New bicycle requirements should be taxed

Bicyclists are arrogant as Jim Stehn’s letter on Lacey bike lanes showed; car drivers don’t need attitude adjustments; bicyclists do. If bikes are a transportation alternative, those using bike lanes should pay their fair share and obey traffic laws.

Bicyclists are freeloaders; they demand special lanes on streets but don’t pay for them. They say their gas taxes pay for them, but when using their bike they use no gas, thus pay nothing. Create a special sales tax on bikes, to be used for bike lanes. Bikes using bike lanes must be licensed, same as cars and motorcycles using city streets, with the money going for bike lanes. Bicyclists need a bike endorsement on driver’s license, same as motorcyclists.

Unlicensed drivers should not be allowed to drive any lane on city streets.

Bicyclists are dangerous. Downtown Olympia on a winter’s night is no place for bikes. A bicyclist rode through downtown Olympia in the rain one Saturday night last winter. His bike had a tiny blinking red rear light which could barely be seen as he rode through streets filled with blinking and solid neon signs. He was almost invisible; very difficult for drivers to see. Some bicyclists ignore traffic signals; at red lights some temporarily become pedestrians and walk against the light. Where are the police when these bike traffic violations occur?

Freeloading, dangerous, and arrogant bicyclists won’t agree. Reasonable bicyclists should see the bad publicity being created. Reasonable bicyclists should see the dangers posed by idiots.

This story was originally published August 25, 2016 at 3:44 PM with the headline "New bicycle requirements should be taxed."