At least we don’t live in Las Vegas . . .
Preapocalyptic technological dystopia August 3rd, 2009
. . . where things are so bad Scott Nowicki got his picture in the paper just for riding his bike to work.
Many of my readers know Scott, formerly of Phoenix. My favorite quote from him in the article, about riding a bike in Las Vegas:
“This is dangerous. We’re going to die here.”
The few times I’ve been in Vegas I have marveled at the lack of bicycle infrastructure. Part of me thinks we should keep it that way as a kind of museum piece, a memorial of sorts. But I support his efforts, down there in the dystopian ground zero of bike-unfriendliness.
–Erik Ryberg
August 3rd, 2009 at 5:51 pm
My best Las Vegas story so far – last time I was there I was stopped at a light on my motorcycle, and was rear ended by a kid who freely admitted to me, witnesses, and the cop that showed up, that he had been out drinking all night and fell asleep at the wheel. (I was laying on the pavement at the time, having been punted 87 feet across the intersection with my totalled bike.) When I picked up the police report a couple days later I saw that he had been charged with failing to update the address on his drivers license.
August 4th, 2009 at 9:38 am
My best Las Vegas story so far is when I was visiting a few years ago, hanging out on the strip. My brother Brian, his wife Steph, and I were trying to cross LV Boulevard. The light gave us the walk sign, and I stepped out into the crosswalk. At that point, Brian squeaked my name with the most pathetic sound I had ever heard come out of his mouth. It was disturbing enough to stop my dead in my tracks. So I just stood there for half a second, not moving, not looking up, and a bus passes two inches in front of me moving well over the speed limit. He blew the red light and didn’t even slow down. That was the closest I had ever come to death, and it was pretty damn close. So when I moved to Vegas, Brian couldn’t believe I’d come back to try my luck again in this daily gigantic game of russian roulette.
August 4th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Gosh, be careful out there!
August 6th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
I lived for many years in LV. Didn’t ride at the time. When my wife and I stop in on occasion to visit friends we do see new bike infrastructure. There is a nice bike lane heading out to Red Rocks. But it is in a huge concrete and ashphalt canyon. I can’t imagine how hot that ride would be in the summer. Three lanes, median, bike lanes sidewalks and concrete walls where there is housing. ugh. Not non automotive friendly.
August 7th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
I lived and biked in Vegas for 10 years. I know that riding around the strip is insane, but other than that, most major streets have a full lane on the right. I’ve actually had more issues biking in Tucson than I ever had in Vegas. And I rode about as much as I do now. I would say L.A. is far more dangerous, other than the Strip in Vegas, and most of the newer areas have bike lanes! Riding from Boulder City to Vegas there is only Boulder Hwy., that could be more of an issue. My point is, Vegas isn’t that dangerous when compared with other major cities!