By Andy Bakker, Alexandria
(File Photo)

To the editor:

B. Marquis of Alexandria suggests in an August 7 letter to the editor (“We must stop the ‘cycling anarchy’”) that, because of the stated “observations from a recent weekend … [s]omething has to be done about this cycling anarchy.”

Ignoring for a moment the extreme language used by Marquis, the letter is noteworthy for its tunnel vision. Nowhere does it mention that on any “recent weekend” on Union Street, you can observe a comparable amount of motorists speeding and failing to signal their turns, all at a similar rate to reckless bicycling.

This irrational focus on cyclists suggests to me that the real problem for Marquis, columnist Courtland Milloy of The Washington Post and others who share similar sentiments is an aversion to change and a belief that some have more rights to public space than others.

2014 is here. Join us. The water’s fine.