Break-ins and Bikes

Someone went into our van overnight last week.  One of the locks on the doors is sticky and doesn't always shut all the way when I lock it.  It was parked right in front of our house and we were home the whole time.  V noticed when we went out to get into the van in the morning.  The glove compartment and another tray were open.  All that was taken was some change that was in the tray.  We probably wouldn't have noticed if they hadn't left them open.

I haven't had someone break into our van since we lived in Maryland.  That was a strange story, it was probably police that went into my « suspicious » van; (it was parked alone in a lot at work, after midnight (I was working late), full of boxes with my home made radio transmitter sitting on top, while, unknown to me at the time, a possible non-specific security threat in the area was announced on the news).  Nothing was taken but they apparently checked the registration in the glove compartment (it was left open this time too) with the registration opened up and moved on top.  There wouldn't have been any harm done but I was moving our household stuff from New York and some books fell out on the ground when they opened the door.  They left them there and it rained on them. 

Also, one thing I really miss about Germany is having real bike lanes to ride in on bikes.  They go out away from the city all over the country so you really can see the countryside.  They are completely separated from the road and cars stop for the well marked cross overs.  The « bike lanes » here in the US are ridiculous.  If they exist at all they are poorly marked, narrow spaces in the road.  Nobody in their right mind would ride around in traffic in them because they are so dangerous.  The reason I am posting about this now is because I saw a bike get hit by a FedEx truck on the road last week.  The truck was turning right across the bicycles path.  The man peddling it wasn't directly hit and was able to jump off into the clear but the back of the bike was all bent up and ruined.  The driver stopped and said he didn't see him and offered him the cash in his wallet to help pay for the bike.  I asked if he was OK and if he wanted my name as a witness but he said don't worry about it and just walked away.  

There is a feedback effect.  If enough people rode bikes then they would be safer to ride because drivers would be used to looking out for them.  Also we would be able to get more infrastructure, like real bike lanes, in place to use. Biking is very healthy for all of us (not just the exercise but reduced traffic congestion and pollution emissions).  The best thing I can think of in the meantime is to try to promote bike use, by putting in some real (safe) bike lanes for people to use.