How about personal responsibility?

Published 9:00 pm Friday, August 23, 2002

Regarding the Aug. 20 news article titled “Barriers bother bicyclists,” you have got to be kidding me. I’m a cyclist, and when I come to an obstacle that is unsafe for me to ride around or through, I do something amazing: I get off my bike and walk! If I think I can make it and crash in the attempt, I blame no one but myself; I don’t cry like a petulant child.

I wish the whiners, like those mentioned in the article, would somehow find the personal courage to be responsible for their actions. I’ve crashed my bike many, many times and every single time it was my fault. I either wasn’t paying attention or was pushing the limits of my skills. Before you force taxpayers to put crash pads and safety nets all over the landscape, please study and understand these two concepts: personal responsibility and coping mechanism.

Mill Creek