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Date:         Sun, 29 Feb 2004 14:41:07 -0600
Reply-To:     John Rodgers <jh_rodgers@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         John Rodgers <jh_rodgers@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Subject:      Re: Friday and Bicycles
Comments: To: "Mr. Polak" <MrPolak@YAHOO.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <3324.24.214.48.59.1077940445.squirrel@www.spam-manager.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed

Chris, I know whereof and whatof you speak. I grew up there. I hated that town. It is a good place to be "From" so far as I am concerned.

John Rodgers 88 GL Driver

Mr. Polak wrote:

>When I lived in Europe I rode my bike on two-lane country roads from town >to town just for fun. I was a teenager, never wore a helmet, and never >had an accident, never even came close to getting hit. Some call it luck. >I was not required to wear a seatbelt in my parent's Fiat either. We >lived, survived and had a great time growing up. > >I came to US and joined the Air Force. I would ride on base with >problems. I got out of the Air Force and took my passion for bicycles >onto the city streets of Montgomery, AL. Oh, boy, what a mistake! It >didn't take very long for me get the message from the aggressive, >territorial and ignorant drivers. I bought a mountain bike and started >riding on a local 16-mile trail. It's funny to think that I'm safer >riding on a narrow, twisted, rooted and bumpy trail reaching rather >serious speeds on downhills within feet, sometimes inches, of trees, >making tight turns on the edges of ravines in place where crashing often >means you either hit a tree some rock that's hidden under a layer of dead >leaves than I am bicycling in a "civilized" environment. > >A few years ago Montgomery turned down a "rails to trails" project that >would have given a safe place for many to jog and bike and would have >opened up a route to down town where many work. Why am I still here? >It's an even longer story that I don't want to bore you with, but I will >tell you that my Vanagon takes me to the places where I really want to be >and that makes it more bearable. > >Chris. > > >


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