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Benjamin Riggs

Minneapolis, MN
Commenter for
3 years 35 weeks

Recent Comments

Posted on 02/20/13 at 02:42 pm in response to Why motorists get so angry at cyclists — a psychologist's theory

While I don't think the article is wrong, it's missing an even larger, more fundamental factor, which I'm fairly confident is the root cause of most bike hating: Cyclists don't "belong" on roads because roads "belong" to cars. Motorists (generally) feel entitled to sole use of the roads, and anyone else on them is an impostor. That these 'impostors' break the rules motorists have to follow just aggravates those feelings.

There is also plenty of evidence to support this: Often times,...

Posted on 02/20/13 at 04:14 pm in response to Why motorists get so angry at cyclists — a psychologist's theory

I love my bike commute as well, but if you honestly think some sort of envy of your ride is what causes terrible attitudes and behavior, you're deluding yourself. I doubt there are many motorists who look at my ride on a day like to day with any envy: They see 'cold, crazy cyclist' despite the fact that I'm enjoying exercise, sunshine and joy.

Posted on 02/21/13 at 01:11 pm in response to Why motorists get so angry at cyclists — a psychologist's theory

It's amusing to me that you insist winter cycling is terribly, terribly dangerous, yet you have no experience with it. You even have the audacity to blame someone else for the potential harm you might cause with your vehicle, that's under your control. Apparently anyone else exercising their agency is "incredibly inconsiderate" should they cause you to change your behavior in the slightest. Pardon me if my sympathy for you isn't abundant.

However, I do thank you for demonstrating the...

Posted on 01/08/13 at 01:58 pm in response to How cycling can be dangerous to your health

I find it rather unfortunate that you post bicycle-related injury statistics in an effort to show how dangerous cycling is without giving any context for those numbers. Sure, 48,000 cycling-related injuries seems high, but that's on the order of the 32,367 motor vehicle related *deaths* nation-wide in 2011, which vastly dwarfs the 677 cycling deaths.

In Minnesota alone, you seem keen to point out 36 cyclists have died from 2008-2011, but, again, fail to include any comparisons: ten...

Posted on 07/19/12 at 12:42 pm in response to Food trucks enjoy unfair advantages as they scoop up lunch business

Mr. Sams, you seem to have 6 of your 10 locations (100% of your locations in either downtown) located in the skyways, a system designed to funnel middle-class workers past your establishments. Your businesses inhabit what are, I'd argue, the most privileged, sheltered, & targeted retail spaces in the state. Food trucks have to convince customers to venture outside of the skyway bubble and find them on the street.

If your business had a street-level storefront, and if food trucks...

Posted on 10/19/11 at 06:31 pm in response to Cravaack: High-speed rail from Duluth 'does not make sense'

"The wisest course of action for us is to not spend money on a venture that can't pay for itself. Instead, we must first attend to the crumbling roads, the bridges in urgent need of repair and the incomplete highway projects that we have throughout the state."

Gotta love contradictory statements. Roads in no way, shape or form pay for themselves through taxes on motor vehicles. They are heavily subsidized by general funds and property taxes. Until automobile infrastructure pays for...

Posted on 09/15/09 at 11:25 am in response to New Train Brain app should ease life for light rail riders

If you visit www.metrotransit.org with any mobile browser, it will offer to redirect you to their NexTrip site, from which you can get the next few busses/trains for *any* Metro Transit (and suburban bus companies) bus/train at any stop, for free. It doesn't have a pretty IPhone app interface, but has much more useful information.

SMS infrastructure with codes at stops seems like a useful addition to bus...