Month: September 2009

Student killed riding bike to school

Inspired by Anna’s comment about safety while biking to school, I Googled for “student killed riding bike to school” and got 71,000 results.

How about “student killed driving to school“? 11,200,000 results.

And school districts succeed in banning cycling and walking to school while ignoring the real safety issue, enforcing mandatory car ownership with State Patrol backup!

Noddin Elementary School in San Jose, California currently bans bikes, but after action by Dave of Cycle City in Alameda, Yours Truly, John Brazil with the city of San Jose, and several others, the school will change their policy beginning next month after they hold school assemblies to teach bike safety. Your voice can make a difference in these policies!

Tesla Motors and James Martin

Update: Tesla response – Tesla Motors senior communications manager Rachel Konrad talks to David Bernstein on the Fredcast about James Martin. I’d like to point out that my opinion of Tesla Motors was really changed by Martin’s review — I think it’s a very cool toy as far as expensive toys go. Rachel Konrad is a member of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and SF Critical Mass participant.

I see the Tesla Roadster electric sports car at their Menlo Park dealership on El Camnio Real during my morning commute.

I kind of used to think the Tesla Roadster electric sports car was kind of cool.

TV Chef James Martin reviewed the Tesla Roadster for the Daily Mail, however, and convinced me otherwise.

But I don’t care about any of that [the great features of the Tesla Roadster], and here’s why. Twenty minutes into my test drive I pulled round a leafy bend, enjoying the birdsong – and spotted those Spider-Man cyclists. Knowing they wouldn’t hear me coming, I stepped on the gas, waited until the split second before I overtook them, then gave them an almighty blast on the horn at the exact same time I passed them at speed.

The look of sheer terror as they tottered into the hedge was the best thing I’ve ever seen in my rear-view mirror. I think this could be the car for me.

Read his review here. The reaction on Twitter and other social media sites has inundated James Martin’s personal website, and the Daily Mail closed off comments to the article.

See also:

Nicole Kidman rode a bicycle

BMX Bandits DVD starring Nicole Kidman

The current September issue of Urban Velo magazine has a brief review of the 1986 BMX cult classic movie Rad. One reader took issue with Jeff Guerrero’s characterization of that movie as one of the worst movies ever, instead choosing the Australian BMX Bandits for that honor. The highlight of this children’s film is that it stars 15 year old Nicole Kidman in her first major feature role. BMX Bandits is a children’s adventure in which a gang of three BMX riding teens (including Kidman) defeat the nefarious plans of criminal masterminds with their clever bike riding.

BMX Bandits is one of 42 films directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith. Some of his other films include winning titles like Kung Fu Killers, Dead End Drive In, and Silk Stalkings.

BMX Bandits Nicole Kidman

Trenchard-Smith blogged about BMX Bandits and it turns out the little kid at the end of the advertisement is his son Eric, who is these days a decent flatlander. And check this out about the director’s son:

Eric has a license but does not want a car. He bikes to work, in order to reduce his carbon footprint. I am proud to have a son who follows through on his principles. It’s one thing to talk the talk, it’s another to pedal 9 miles each way and save on all that carbon monoxide. We should all seriously think about using bikes for our short range travel. Walking’s good too.

Finally, Trenchard-Smith gives mention of The Lady is the Boss with its awesome BMX kung fu fight scenes. Lady is a rip off of BMX Bandit, but Trenchard-Smith seems flattered that they copied his genre of BMX crime fighting kids.