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Published on 02/24/1997 All articles from this issue

Letters to the Editor

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Bikers who flaunt law should expect abuse

I am sorry to see that your correspondent Jonathan Wiener (Letters, Feb. 12 Town Crier) feels that Los Altos is an unfriendly place for bikers. My observation is that most of the anti-bike hooting and hollering arises from the unpredictable and therefore dangerous actions of a minority of bikers. These are the people who ignore (or are unaware of) vehicle law.

Mr. Norman Gable listed in his letter (Feb. 12) some of the most common transgressions which result in surprise and annoyance to unsuspecting motorists. Bikers who flout the law must expect occasional abuse. In fact if bikers had trunks they would probably be thumped.

Unfortunately Mr. Wiener is apparently in the group that is not well informed as to the law, at least in one area. He appears to be under the false impression that bike lanes are only for bikes and that the right turn from San Antonio into Almond should not have a line of cars stopped at the curb waiting to turn.

The DMV code relative to right turns is as follows: "drive your vehicle into the bike lane no more than 200 feet from the entrance or corner before you turn." If we allow 20 feet per vehicle we may expect to see up to 10 vehicles in the bike lane approaching the corner. Mr. Wiener, if he obeys the law, will need to take his place behind these cars and wait patiently for his turn to go right. The bike lane marker is frequently a broken (dashed) line in such areas.

Mr. Wiener may also be surprised to learn that automobiles may be parked in any bike lane except where it is specifically prohibited by a sign. In short the line of "less-than-brilliant drivers" that he complains about are actually well informed and fully in compliance with the law. In my opinion, they should be given the Village Vigilante Award of Excellence, qualifying for a kiss on the trunk from Jeff King.

Alan Dale

Los Altos

Truck driver made the wrong decision

Today, while bicycling our normal route along Arastradero, a three-quarter-ton pickup truck ran Kim, my wife off the road. As Kim, the love of my life, fell into the bushes I tried to brake but had to swerve and was almost hit by another car. The truck did not stop to see if we were OK but, in classic hit-and-run fashion, beat it out of there with me yelling, "come back here."

After making sure that Kim was OK, I wanted to ride after the truck. Luckily for us, the truck had made a turn and stopped close by. In this letter, I would like to finish the conversation I had with the truck driver about the accident.

Dear woman who ran my wife off the road:

I was too busy yelling, "How could you run my wife off the road! My goodness. You almost killed her," to say anything constructive. That's what this letter is for.

You said, "I would have had a head-on accident" if I hadn't run your wife off the road. This does not cut it as an excuse. The choices aren't: A - run woman on bicycle off road or B - have a head-on. But rather A or B or C - slow down and be careful. The answer, of course, is C. Choice A is too thoughtless to even broach and choice B is too silly to consider. You picked A. Shame on you.

You also said, "You shouldn't be on Arastradero because it doesn't have a bicycle lane." This is not correct. Arastradero does have a bicycle lane. However, that doesn't matter, as in any case bicyclists are allowed the right four feet of the road, more if there is a safety problem. In this case, there was an obvious safety problem.

The roads are there for all to share. If each one of us used the roads with care and consideration for the safety of others, as well as ourselves, a vast majority of accidents and near-accidents could be avoided.

Thank you for not only owning up to what you did but also for apologizing to Kim. Next time, be more careful.

Mark and Jim LaPolla

Los Altos

Homeowners need help,

not ridicule

In response to the letter in the Feb. 19 Town Crier regarding home and front yard maintenance, I would like to add a piece perhaps overlooked.

The general tone of the letter was quite negative and devoid of compassion, stating that those who do not maintain a certain standard of appearance are "guilty" and should hire gardeners "without delay." The letter went on to suggest that an ordinance be enacted that would "require homeowners to keep up their properties."

I know of a number of instances where homes do, indeed, look tired and worn out, the "guilty" parties being elderly and/or ones living on a fixed income that barely meets the demands of the '90s.

For the last 10 years of my mother's life, I was her gardener and handyperson. Someday, I too, may need the assistance of others.

Instead of pointing a finger in ridicule at other people, why not lend a helping hand?

Honor Spitz

Los Altos

Thanks for support from History House

On behalf of the Association of the Los Altos Historical Museum, I would like to thank you for your continued support of our crab feed-auction fund-raiser. Your participation helped to make it the most successful we've ever had.

We can tell you that this year's event yielded approximately $21,500 for the benefit of the museum's programs. Thank you again for your help in making this happen.

Pinky Whelan

Crab feed event chairperson