Monday, January 17, 2011
Not new at all
Jerry Doyle is ranting on the "new" outrage of requiring licenses for bicycles, proposed by New Jersey. "What's next? Walking licenses? Airbags on bikes?" etc.
It's not new at all, and it's neither outrageous nor threatening. Many states and cities used to license bicycles. I remember having a cute little platelet on my bike in Kansas. It was a matter of pride, a step toward adulthood. You'd fasten it under the rear reflector, or wire it to the little slots on the back of the saddle.
If I'm recalling correctly after all these years, Ohio's bike license was a decal that you wrapped around a frame tube. Not as cute as a platelet, but still a point of pride.
Twenty seconds of Google found this Ebay page of old bike plates for sale, just to verify that I wasn't completely dreaming!
= = = = =
It's clear that Doyle didn't ride a bike when he was young.
Lately I've been noticing such blind spots in people who clearly don't know what outdoors is. Another example: today's weather was miserable. Windy, humid, showery, 50 degrees. Anyone who walked in it would reach the same judgment. The KREM weathergirl called today "beautiful", apparently because 50 is greater than 32.
I'm coming to realize: Despite my lifelong hatred of sports and calisthenics (caused by the raw hell of junior high gym class) I've always done a fair amount of outdoors exercise. Perhaps more than the average sports-loving American. Out of 40 years of adulthood, there were only 6 years when I exclusively drove to work. The rest of the time I mostly walked or biked, reserving the car for seriously bad weather or hauling; and even during the 6 car-commuting years, I typically spent a half hour biking or walking after work. But it was never for the exercise, because I hate exercise! Just for grocery shopping or girl-watching.
[Incidentally, credit to old friend Larry for a random comment several years ago that led to this realization!] ¶ 2:15 PM
It's not new at all, and it's neither outrageous nor threatening. Many states and cities used to license bicycles. I remember having a cute little platelet on my bike in Kansas. It was a matter of pride, a step toward adulthood. You'd fasten it under the rear reflector, or wire it to the little slots on the back of the saddle.
If I'm recalling correctly after all these years, Ohio's bike license was a decal that you wrapped around a frame tube. Not as cute as a platelet, but still a point of pride.
Twenty seconds of Google found this Ebay page of old bike plates for sale, just to verify that I wasn't completely dreaming!
= = = = =
It's clear that Doyle didn't ride a bike when he was young.
Lately I've been noticing such blind spots in people who clearly don't know what outdoors is. Another example: today's weather was miserable. Windy, humid, showery, 50 degrees. Anyone who walked in it would reach the same judgment. The KREM weathergirl called today "beautiful", apparently because 50 is greater than 32.
I'm coming to realize: Despite my lifelong hatred of sports and calisthenics (caused by the raw hell of junior high gym class) I've always done a fair amount of outdoors exercise. Perhaps more than the average sports-loving American. Out of 40 years of adulthood, there were only 6 years when I exclusively drove to work. The rest of the time I mostly walked or biked, reserving the car for seriously bad weather or hauling; and even during the 6 car-commuting years, I typically spent a half hour biking or walking after work. But it was never for the exercise, because I hate exercise! Just for grocery shopping or girl-watching.
[Incidentally, credit to old friend Larry for a random comment several years ago that led to this realization!] ¶ 2:15 PM
