOLES, OR STAY HOME. QUIT COMPLAINING ABOUT CYCLISTS, ***YOU ARE THE PROBLEM*** POLLUTING THE ENVIRONMENT, CLOGGING ARTERIES, KILLING BYSTANDERS!!!

There, one of my few rants.

Or, you can bike on the sidewalk. Or walk. Unless you have a horse and buggy, you shouldn't be on a road designed for vehicular traffic.

Biking on the sidewalk is not only illegal, but dangerous to pedestrians.

And guess what, a bicycle is a vehicle!

But I see you've cleverly ignored my points. What's a poor person to do? Can't live close to work, rent is too high. Can't own a car, too expensive. Can't walk to work, lives too far away. Can't take public transportation, because it's too inadequate. But, nope. Who cares?? You have yours, Jack.

I try to respect traffic on my bike, but it's people like you that make me so angry, that I don't mind sometimes cutting corners. Especially if it means pissing off a driver like you.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Bikes are not exactly great for pedestrians either. The sidewalk is not suitable for bikers in any way. They deserve the road.

Your right, bikers are much safer going up the side of a two lane road with cars going by them at twice their speed and having to move to the center (and into oncoming traffic) to avoid hitting them. Or they can go on the sidewalk, and have to suddenly slow down and awkwardly pass somebody walking up the street. Which situation is more dangerous?

[Hatman 🍁]

Bikes are not exactly great for pedestrians either. The sidewalk is not suitable for bikers in any way. They deserve the road.

Your right, bikers are much safer going up the side of a two lane road with cars going by them at twice their speed and having to move to the center (and into oncoming traffic) to avoid hitting them. Or they can go on the sidewalk, and have to suddenly slow down and awkwardly pass somebody walking up the street. Which situation is more dangerous?

Or we can ban cars. Which would be much better for the environment.

After all, you don't seem to care about my transportation needs, why should I care about yours. I got mine, Jack.