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Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Gov gets Bicycling’s Wheel Sucker award
I wonder if Gov. Perry reads Bicycling magazine. And if he does, I wonder how he feels about his designation, on page 27 of the October issue, as a “Wheel Sucker” for vetoing a bill that would have made it illegal to pass within 3 feet of vulnerable road users in Texas.
“Yet one more ‘bragging right’ that we’re not so proud of here in Texas,” says Leslie Luciano, community relations manager for Bicycle Sport Shop. She stirred the fire after Perry’s veto, Tweeting and vocalizing her disgust with his move and rounding up for support for a similar city-wide 3-foot rule, which was met with approval by the Austin City Council last month. We like Luciano’s spirit!
Here’s the text of the blurb in Bicycling:
“Despite being a cyclist, Texas governor Rick Perry vetoed a bill that would have required cars to give cyclists, pedestrians, equestrians, farm-equipment operators, stranded motorists, motorcyclists, highway workers and tow-truck drivers 3 feet of room when passing. ‘While I am in favor of measures that make our roads safer for everyone,’ he said, ‘this bill … places the liability and responsibility on the operator of a motor vehicle when encountering one of these vulnerable road users.’ If you’d like to tell Perry where he can stick his veto, visit biketexas.org.”
That photo above, by the way? Taken after Perry broke his collarbone — while riding his bike.
Thoughts, anyone?
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