Letters to the Editor

11/11/10 6:00pm

To the Editor:So much is said about bikes and cars on this campus, but it's been my experience recently that our biggest problem is foot traffic. It's as if no one knows how to safely cross the street without holding his mother's hand. To all of those who need some help, it's pretty simple. There are three steps. 1) Look both ways BEFORE stepping into the street. Sure, you have the right of way. Yes, it's supposedly a one-way street. But sometimes it's dark; sometimes there are bushes; sometimes the driver or cyclist is texting his mom. He might not see you. If you pop out from behind a tree like a ninja, he's not going to notice you until you're a hood ornament. ?2) If there are no cars or bicycles coming, or they have stopped, cross the street. Look for bikes, too. They move at about the same speed and will hurt if they hit you. Some bikes and hybrid cars are quiet, so you actually have to look - particularly if you have headphones in. 3) Keep looking both ways. You might have missed someone. Do not stop to chat with that girl from your ECON class in the middle of the street at 2 a.m. when you're both wearing black. Do not strut across the street like you're on a catwalk. Also, please stop riding your bikes in the wrong direction on the street. This is especially important if you don't have lights and it's dark. Bicycles are vehicles and must follow traffic laws. You can buy lights for $10-$15, and the Inner Loop is just over a mile. Take the long way around; you'll live through it. I almost hit four pedestrians and a cyclist tonight while driving 10 mph with my highbeams on. Please use some common sense. I don't want to have to get the dents you'll put in my car buffed out.

Kate Waller Lovett '11

To the Editor:

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I write in response to Anthony Lauriello's defense of conservatism ("Rice: the embodiment of conservatism," ?Nov. 5). I wonder on what basis he concludes that generous Americans giving to charity and the causes they care about is far more effective than the government taking their money and imposing programs. The rich have gotten even richer in the last decade and I see no increased benefit to the neediest among us. If we compare our students' math and science scores or our citizens' health benefits to those in countries with higher tax rates, we can easily see that taxation, not private charity, is a much more effective solution to society's problems.

Diane Wolfthal

David and Caroline Minter Chair in the Humanities

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