Posted on November 17 at 7:49 p.m.Suggest removal

"Before you've finished your breakfast this morning, you'll have relied on half the world" - Martin Luther King

Unfortunately, "relying on" often means exploiting. Earlier this year, the US Department of Labor released a 176 page document listing goods produced by forced labour, child labour or both. It is a heavily reviewed, well-researched document with a list of scrutinized references a mile long. It ultimately identified 122 goods, produced in 58 countries, found to be produced significantly by either, or both, forms of exploitative labour and in violation of international standards. The document is meant to help consumers wield their power as such, with a more conscious demand for commodities, beyond solely the criterion of consumer price, including respect to ensuring fair compensation for labour, gender equality, healthy work environments and the eradication of forced labour and child labour - values hopefully shared by most people that should be applied to all human beings. A link to the document:
http://www.dol.gov/ilab/programs/ocft...

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Posted on October 1 at 10:30 p.m.Suggest removal

Furthermore, nobody can win a fight for the road. Either way all will lose if one wins. Bicycles can neither solve extremely large distance commuting problems nor the transport of large amounts of goods, although in many cities bicycles like pedicabs (rickshaw-like) or those with trailers and cargo capacity are being used to transport goods over short distances, very efficiently, for only the cost of one person’s labour. Sometimes, inclement weather simply puts the keenest of us all inside our cars. On the other hand, more cars on the road cannot solve the issues of traffic congestion, lack of parking, the quicker eventual depletion of a very useful natural resource if overused, pollution, increased stressful driving as well as the mortal effects of our increasingly sedentary lifestyles.

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Posted on October 1 at 9:58 p.m.Suggest removal

Sure, if a bicyclist is the first at a four-way stop sign in a residential area, it makes sense to clear it and not slow traffic, but no other time and only if he or she is obviously first to the sign, and again, like a motorist, he or she must signal left or right. Yes, this would qualify as failing to halt at a stop, however I feel with my frequent eye contact with motorists, less bothersome to continue if I've already the right of way.

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Posted on October 1 at 9:54 p.m.Suggest removal

While bicyclists may legally ride on any road also driven by automobiles, including by FHA law, the shoulders of interstate highways, they are required by law to follow the same road rules. They must ride on the correct side of traffic, with and NOT AGAINST, and may NOT just simply ride through stoplights, cutting cars off who've the right of way, and additionally must respect pedestrian crosswalks - all of which (as serious rules) I see frequently violated by a few. As a courtesy, and a courtesy only, bicyclists are supposed to ride towards the edge of the road, and may ride in groups of four or larger as one entity two riders abreast (in two columns). Cars are required to give at least 3 feet between themselves and bicyclists while passing (effectively an arms length). Often, though, the quality of road or amount of dangerous debris near the side is such that it is truly unsafe for all parties that bicyclists ride at the curbside. Thus a rider may unfortunately have to occupy the centre for a minute.

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Posted on October 1 at 9:21 p.m.Suggest removal

Here in Norman, bicycle route signs abound on nearly every city street (including Main Street, Lindsey, Berry, Flood, and nearly every other – more than in most cities. However, neither the roads nor sidewalks (upon which riding is actually unlawful unless one is a child and unsafe regardless) for the most part, are bicycle friendly or safe, or car-friendly in the lawful responsibility to share the road. If promoted and accommodated, bicycling has the potential to increase the efficiency of urban city planning, while decreasing congestion, parking problems, accessibility issues and the overall need for local automobile trips. Being invented in the early 1800s, bicycles have been on our roads for much longer than motor vehicles. However, today, we (motorists and bicyclists) share the roads - the rights thereof and additionally the responsibilities, though members of both parties fail to respect this. I bicycle about as much as I conversely must also unfortunately drive and see very well both sides' arguments.

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