Get over it.

Ad on Mass Transit Asks Unusual Question

by KYW's Pat Loeb

An unusual new ad has popped up on the side of some Septa buses and in subway cars. It asks, "Are you good without God?"

The ad was placed by a coalition of non-believers.

The ad appears on 25 buses and in 25 subway cars. It cost $5,000.00 to run from now until December 7, and it was paid for by a group called the United Coalition of Reason. That's Reason, as opposed to religious belief.

Spokeswoman Martha Knox says the group wants to provide the same kind of community that churches provide for believers:

"Providing networking for atheists, humanists and agnostics, to meet each other and have a community and have support."

Knox says the Septa ads are part of a national campaign to encourage non-believers to join local groups such as the Ethical Humanist Society of Philadelphia or Atheists Meetup. She says, so far, there's been no feedback on the ads.

Council to Consider Bicycle Registration

by KYW's Mike Dunn

The ongoing jockeying among cars, bicycles and pedestrians in Philadelphia took a tragic twist in recent weeks with the deaths of two pedestrians who were struck by bicycles. Now, city council may look at requiring the registration of bikes so cyclists who cause accidents can be tracked down.

City councilman Frank DiCicco says countless pedestrians are struck by bicyclists and rarely does the cyclist stop:

"When someone's struck by a bicycle, all you know is its someone on a bike, and the bicyclist takes off."

His colleague Jim Kenney says the deaths of the two pedestrians highlight the need to restore some order:

"There are elements that refuse to follow the rules, refuse to stay in the bike lane, swerve in and out of traffic during rush hour."

So DiCicco on Thursday will propose that a bill that would institute mandatory bicycle registration:

"My bill would require everyone who operates a bicycle over the age of 12 to have his or her bicycle registered. Because we'll at least have a tag, which we can identify in case there is an accident."

Kenney meantime will propose increasing the fines for riding bicycles on the sidewalks. The current fine is ten dollars. Kenney wants it at $300. He also wants the current three dollar fine for wearing headphones while on a bicycle to also increase to 300 dollars:

"We've had a center city death and a South Philadelphia death, and god knows how many other injuries that have gone unreported. People's health and safety -- and life -- is in the balance with this."

Its unclear whether police or another agency would be responsible for enforcing the new measures. The ideas will be debated in committee.

Kenney will also propose penalties for bicyclists who remove brakes from their vehicles, a practice that he says is suddenly gaining in popularity. He suggests either a $1,000 fine for those operating bicycles without brakes, or a penalty of forfeiture of the bike.

KYW's Steve Tawa reports the legislation comes as more folks are riding bicycles in Philadelphia, some of whom are clearly violating traffic laws, according to Philadelphia police.

It is written into the motor vehicle code and enforcement will be stepped up in the next couple of weeks:

"We're not targeting the family on a Sunday trying to get to Fairmount Park on their bikes, and they coast through a stop sign."

Philadelphlia police Sergeant Ray Evers says they'll stop egregious violators:

"We're looking for people on bikes causing hazards to motor vehicles and pedestrians."

They include cyclists careening along sidewalks, making pedestrians jump out of the way, or going the wrong way on streets, forcing vehicles to screech on their brakes.

Evers says police are working with the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia to get the word out, during an upcoming educational campaign:

"There's an opportunity to give someone a break, so to speak. If there's something very careless, tickets will be given."

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia says bottom line: try to behave on a bike as if you're driving a car.

If there's one thing I "hate" worse than an arrogant biker it's some asshole jabbering into a cell phone whilst driving his Stupid Useless Vehicle. Here in Philly they're finally giving out tickets for that reckless, self-centered, incredibly dangerous behavior as well. Hallelujah!

Sorry about the bikers out there who respect the rules of the road and their fellow commuters, on foot and behind the wheel. This is not about them. Andrew Leonard intimated in his original article that "hatred" of bicyclists is the exclusive province of right-wing extremists. It isn't. It's a matter of being utterly sick and tired of arrogant, self-centered, me-only, behavior. We're talking about bicyclists here, but of course the same could be said about aggressive drivers and clueless pedestrians. Sorry you feel like you have a target on your back. Maybe you should talk to some of your fellow bikers about getting rid of the Fuck You sign on theirs.

Try slamming on your brakes for one of these light-running pricks and getting a middle finger for your trouble. Try getting behind one who insists on using the traffic lane despite there being a bike lane a foot and a half away. Try being the poor bastard who's just taking his dog out for a walk and is nearly run down by not one, but two of these Spandexed motherfuckers, which is what I witnessed two nights ago on Philly's Rittenhouse Square.

And don't try to lecture me on propriety. It didn't work for my mother and it won't work for you.