POSTS

Will you be one of the 120-so to die today?

When was the last time you thought twice before you plugged in the coffee machine or flipped the switch for electricity? You should. Three people will die today because they were electrocuted in their home. Scary, huh? Think of all of the times you didn't even pay attention to the risk involved with that morning cup of joe.

What's worse, when you drive to work today you could be one of the hundred and twenty people to die today in a motor vehicle! Think about it. By plugging in the coffee machine or cranking up the car you could join the ranks of over a hundred people who are going to die... today. The fear can be nearly paralyzing, can't it?

?There are two types of mountain bikers. Those who have crashed, and those who will.? It's an oft quoted proverb of mountain biking. I have some family members and friends who think I'm crazy because of the places I go biking and the terrain I go biking over. I've got several mother's who worry about me every time they know I'm on a bike. But do you know how many cyclists are killed every year? Less than 700. That means two should die sometime in the next 24 ? 36 hours.

I guess that means I should spend more time on my bike and less time with electrical devices such like TVs and computers. They're downright dangerous compared to my bikes.

Author's noteNo ? I don't really go around thinking about things like this. Last night I spent the better part of the evening listening to folks at ERTA talk about mountain bike trail building, the liability involved, and how to minimize that. It's great to see all of the focus on removing the unnecessary liability risks involved with trail building. I'm glad ERTA is made up of mountain bikers, though, who realize that ?shit happens?. All in all, bikes are pretty safe. And when we do our part in making sure the trails we build are sound, we've just got to go for it. There's nothing more mountain biker'ish than that.