Pro Mass

Why another pro-Critical Mass article (“Pedaling Diego,” Cover Story, December 30)? Completely overlooks the fact that these people break all traffic laws, unlike cars.

• @RealPrincessKim
• via Twitter

Load Your Bike On Your Car

Dear Reader:

I can tell you I am one of the original bikers that started the bike movement in San Diego. Twenty years ago none of these people were out there riding bikes (Cover Story: “Pedaling Diego,” December 30). Unless every one of these lazy motorists gets out of their cars, the current bike movement means nothing. These lazy people cannot even get out of the gross polluting cars on a Sunday. The traffic grows worse all the time. What good is it when people load their bikes on their cars and drive to the park to go riding? The bike movement is a lost cause in this country full of fat, lazy pigs.

• David Lesser
• via email

Road Rules

Re: “Pedaling Diego,” “Cover Story,” December 30.

I moved to San Diego in July 2009, and it’s the largest city I’ve lived in and cycle-commuted in. I’ve biked to work about 60 percent of the time in St. Pete; Memphis; Portland, Maine; and several smaller cities and rural areas in the last 20-plus years, so San Diego represented a traffic and density challenge I hadn’t encountered before. I now ride a 23-mile round trip that begins in Normal Heights. After six months of acclimation, I consider San Diego to be reasonably bike-friendly; not what it has the potential to be considering its climate and SoCal location, but it’s certainly no Houston.

I wrote to make two points. First, the description of what Mr. Manson calls “Sherman” in his description of a morning ride to the SANDAG building was, I believe (based on description and proximity to Florida Canyon), probably Pershing Drive. That was one of several routes I explored in my first weeks here, because it was included in the SANDAG bike map. Despite my experience and confidence as a commuting cyclist, I was forced to stop and assess when Pershing suddenly offered an onramp to I-5 on my right, with traffic coming from behind me on the left, and no traffic control to mitigate the flow and accommodate cyclists. The obvious short-term remedy is not to include it on a bike map as though it represents a safe cycling choice.

Second, I want to point out what becomes obvious as one accumulates more experience as a bike commuter but was not addressed in the article. Bikes are vehicles and must adhere to the same rules of the road as cars. The more routinely you abide by the rules (which make your travel predictable for drivers), the less likely you are to be involved in an accident and the more goodwill you generate among motorists. If you disregard the rules of the road, it’s unreasonable to expect the legal and physical protection that those rules afford you.

• Scott Young
• Normal Heights

Cover Coolness

I just want to comment on the cover to the December 30, 2010 issue of the Reader, the one with all the bicycles — and then there’s one lane for automobiles. That is the coolest cover I have seen in a long time. It’s a pretty fantastic photograph/illustration.

• Steve Terry
• El Cajon

Just Too Fast

Regarding your article “Pedaling Diego” (“Cover Story,” December 30). I guess gone are the days when a person would mount his $100 used one-speed bike, ride slowly through the neighborhood greeting friends, maybe stop at the grocery store, observe nature, improve your health and that of the earth’s, and heighten your spiritual awareness. Now, as with everything, biking is all about speed, high technology, money, and aggression. What a tragedy.

• P.H.
• Normal Heights

Kids, Guns, Beer, Cocktails

This is in response to December 30’s “Letters to the Editor,” a letter by William Adams (“Rug Rats Ain’t Easy”).

I fail to understand what the right to carry has to do with being a parent. I happen to think children shouldn’t be at cocktail parties, but as the mother and grandmother of a large family, I think it’s OK if they’re at a barbecue with beer. I agree guns and alcohol don’t mix. I respect his First Amendment rights. I hope he would respect my Second Amendment rights.

• Dale
• Clairemont

A Bowl Of Cherries

Mr. Elliott: You could not possibly have intended your list of Great Depression cinematic cherries to be comprehensive (Movie Review, December 30). Otherwise, how could you ever have omitted the all-time cherry of the silver screen, Miss Claudette Colbert? She remains the only woman ever that starred in three films nominated for best picture in the same year (1934).

The ’30s remain the greatest decade in the history of cinema. Some other cherries you passed by: Jean Arthur, Greta Garbo, Cary Grant, the Barrymores, Wallace Beery, Edward Everett Horton. There is no way to make a comprehensive list in a single column.

As for Astaire and Rogers, whenever I need a visit from Fred and Ginger, all I have to do is put them in and press play. I recommend that everyone do the same.

• John Pertle
• Santee

Okay, Fans, Ante Up

I have a plan for Mr. Fantano so he can save the Chargers for the glorification of San Diego (“Letters to the Editor,” December 30).

First, he needs to start a website named keep.the.chargers.in.san.diego.com. On this site he needs to appeal to all Chargers fans in the world to contribute to a “Save the Chargers” fund and use this money to build a Vegas-style stadium that no one could leave. $1000 donations from each fan should be good for starters. Dedicated fans pay $5000 each. Then every restaurant who serves players, fans, staff, etc., should kick in too. And every employee of every restaurant antes up. Any company, any employee that benefits from the Chargers needs to feed the kitty. And the kitty is hungry.

Maybe every big donor can have a seat with his name on it. Smaller donors get their name engraved on a memorial wall. Fans that don’t donate — well, the foundations need support too.

If the fans want to keep the Chargers, then the fans need to put money where their mouths are. The average taxpayer has other priorities.

• Name Withheld
• By Request
• via email

Nader Right Again

Don Bauder has been skeptical about putting a second stadium in downtown San Diego (“Chargers: Look at Petco Failure,” “City Lights,” December 23). This is a quote he will like:

“Local taxpayers rather than billionaire team owners pay for the new sports stadiums and arenas that dot the American landscape because of the political leverage sports teams and their allies gain through corporate cash and the threat to move elsewhere.” — Ralph Nader, Cutting Corporate Welfare

Nader is right. Let the Chargers move to L.A.

• Deuel Woodward
• Chula Vista

CORRECTION

The bus routes listed in the December 23 “Tin Fork” were incorrect. The routes that run past the Imperial Beach Farmers’ Market are the 933 and the 934.

Sis’s Kids

I was glad to see a letter complaining about “Diary of a Diva” (“Kid Opinion Rankles,” December 23) — it inspired me to write my own. I used to be a big fan of Barbarella’s. I felt like she was a fresh cosmopolitan voice in San Diego. But lately, over the past year or so, I find myself stopping after the first paragraph of her column. Especially when I realize that, once again, she’s writing about her sister and her sister’s kids. Her column is turning into “Diary of a Diva’s Sister”! For someone who professes not to like children, she sure gets a lot of material out of them.

Another nail in the coffin came a few months ago when she wrote about going shopping with — you guessed it — her sister (“Fashion Police,” November 11). What kind of a diva needs someone to take her shopping? I had to side with David on that one when she came home with a track suit. A track suit? Really? How about jeggings, or something from this decade? David’s wife is turning into a frumpy housewife, and her column reflects it.

• Billy J.
• Downtown

Yay, Walkers!

It has been my company’s mission for 17 years to provide Americans with mobility challenges with another set of wheels. So you can imagine how thrilled I was to see the Nova GetGo Rolling Walker featured in the article by Patrick Daugherty, “Second Annual Christmas Gift Guide” (“Sporting Box,” December 16).

No longer are walkers just ugly, grey pieces of metal with tennis balls. There are hot-rod walkers that come in colors, super-cool features, and fun options that really allow people to move and groove again. Don’t we all deserve to walk with some style and pride? Yes, indeed, this makes a great holiday gift! What is more important than giving back Grandma’s mobility — to go to the park, on a date, on a trip to Europe?

So, thank you, Patrick, for featuring our GetGo Rolling Walker with a thumbs up from the Box. The truth is that most people still have a little denial when it comes to using a walker, so getting the word out is huge. Thank you for making our racing model walker so darn cool.

• Sue Chen
• President, CEO
• NOVA

No Tourist Food

While I understand that Ms. Wise may be loyal to chefs she likes who have left a restaurant, I totally disagree with her (Restaurant Review, December 16) re the food at Old Town’s Cosmopolitan Restaurant since owner Joseph Melluso made his decision to undertake duties as head chef after Naomi’s positive review (September 9). Naomi, perhaps you are unaware that chef-owner Melluso has many years’ experience as a chef himself.

I more than happily ate there again (having eaten there previously several times when Amy DiBiase was chef) with relatives on Monday, December 27, 2010, and the food was excellent, the service superb. Ingredients remained of high quality. I had steamed mussels and clams made with Silva linguiça, preserved lemon, roasted tomato, and salsa verde — delicioso! May I strongly urge all food lovers to not be discouraged by disparaging comments made without tasting the food! Thank goodness there continues to be a place that doesn’t qualify as “tourist food” in Old Town (Naomi’s diss) but excellent food for any location.

• ibmama2
• via email

In the Old Man’s Face

In regards to “Blurt,” December 16 (“Taking Back California”): Would we ever want a governor who “would have kicked the shit out of” Jerry Brown or “kicked Whitman’s ass”? That sounds a bit redneck.

I can tell you from personal experience that Richard Aguirre is the one who becomes aggressive when irritated. I am no fan of Jerry Brown, but is it really appropriate to get “in the face” of a 76-year-old man?

Aguirre’s “solution” of installing solar panels qualifies him as an “extreme capitalist” because he is involved and will profit. It would appear he will use similar excuses if ever elected to anything as he did when he failed in the primary.

He should stick to being a “rocker,” not a talker!

The real “Blurt” story would be about him using U2, Joe Cocker, and Led Zeppelin in his campaign videos, all copyrighted music. I’m sure he’d go after anyone pirating his “music.”

• Name Withheld
• By Request
• San Diego

No Singer

To Garrett Harris: You are what we singers call a non-singer (that is, a person unfit to judge others). For you to make a mockery out of an honorable man’s honest living as an operatic divo is appalling (“Immortal Beauty,” December 16). You, Garrett Harris, are a sham.

I am a diva.

• Rosalie Wolfe-Taubman
• Escondido

Home Grown

I read your recent article advocating a crackdown on back yard chickens with dismay (“SD on the QT”: “Choking the Chicken Ordinance,” December 9). I suggest you hold a group screening of the film Food, Inc. and reconsider your position on raising chickens at home.

• Elizabeth Taylor
• via email

Dotted Swan

I just saw the movie Black Swan, which I thought was a very good movie. I was interested to read what your movie critics had to say (“Black Swan Gets a Black Dot,” December 9) and was a bit disappointed with the black dot rating until I realized that whomever did the review didn’t even know who all the actresses in the movie were. Winona Ryder was not in the movie. I’m guessing your critic mixes her up with Mila Kunis. Oh, well, so much for accuracy of content.

• Joe Furtado
• via email

Winona Ryder plays the part of Beth Macintyre. — Editor

Do It

Can you afford ten bucks a month for a good cause? I can, and if another 39 people can too, then we can help Brizzolara, who deserves it. Let’s call it Save Our Brizzolara (S.O.B.), and let’s show thanks for this guy who’s facing tough times. I know, I know, everyone’s facing tough times, but that doesn’t have to stop us from helping him. Whoever knows how to set up a fund for this sort of thing, take the time, make the effort, and I and others will make that donation. Ten bucks, definitely doable.

• Name Withheld
• By Request
• El Cajon