Some elected officials can’t be trusted
“Change (one’s) stripes. To radically or fundamentally shift one’s opinion, ideology or allegiance, especially in relation to politics. Derived from the phrase “a tiger cannot change its stripes,” meaning that people are incapable of changing their essential nature.”
This is Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Gov. Ralph Northam. Formerly foes of Afro-Americans, LGTB folks and supporters of dictators like Assad of Syria. I don’t trust them and think they should resign from office.
Jon Appleton, Princeville
Cyclists, please pay attention
Yet again it happened today! A young man riding a bicycle on the wrong side of Kuhio Highway, without even taking the trouble to look out for oncoming cars or signaling his intention, suddenly swerved across three lanes of traffic. Cars screeched to a stop, narrowly missing him. Horns blared. Fortunately for him, and no thanks to him, Mr. Oblivious continued unhurt on his erratic way.
While I agree with a recent letter-writer that motorists need to show more aloha and intelligence toward cyclists, cyclists need to do the same toward motorists. All too often I see bike-riders ignore stop signs, run red lights, ride on the wrong side of the road, and indulge in other illegal and imprudent behavior. Many of them are clearly old enough to know better, so it is not just foolish kids who do this.
Please, bike-riders, consider that no matter who is at fault, you are more likely than the driver to be hurt or killed if you collide with a motor vehicle.
So, obey the laws and use what, alas, seems to be ever-less common sense. And please wear helmets. While not all the two-wheel scofflaws I see are unhelmeted, most of them are. Is there any correlation here between bare- and boneheadedness?
I suppose it is some cause for gratitude that these morons are only riding bicycles. How much more dangerous they would be if they were driving cars.
H.M. Wyeth, Anahola
H.M. Wyeth,
This is hurting my fingers……but, this is where Government needs to step in…….yes, we need Government oversight.
There should be some type of license required to ride a bike, with obligatory training/evaluation. I ride a bike, and I’m sure I’m breaking a few rules here and there.
Buuuuuut, I did have to do a driver’s test and practical evaluation when I was 15 years old, in order to drive a car with a permit. Yes, if that test and evaluation was for LIFE, then I think it would be fair to have some type of instruction and test for riding a bike on the road.
Tulsi Gabbard is for the military. Her ideas are taken to a command style economy, but really capitalistic economy. How is this? She adheres to command style economy. But trust that capitalism will be best for the country. USA. It is the way it is. And she wants to represent that economy. People.
John Wyeth, forgive me but im just another stupid scofflaw on a bike, im so sorry that we are all in your way! We all apologize for interfering with your texting as you drive down the road, we dont mind when you park in the emergency lanes , dont worry we can drive into the traffic to pass you! It pleasures me to be your dust magnet as well, so when your on a dirt road and see a biker and instead of slowing down your 30 ft high dust trail, just carry on and we will absorb and the clean your dirt by filtering it through our lungs. We really like the operators of the grey line and kaluamaka tour buses who park in the emergency lanes as well so overweight visitors can shoot fotos, if we can dodge you we can certainly dodge tour buses as well and drive into the traffic for them too! On a bike you see award winning acts of stupidity from cars every time you ride. So please John, vehicle operator stupidity outweighs bicycler stupidity at all times. law of numbers. Now John , as they say in Australia: on your bike mate! that means beat it.
Cyclists wearing dark clothing can be difficult to see until you are very close to them. They should be required to wear lime colored shirts or vests when riding their bikes on roadways just like highway workers wear when making repairs.
I believe joggers also should wear this gear so they are easily seen by drivers.
It’s also pedestrians that cause problems. On a recent trip north my son, in his truck, saw a man standing on the side of the highway. For some reason the man chose that moment to run across in front of the truck. He was lucky–my son was able to stop in time and narrowly missed the pedestrian, who didn’t even look his way! There have been too many accidents and close calls on Kauai in recent weeks and the year’s just beginning. Drive safely, watch traffic before crossing, and bikers be aware.
The attacks on Gov Northam seem to be a coordinated attempt by the right-wing to thwart the new reproductive-rights law that is being passed in the Virginia legislature. The photo was from nearly 40 years ago. I am hardly the same person I was then. It is interesting that such an old accusation against a Democrat has “substance” while the same thing against a Republican is nothing but a “slur on his character”.
Tulsi Gabbard has a 100% rating from the Human Rights Campaign, so obviously she has changed her political position on LGBTQ rights. Gabbard went to Syria to seek a way for America to remove itself from “yet another war” started by our own CIA, that her efforts to seek peace are used against her are alarming to say the least. And then there are the comments that she is for a “command” economy are ridiculous. How can she be a communist and a capitalist at the same time. She is a veteran after all. None of our other congressional representatives are. Whatever happened to “respect the troops”? Please don’t thank me for my service, I don’t need to have you (figuratively) “spit in my face” with your hypocrisy.
H M Wyeth while I agree that cyclists need to pay attention, it is encumbent upon vehicle drivers to do the same. I wear a florescent jersey/vest/jacket, helmet and socks and STILL vehicle drivers come way too close to me. I also have front (white) and rear (red) LED blinking lights. What else can I do (no, I’m not gonna stop riding)? Cyclists are no more culpable of breaking traffic laws than are motorized vehicles; I’d say that we probably break fewer of them than do drivers. But, as usual, the burden is put on bicyclists to go out of our way to try and be safe. Yes, I’ll most times lose an “argument” with a vehicle but that does NOT mean that a crash is always my fault. I say vehicle drivers need to PLEASE PAY ATTENTION.