Dear Noshim Tzidkonios, the wives and future wives of Klal Yisrael, living in Flatbush and its vicinity:
I may be a high-school boy on my way to Yeshiva, or a Beis Medrash bochur, avreich, or even a Maggid Shiur. I may be a businessman getting his exercise or even heading to work. What matters is that I use the bike lane on Ocean Parkway, and I know someone in all of the above categories who does too.
I have a request to make of you. I have my nisyonos, we men all do. We try not to look at things we are not supposed to, and we succeed for the most part. Now I ask you, is it fair to put us in a situation where we have no choice but to look? Would you prefer that we not look at those girls and women who are walking on the bike lane, and risk crashing into you?
I have several other factors I would like to make you aware of.
1.If there is someone on the bike lane that we must avoid, it requires much more energy than if that person was not there.
2.Just like if someone was (breaking the law and) riding on the sidewalk, you would expect him to ride slower to allow for the unpredictability of a pedestrian, so too because of that same unpredictability we must slow down when approaching a pedestrian on the lane. Again, if we don't, we are not being safe.
3. If one requires a lane that can fit five abreast, there is an equally large lane on the other side of Ocean Parkway. If one would prefer not to cross Ocean Parkway, there is a pedestrian lane ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DIVIDE, and a large sidewalk across the service road. (I recall one time I biked in that lane- it was when I was blocked by a group of six girls on the bike lane!)
4. The policeman, if so inclined, can ticket us $50 for riding on the sidewalk. Enough said.
I would dearly love to speak to you in person, to help you understand how difficult you may be making things for us (albeit unwittingly). However, that would severely damage the shidduch prospects of me or my family (depending on who I am). Therefore, I beg of you all: Please, have rachmonus on us!
Thank you.
Name withheld for obvious reasons
