Register bicycles, ticket rogue riders

ISSUE | SAFETY

Register bicycles

An Inquirer photo on Sunday of cyclists riding on a ramp near the Schuylkill told a lot about cyclists. Despite signs clearly stating that cyclists should walk their bikes on the ramp, two of three bikers shown are riding and only one is walking. That is about the rate of compliance with rules throughout the city.

When I ask bus, taxi, and truck drivers what's most annoying and dangerous about driving in the city, without exception they answer bicycles. At night, two out of three bikes have no lights or reflectors. Riders pass buses on the right, making it hazardous to get off.

How many deaths and serious injuries will it take before the city begins registering bikes and ticketing cyclists who disobey the rules of the road? The longer it takes, the harder it is going to be to get compliance.

|Kenneth Veith, Philadelphia, warren.veith@verizon.net

Uninspected risks

In what world does it seem right for work to continue without inspections simply because a project is on hold ("L&I 'holds' system flawed," May 26)? Possibly the worst of these issues is that city inspections chief Carlton Williams won't be interviewed.

|Mike Krakovitz, Drexel Hill, mike@mksremodeling.com

ISSUE | FANS

Amaro knows best

When their teams are winning, there is nothing but cheers from Philly sports fans. But just let them lose and the boos come out ("Inflaming the fans," May 27). Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. didn't need to apologize; he was right. Sometimes the fans really don't understand. And why does the organization have to reveal its plans? To all those critical, I say, grow up.

|Bernice Sherman, Philadelphia

Earned run of boos

The dumbest thing Ruben Amaro Jr. could say is that fans don't understand the game. We know that if a pitcher stinks, you don't put him in. If a guy can't hit, sit him down. Amaro was handed a Jaguar and let it deteriorate into a clunker.

|Mike Betz, Philadelphia

ISSUE | BOATING

Looking for prompt response, met by restraint

I know that every day many men and women in the military go above and beyond, yet this Memorial Day I experienced nothing but frustration and disappointment with the local Coast Guard.

After a family cookout, I allowed my two daughters and their friends, all between the ages of 18 and 24, to take my boat out for a short cruise before sundown. There was no drinking involved and at least two licensed boat drivers were on board. Not far into the bay behind Sea Isle City, the group hit a sand bar. After realizing they could not push the boat off themselves, and I could not get them as it started to get dark, I called 911. The group was cold and scared, while my youngest daughter was hysterically crying on the phone.

The Coast Guard unit could not have been less interested. They even refused to bring blankets and water to the boaters. I offered to go out in my kayak if they would just bring me out on their boat, but still they refused. Finally, on the high tide at 3:30 a.m., they made their first attempt at a rescue.

I do not know the everyday obligations of Shore Coast Guard units, but I am pretty sure they cannot be too busy to step up and rescue a bunch of young boaters who were cold, dehydrated, and scared.

|Gary Kester, Voorhees, garyk856@comcast.net

ISSUE | CLIMATE

Stormy reception due Obama remarks

I cannot fathom why the commander-in-chief would talk to U.S. Coast Guard graduates about, of all things, climate change ("Obama: Warming is threat to national security," May 21). Yet the president spoke of his own political agenda in lieu of honoring the men and women being preparing to protect our country.

|James J. O'Donnell, Ocean City, jjod1111@aol.com

ISSUE | TRANSPORTATION

Satellite routing devices could help Amtrak

If my car GPS can tell where I am, my speed, and indicate when I am over the speed limit or entering a school zone, I don't know why Amtrak and other passenger railroad operators can't install similar devices to prevent accidents ("Radio spectrum costs are blocking train-safety system," May 27).

Using a passive device like a GPS receiver equipped with suitable rail maps should be less expensive than designing and using an active communication two-way system.

A GPS receiver can determine its position, velocity, and time at one-second intervals. Matching this information with suitable track maps coupled to engine controls should be able to prevent excessive-speed crashes like the recent one in Philadelphia. If not coupled to the locomotive controls, the receiver still could alert an engineer that a train is speeding.

|Joseph P. Mrusko, King of Prussia, jpmkop@gmail.com

Taking the long way around to unified plan

A page from a 1970 newspaper turned up in the house with an article titled, "Highways gorge on money while railroads starve." Nearly 45 years later, America still does not have an integrated transportation policy. Congress prefers to kick the can with temporary funding fixes that, once again, deal primarily with highways.

|Ernest B. Cohen, Upper Darby, ernest.cohen@ieee.org