Bike lanes cause pollution

A San Francisco man who hasn’t owned a car in more than 20 years is spearheading a legal ruling contesting a significant new cycling initiative on the grounds that it will cause more traffic jams and therefore more pollution. He complains about nearly being run over by bicyclists as he crosses the street (he’s never had the same experience with an automobile?), and wrote on his blog that “Regardless of the obvious dangers, some people will ride bikes in San Francisco for the same reason Islamic fanatics will engage in suicide bombings — because they are politically motivated to do so.”

Did he really say that? Yup, on May twenty-first of this year.

The man in question, 65 year old Rob Anderson, also laments the holier-than-thou attitude San Francisco cyclists carrier around in their panniers. This is believable based on what we know, stereotypically, of this city, but it’s not a good reason to file a suit.

Regardless, the whole thing is amusing and reeks of irony. Bicycling encouraged to reduce pollution. Additional bike lanes presumed to create more pollution. Man who hasn’t driven in two decades spearheads litigation to keep traffic flowing freely.

Modified photo from Wikipedia by Agnieszka Kwiecień