Get Your Damn Bicycles Off My Lawn!
Matthew Cutrone, a 17 year old high school senior, had a government class assignment: he was supposed to write to a legislator about an issue he cared about.
Matthew’s mother had be hit by a car while out riding her bike in Suffolk County. Matthew wrote to a local Republican legislator asking about having bicycle lanes to make it safer for people like his mother.
The Republican, Thomas Barraga, has a much better solution. Get the Hell Off My Lawn!
“I have lived in West Islip most of my life and my personal feeling is that no one who lives in our hamlet or for that matter in Suffolk County should ever ride a bicycle or motorcycle,” Barraga wrote. “I cannot tell you how many constituents over the year have told me that they are taking up bicycling for pleasure and exercise. I have told them not to do so but they usually do not listen – 90 percent of those people eventually were hit by an automobile, many like your mother with serious physical injuries.”
Barraga called Suffolk County “a suburban automobile community” and wrote that drivers expect to see other cars, but not bicyclists.
“Reality at time can be difficult for some to come to grips with but giving false hope would be inappropriate,” he wrote.
How ’bout this, Barraga, there are lots of car wrecks. Let’s get rid of cars. There are lots of old white men making America suck. Let’s get rid of …. yeah, Tommy B., I’m talking to you.
Both Matthew and his mother are a fiesta of incredibility over this. They like bicycles. They did not expect this response. Plus, Matthew’s mother wonders where Barrage got the 90% number. Well, Honey, it obviously wasn’t off the top of his head and I can’t get any volunteers to check his butt.
Thanks to Iron Celt for the heads up.