Letters

Garden Party
Dear NY Botanical Garden.:
I am writing concerning parking for bicycles at the New York Botanical Garden. I am a devoted member and frequent visitor to The Gardens and I applaud your decision to ban cars from the grounds. In this vein, why not encourage the best pollution-free form of transport by making bicycle parking more available and convenient. While there is a rack at the Moshulu Gate entrance, there are none at the Conservatory or Waring Avenue entrances. Also, the rack at the Moshulu entrance is in a tight spot, in an area usually overgrown with bushes and weeds. A parking spot close to the main administrative building would be a dream come true. I hope to continue my support for your lovely gardens, but do not wish to buy a car simply to make my visit hassle-free. For your added assistance I am enclosing a brochure from the CityRacks program. Thank you very much for taking the time to consider this letter and this situation.
Sandra Boer
Bronx, NY
Editor's Note: The Botanical Garden responded on all three locations, and said it is working to get a rack for the Waring Gate, especially since "[Ms. Boer was] not the first person to bring up the lack of one at this entrance." Nice work Sandra

RECIPROCITY
Bicycling in Manhattan
I ride through red lights,
though, unlike some,
I yield to pedestrians,

who get irritated when
I ignore traffic laws,
as they whimsically
jaywalk in front of me.

Bob Slaymaker
New York, NY

Ignoramuses
Editor's Note [specifically to Mark Lewis' letter in the Nov/Dec 98 issue]:
Vincent Gallo ( and others) pointed out that the bike he's pictured riding on our Sept/ Oct. '98 cover is a 1949 Schwinn Spitfire, manufactured before the advent of cable brakes. Thus the bike does indeed have brakes, contrary to Lewis' assertion. The editors regret not catching this error.

Kite Ban
Dear T.A.:
The attached article appeared in the Daily News on Friday, Oct. 2, 1998. The Parks Department (with Rudy Giuliani's blessing) banned kite flying along the Belt Parkway at Dyker Beach Park (over by the Verrazano) because it "distracted motorists, causing accidents." How many absurd sacrifices to our quality of life must we make to automobiles? Geez, there are some billboards along the Henry Hudson parkway that are pretty darn distracting - I don't see a rush to remove them. In the name of removing "distractions," this all could get a bit out of hand.
Matthew Chachere
Brooklyn, NY

NYC Bike Lanes a Dooring Trap
Dear T.A.:
The above photo was staged on 34th Ave. in Queens to show how even the door of a midsize car parked close to the curb fully spans the width of a NYC bike lane. The traffic engineers at DOT just don't seem to get it!
Take the city's bike map advice: "Be wary of parked cars. Motorists can unexpectedly open doors. Be particularly careful if you see a motorist in the car. Ride more than a car's door width away. Ride in a straight line. Avoid dodging between parked cars. Ride in a straight line at least three feet away from parked cars. Watch for cars pulling out of parking spaces."
Stu Desser
New York, NY

Unguided Missal
Dear Auto-Free Press Editors:
A few weeks ago we sent you a new product release about our Ballistic Automotive Design conversion kit for Jeep Wranglers. We included a press release and photograph...We would love to introduce our kit to your readers. Nationally, interest is running high. Just the other day our sales manager was stopped on a California highway by a man who has four Wranglers and "just had to know more." Please call me at 800-806-5313. Thanks for your interest.
Ernie Skoog
Ballistic Automotive Designs
Editor's note to Ernie: Thanks for your letter to the Auto-Free Press. The white molded plastic you use for your jeep makeover is quite something. Given your knack for market research, we're sure your product will be a big hit. Just one thing, we were very disappointed that with a name like Ballistic, you do not do bullet proofing. We'd hoped to get a new bulletproof jeep given the growing numbers of heavily armed pedestrians and bicyclists we have to deal with.