Adrian Fussell

A sampling of reader reactions to recent posts that have appeared on The Local.

Brendan Bernhard’s recent post on his ambivalence toward bicycles prompted a range of reactions.

Dave, who described himself as a “committed cyclist,” wrote:

“I don’t get the NYC vibe (which is not limited to pizza deliveryemen and bike messengers, by the way) that all bad behavior on a bike is excusable because ‘hey man, I’m riding a bike’. When car and bike meet, car almost always wins. When bike and pedestrian meet, bike can win but at a cost to the rider. Better that we should all be more mindful of the other. And the police should enforce the rules of the road, regardless of the means of conveyance.”

Jody Oberfelder said:

“Everybody should look out for everybody. Share the road!”

Regarding another post about a potential lawsuit by cyclists against the police, Reva Cooper said:

“I keep hearing about the police crackdown on cyclists, but have yet to see it — there are still a lot of bicyclists riding dangerously through red lights, the wrong way in the middle of one-way streets and barely missing hitting a lot of people, etc. The police still have a lot of work to do, but should be able to distinguish between the real thing and behavior that isn’t illegal. Otherwise, the whole ‘crackdown’ will fall apart.”

And Matthew Licht was moved to offer a reaction to Mr. Bernhard’s post through poetry:

rust-colored bike dumped by the dead behind a dumpster
$30 for new tires, but i
kept the worn-out leather seat
test-ride over the queensboro bridge
and i was free
never rode the subway again.
except for the last one, to JFK

On our post about a proposal to broaden the borders of the planned historic district for the neighborhood, Dr. Donald A. Moses said:

“It is essential that we preserve our heritage and not be a nation that is so materialistic that it loses any sense of aesthetic and historical significance.”

Dr. Moses might well have been echoing the sentiments of David Mulkins and other preservationists, who held a vigil last week to note the demise of 35 Cooper Square. Mr. Mulkins shared some archival photos of 35 Cooper with The Local’s Stephen Rex Brown, who prepared a post looking back at the history of the building.

Residents — those who’ve been here for decades and most recent arrivals — were moved to write about photos of the neighborhood from the 1970’s and 80’s that were shot by Michael Sean Edwards.

Evelyn Wragg wrote:

“The pictures are really very interesting to me. They bring back so many memories, especially the one of Leshkos. We went there so many mornings for a nice breakfast at a reasonable price.”

And, finally, from the blog’s Facebook page, Joelle Morrison cautioned against celebrating the demise of the rats in Tim Milk’s post about a notorious vacant lot on East First Street:

“It’s NEVER over with the night squirrels … they’ll get their revenge!!!”

Join the conversation: Share your thoughts on these posts and others.