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Ken Paulman

West St. Paul, MN
Commenter for
3 years 18 weeks

Recent Comments

Posted on 04/29/13 at 09:01 am in response to Caribou closings might mean indie coffee boom is brewing

I'm nitpicking, but Amore is on the south side of Annapolis Street, which puts it in the fair city of West St. Paul.

Posted on 03/05/13 at 10:45 am in response to For safety’s sake, light up those bikes

You know what else is dangerous? Driving a car without lights on.

Posted on 02/20/13 at 11:17 am in response to Why motorists get so angry at cyclists — a psychologist's theory

I obey the rules when I ride, and go out of my way to avoid inconveniencing anyone. And yet still, once in a while, someone tries to kill me with their car. I understand the point, but I think there's a bit more to it than this. I get a little tired of hearing that I'm not doing enough as a cyclist to avoid being assaulted by aggressive drivers.

Posted on 02/20/13 at 12:01 pm in response to Why motorists get so angry at cyclists — a psychologist's theory

The more I think about it, here's what really annoys me about this article:

For starters, the framing of "cyclist" vs. "motorist" is an artificial and lazy construct. In reality, we're talking about people. I ride a bike a lot, but I also drive a car a lot. That's true of most "cyclists." Likewise, a fair number of people who primarily drive cars also ride a bike at least once in a while. You get the idea.

Now, the principle being discussed here, that we get angry when other...

Posted on 02/21/13 at 09:11 am in response to Why motorists get so angry at cyclists — a psychologist's theory

You don't "add" bikes and pedestrians. Bikes and pedestrians were there long before there were cars. City streets are paid for by everyone through local taxes (your car users fees only cover a portion of the federal highway system), they're a public asset that everyone has a right to access and use safely.

Posted on 08/24/12 at 11:00 am in response to Let’s party — and redesign St. Paul’s Charles Avenue!

"The bike boulevard allows them to use the middle of the street, sharing space with cars." Not to split hairs, but that's true on any street depending on circumstances. If the lanes are too narrow to be occupied by both a bike and a car, the cyclist has the right to use the full lane.

Drivers "stuck" behind a cyclist in this situation need to just be a grown-up about it and take their foot off the gas for a few seconds until it's safe to pass, like they would any other slower-moving...

Posted on 10/26/11 at 02:02 pm in response to Minneapolis bikers getting increased attention, new safety measures

I sympathize with complaints about law-breaking cyclists. I'm not fond of them either. But it's a red herring.

I can assure you that, when I'm riding my bike, obeying the law is hardly a guarantee I won't be threatened or harassed by a motorist.

And that dangerous behavior -- by car drivers -- discourages people from choosing to ride a bike. I once met a St. Paul cop who admitted he's afraid to ride a bike in the street.

But no one has ever said, "gosh, I'd like to...

Posted on 10/26/11 at 10:21 pm in response to Minneapolis bikers getting increased attention, new safety measures

@Paul: Speed limit on the bike paths is 8 mph, so a cyclist traveling 20-30 mph shouldn't be riding on them (see comment #7).

Posted on 10/27/11 at 07:16 am in response to Minneapolis bikers getting increased attention, new safety measures

Not 8 mph, 10 mph. My mistake.

Posted on 10/27/11 at 10:22 am in response to Minneapolis bikers getting increased attention, new safety measures

@Jane: You just simultaneously complained about the health impact of car exhaust and that public money is spent on bicycle infrastructure.

Do you not see the irony?