Monday, March 1, 2010

RAGBRAI Makes Us Look Stupid... Again

The Iowa legislature is working on a bicycle safety bill this session. I've said in the past that I'm kind of lukewarm on the whole deal -- I'd much rather see them push through the no-texting-while-driving law instead. After all, a twit who's too busy firing off a tweet probably won't know that he's invaded the Magic Safety Bubble that the bike safety legislation is supposed to afford me.

"But Jason, you grumpy old geezer," I can hear you saying, "what does any of this have to do with RAGBRAI?" I'll tell you. One of our august legislators has been pushing an amendment to the bike safety bill that would require cyclists to wear blaze orange or school bus yellow jerseys. Again, I'm lukewarm on this. After all, my uniform (in life and on the bike) is pretty much a gray t-shirt. Safer or not, I'd rather not be legislated into looking like a fat tennis ball.

"But Jason, you digressing weasel," I can hear you saying, "this still has nothing to do with RAGBRAI." Okay, okay, I'll get there. The person who was interviewed last week as a cycling advocate on Iowa Public Radio (I wish I could link it, but the story didn't get archived on their site) spoke out against this "bright shirt" amendment because -- warning, fuzzy memory paraphrase coming -- "many RAGBRAI riders don't wear shirts, or much clothing at all."

Seriously? That's our advocate? That's the best counterargument we have? Are we honestly saying that being forced to wear a shirt during Amateur Week is the worst indignity a bicyclist can suffer here?

Good grief.

3 comments:

Stacia said...

RAGBRAI will be traveling within 20 miles of my hometown this summer. You can bet that I will be making a point to stay far, far away that week!

Jess said...

Appalling really. Some people should not be allowed to be the voice of the whole.......ughhhh!

Anonymous said...

That was an elected official that made that statement. Everyone needs to plug into their legislators and tell them about what you do.