Comment to Bikes and Cars Coexisting

I decided to comment on Matthew's blog on bikes and cars in Austin.

It's a shame bikes and cars seem to be at odds in Austin, a city that's supposed to be known for its outdoor opportunities that include biking. Unfortunately, Austin seems to have a problem with aggressive driving, and adding in the boom we've had, extra congestion is making for a very poor setting for anybody who utilizes a bike. About a month ago I actually saw a driver who hit a guy on his bike around the Burnet/Anderson Ln. area. He was okay, but both of the parties involved were not following the rules of the road. A lot of people seem to complain about how the bikers disregard traffic rules, but drivers are just as bad and it makes for potentially deadly outcomes.

So what's the solution? While many will say people should be held more accountable (and I certainly don't agree with pulling out airguns to solve this problem), I think Austin should make some improvements to the roads and infrastructure in the higher density areas, which are where many people bike more for transportation and not for leisure. School is a great idea, but at this point, it would only be an attempt to break people of the habits they already have while biking or driving. The stretch of Guadalupe at UT has attempted to improve on this, but it was a quick paintjob in the right lane letting bikes know that's the lane they can use (anyone who rides a bike knows this already so it was pretty useless). I would say an individual lane dedicated to bikers would go a long way in ensuring everyone's safety, and giving many drivers a lot more patience so everyone can enjoy their preferred method of transportation.

Texas Politicians- The Greatest Caricatures in American Politics?

So, I was reading up on current events happening in Texas, when I heard 'George W. Bush' on the television. That was enough to get my attention. I always seem to find myself standing at attention whenever a Texas politician's name is mentioned. Why is that? For me, it's because they're so darn entertaining. Whether it's George W. spewing off verbal diarrhea, Rick Perry's squirrel hair (I swear that's a squirrel on his head), or Kinky Friedman just being Kinky Friedman, our politicians all seem to have some kind of gimmick or trait that Texans easily remember and at times pick on.

How many times have people really heard about the great politicians in the state of, say, North Dakota? Not much. Why? Because they don't have governors who talk about seceding from the nation, mayors who beat the crap out of party crashers, or jewish cowboys who run for governor (only California rivals our, erm... diversse candidates with the governor race). Dubya? Not a great president, but could someone please get him a television show ASAP? He is pretty hilarious and deserves a second chance... in the entertainment biz, far far away from Dick Cheney.

While this is all good fun, it raises another concern. With all of our colorful officials, is it possible for Texas to be taken seriously in the grand scheme of things? Before Perry mentioned seceding and rejected stimulus funds, we seemed to be respected nationally to an extent, due to our size and steady economy. In 2009, our outrageous characters serving the public may now be too much. Texas is mentioned and now many Americans just laugh pat that supporter on the head like a naive fifth grader who doesn't know anything. Is this how other members of the country view us? Have our politicians left a bad taste in the mouths of neighboring states, and have the citizens of Texas themselves become walking stereotypes thanks to Perry and others? Now may be the time for our Texas officials to tone down the personality quirks in order to have a greater say in national matters.

Despite that concern, I have to appreciate the pizazz and showmanship of our many senators, governors, and other active political influences. Many of them will go down in history with the likes of Stephen Austin and the Texas Rangers, immortalized and admired (or despised) by all who will come to live in Texas.