Letter: Tobay Beach fence embarrassing
Peter Hawkins, of Malverne, seen near the Tobay Beach bike path on July 16, 2015, regularly works out there with a specially designed three-wheel racing wheelchair. Credit: Steve Pfost
I used to be proud to live, work and play in the Town of Oyster Bay, but now I am embarrassed ["Battling the bike ban," News, July 28]. By fencing off the outside bike path from Tobay Beach, how can anyone make it more difficult for disabled people to gain access to a bathroom?
The town cited "safety" as a reason for banning bikes from the parking lot at Tobay, but aren't there are more near-collisions between pedestrians and cars in the parking area, yet cars are not banned? Do Oyster Bay officials think that bicyclists are somehow less intelligent than motorists? Do they think we have less common sense?
Most people would exercise more caution in a crowded parking area. Look around, we don't see bicycles banned in mall parking areas or Long Island Rail Road parking areas where things may be more frantic.
Maybe town officials should try getting back on a bike to see it from our perspective. The way to address this problem is to institute commonsense laws and post etiquette signs. Bicyclists, like the majority of people, can be counted on to follow the rules. The ones who don't can be handled by law enforcement.
Michael Vitti, Glen Head
Editor's note: The writer is a member of Long Island Greenways and Healthy Trails, an advocacy organization.
