[GlynMeek]

Al...I know you claimed to 'get' the English sense of humor, but truly, I think you need to lighten up a bit here and NOT take everyone so literally.

Some examples…

Ferrari Killer's comment about "2.3 miles an hour" was NOT meant to be taken literally, once again, merely a little hyperbole to illustrate a point, so you didn’t need to question that.

Jeremy Clarkson’s original comment, that appears to have started all your discomfort, of “Run them down to prove them wrong”, was NOT meant to encourage people to mindlessly kill people for the sheer sport of it, but merely to illustrate a frustration with a number of cyclists. Please don’t criticize my use of the generalized quantitative expression ‘a number’ here, either, as I have NO idea what the exact percentage is that are numbnuts!

I have no doubt that Cobrabill typed “You're a tree hugger”, with a smile on his face, not a frown, so I don’t think THAT was meant as an offense either.

My original comment of “All cyclists must pay a $50 per year road tax before they are allowed on ANY roads” was not meant to literally mean $50, although I do feel they should pay SOMETHING to drive on the roads, $50, $10, I don’t know yet, but I AM serious in that I think they should pay SOMETHING for the privilege. My thanks for your considered inclusion of the Laws from the State of Colorado where they DO indeed state that it is a ‘right’, but personally, I do NOT agree that it is a ‘right’ in the traditional sense of the word, and my guess is that is not what is indicated by the text either. Of course, we could (and knowing THIS forum, probably WILL…J ) argue THAT semantic point ad absurdam…

You also questioned one of my points by asking “I don't quite understand how cyclists "polute" the environment, though.” Once again, hyperbole and sarcasm on my part (god forbid I should attempt ‘irony’!!) often an effective way of getting across a point, and is NOT meant to be taken literally.

I certainly do NOT mean that we should go out and randomly (or even specifically!) mow down cyclists, I just think we are at a point where there needs to be some control and responsibility on behalf of an increasingly egotistical group (NO Al, not ALL of them!!!!). I can even boast that “some of my best friends are cyclists”…lol. (Al, THAT was meant as a joke, OK?)

Al, this is NOT a personal attack on you by any of us, but you DO seem to be taking some of people’s comments just a little too literally. You keep encouraging everyone to “lighten up”, and Al, I would encourage the same, please. Don’t take this so personally and, as a cyclist, feel you have to defend all the cyclists out there, just as none of us have to defend the idiot drivers out there either!