Last week was a busy week for those of us who discuss cycling. On Wednesday the founder of Road ID used Twitter to gather attention to an aging, balding, grey Van Dyke sporting, AM radio host named Tony Kornheiser, who stated on air that cyclists need to be “run down.”
The twitterverse acted quickly making Kornheiser it’s most popular twat. In another spineless move Kornheiser used his ESPN weight and called on Lance Armstrong to set the stage for an apology. Lance accepted Kornheiser’s impotent, “I’m sorry,” for condoning vehicular manslaughter over the airwaves to the ears of millions of people with bumper stickers like this. (Suckin Gas And Hauling Ass!!!)
According to Lance’s twitter feed, Tony didn’t mean what he said he was only joking, but both cyclists and car’s need to exhibit mutual respect for each other. Respect I agree with; if there is going to be any successful road sharing, the duty falls equally on cyclists and motorists to share. But instead of creating a wider national conversation about “mutual respect” or road sharing or the fact that in the United States more cyclists are killed on the roads than in any other country on the planet- nothing happened.
Click on the Graph we found this weekend from Twitter pal @Amsterdamized
Kornheisergate ended with hardly a ripple in the media. I’d love to see Tony Kornheiser have to commute to work via bicycle, perhaps then he’d get a perspective of what its like riding a 20 pound machine next to a two-thousand pound truck with tinted windows as the driver talks on the phone and sips a big gulp.
Kornheiser’s transcript and comments, a quick and infuriating read.
Taker easy,
Pearson
Tags: Bicycling, bike, cyclist, Long Bike Back, Pearson Constantino, road safety, share the road, tony kornheiser
Thanks for sharing this story. I heard all about this and have seen other posts on it…but it’s something that needs to get out there so thanks for doing it. All of us are connected by our love for the bike and all that comes along with it. Good Job.
Darryl