more on critical mass

this is from my friend Kira, not my words, hers (and they're damn fine):

I wanted to post to your blog, but alas, I'm blocked for my bloggerless state. On the thread of critical mass,

We need this. I'm tired of my Dad getting hit by hypocrite vegan automobilists on his daily bikeride to work. My brother just got creamed by a car biking on Capitol Hill, Seattle. My friend Evan Burke died this weekend when he was hit by a taxi on his longboard. As if that wasn't an outrage enough, the Ashland Daily Tidings was quick to point out that HE hit the moving car (not the other way around), while possibly drunk/high (speculation), while not wearing a "required helmet", or sporting a front light and rear reflector on his deck.

The reporting officer's take was something along the lines of, "well, it's a tragedy, but at least it brings to light the precautions that skateboarders must take." Are you serious? Evan was travelling UPHILL (and hills in A-town are steep) when he was hit (or hit the car, according to the ADT). F=ma, and the force of a skateboard operated by a 150-lb 21 year old, travelling uphill, doesn't equal a deadly accident. However, the force of a taxi, even at low speed, certainly does.

I'm not discounting the effectiveness/necessity of helmets, or headlamps, or reflectors. But not only was NO MENTION made of the dangerousness of vehicles, the article specifically pointed out that the driver was "not to blame."

Evan was one less goddamn car on the road - and he paid for it. The revolution will not be motorized, okay, but it's one hell of a dangerous jungle out there for pedestrians, bicyclists and boarders - unfairly so. We're less than 10% of the population of America, can you believe it? Aren't auto-accidents the leading cause of death? And America's need for cars just leads to oil wars - more lives taken. Throw in sleepy motorists mowing down the alternatively-powered crowd and goddamn -

don't give me some bullshit about how a rear reflector and a headlamp could have fixed all of this.

Sorry, had to vent somewhere that might understand. Maybe you could digest/post for me - cool. Hey...be careful.