Commentary: Some people got it, some people didn't come close

Just in case you haven't heard/read, I'm not very popular among some in the bicycling community.

It seems the tongue-in-cheek sarcasm and caustic whit in my April 6 column didn't resonate with everyone who read it. However, some people did get it.

The first e-mail I received about the column was from Eva Syrovy on the morning it was published. "Your opinion piece brought a real chuckle. Like most cyclists, I'm also an occasional driver, so relate to both sides of that story! Gotta say, I do break the rules sometimes when on two wheels - and feel sort of guilty about it - but justify it blithely by somehow equating my lack of carbon- monoxide production with karma points. What do you think - perhaps a mile of non-carbon monoxide for one run stop sign?"

But a lot of folks didn't get it. Last week we printed two of the e-mails as letters to the editor. Those two were just the tip of the iceberg of the responses I received, but are representative of the majority of the comments.

I appreciate the feedback from everyone who took the time to read the column and write a reasoned reply - even those folks who missed the tongue-in-cheek sarcasm and caustic whit or somehow thought I was advocating violence against cyclists (which I still can't find in the column no matter how many times I read it), and those folks who wholeheartedly disagreed with me.

But as the e-mails continued to flood into my inbox, it became clear that some members of the cycling community had things other than reasoned disagreement on their minds.

Take for instance the e-mail I received at 5:07 p.m. April 12 (some of the words have to be censored, but I think you'll get the gist):

"You're an ------. I read your article and it's people like you that create more confrontations and hostilities between cyclists and motorists. I'm a cyclist and an SUV driver, but I pay my ------- taxes as well and have the right to ride my bicycle on the road safely and law-abidingly without worry about some jealous, overweight red-neck like yourself wanting to run me over. You are probably also one of those cigarette-smoking -------- who speed through residential neighborhoods where kids are playing and riding bikes. The next time you are driving around tanked up on a six-pack looking to harass cyclists, just remember, some of us cyclists carry guns to defend ourselves against people like you. - Good luck with your pathetic life. Go smoke another cigarette and ponder your angst against law-abiding citizens with your loser friends at the bar."

The writer signed his e-mail with a moniker I won't print but roughly translates to "upset cyclist."

An e-mail I received from an individual claiming to live in Oregon read in part: "You are an idiot sir. - I suggest you go spend some quality time in your garage tonight with your SUV running and the garage door down. Go with the sleepy feeling that overcomes you. The world will be better off tomorrow without you in it. Go to ---- .

Another e-mail lumps me into the same category as a certain radio talk show host. "You are a dolt. Your intolerance and ignorance is unworthy of being printed in a respectable forum. Don Imus must be your 'hero.'"

It didn't stop there. Here's part of a response I received from someone who has a military e-mail address: "Seriously, if you think that what you wrote is a good thing, then why don't we meet to discuss it. I'll be in the Springs this weekend and would love to discuss your hatred for cyclists in person. In the meantime - Go --- - yourself, -------."

And here's a one-liner that didn't mince words: "You are a ------ - idiot. I suppose that's why you became a journalist."

Reading back over the column I realized that I also took a few jabs at SUV drivers and cell phone users. None of the e-mail I've received mentioned that, and the SUV and cell phone communities haven't been inundating my e-mail inbox demanding apologies.

For the record, I am aware that there are good cyclists and bad drivers. I also am aware that there are bad cyclists and good drivers. And perhaps my column has brought the issue to the forefront enough that the "bads" in both groups will pay a bit more attention when they are on the roadways.

I'm thankful for the folks who took the time to send the reasoned disagreements. I firmly believe in discourse and debate, even if we eventually reach the point of agreeing to disagree. However, I'm afraid that some of the writers cited above have cast the cycling community in a light far worse than that of which they accused me.

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