New Philly Bike Laws?? November 20 2009
Philadelphia’s city council is looking at enacting some regulations for bicyclists. Included among them is a $20 registration licensing fee and fines for riding on sidewalks or with headphones or for bicycle maintenance.
The idea of registration is, in theory, not ridiculous. Especially if it were a tool to help recover stolen bikes. But, of course, that is not why they are doing it. Instead, they are doing it because they think it will help them track down hit and run cyclists. Motivations aside, it is totally unworkable. There are something like 50,000 bikes in the city. How many people will actually register theirs? 1,000? 5,000? People have bikes laying around that they barely use. You are telling me that if someone decides that if they are going to get off of the couch, and dust off that old bike on a Sunday in the Spring, they are at risk of a fine? And that Philly police officers will actually add this as part of their job duties? I doubt it.
I can’t help but see parallels with “bike registration” and gun registration. Doing it for safety reasons, to keep guns out of the hands of criminals, & etc & etc and yadda yadda…. and you know what? I bet there are more than 50,000 guns inside the city limits.
Of course, we have a right to defend ourselves with firearms.
You’ll have to read the whole thing and savor the ignorant indignation.
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