NPR's Marketplace on high schoolers' cycling

[Matt O'Toole]

I just heard an interesting segment on NPR's Marketplace, about how high
school students in Cape Town, South Africa don't ride bikes to school
because it isn't "cool." Sound familiar? Anyway, a few young cyclists
are getting together for moral support, developing an interest in
competitive cycling, and even getting together for training rides. So
there's a silver lining to this cloud.

However, at the start of the show, Kai Ryssdal makes a comment about how
cycling is becoming more and more dangerous. I think this deserves a
rebuttal.

I don't see the show in the NPR archives yet, so no link. Those in
Central/Western time zones may still have time to catch the regular
broadcast today.

Matt O.

 

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

>I just heard an interesting segment on NPR's Marketplace, about how high
> school students in Cape Town, South Africa don't ride bikes to school
> because it isn't "cool." Sound familiar? Anyway, a few young cyclists
> are getting together for moral support, developing an interest in
> competitive cycling, and even getting together for training rides. So
> there's a silver lining to this cloud.
>
> However, at the start of the show, Kai Ryssdal makes a comment about how
> cycling is becoming more and more dangerous. I think this deserves a
> rebuttal.

How about this- my daughter dropped by the shop in tears yesterday, because
her car was hit twice in the parking lot. Once while she was walking towards
it (a stoned kid backed into it, said he was sorry, he was too stoned and
didn't see it... he actually did say that...) and the second was someone who
simply couldn't figure out where her brake was. Fortunately, nothing more
than a couple scratches (1989 Accura Integra is a great school-parking-lot
car), but geez, it's amazing what goes on with kids driving to/from school.

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA


"Matt O'Toole" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...
>I just heard an interesting segment on NPR's Marketplace, about how high
> school students in Cape Town, South Africa don't ride bikes to school
> because it isn't "cool." Sound familiar? Anyway, a few young cyclists
> are getting together for moral support, developing an interest in
> competitive cycling, and even getting together for training rides. So
> there's a silver lining to this cloud.
>
> However, at the start of the show, Kai Ryssdal makes a comment about how
> cycling is becoming more and more dangerous. I think this deserves a
> rebuttal.
>
> I don't see the show in the NPR archives yet, so no link. Those in
> Central/Western time zones may still have time to catch the regular
> broadcast today.
>
> Matt O.

 

[Matt O'Toole]

Here's the link:

http://marketplace.publicradio.org/shows/2005/12/15/PM200512157.html

Matt O.