Big gangs of machines are everywhere. One new and wonderful element is that the ATVs and dirt bikers use the new bike lanes as express lanes — you haven't lived till you hear two or 10 of these bikes coming up fast from behind, forcing you to jump your bike onto the sidewalk to avoid being struck by an ATV with a big dude pulling a wheelie.
Of course, "we're superstars," the Hang Gang has assured the Daily News. No they're not. They are, intentionally or not, oppressing everyone they encounter, making other people walk, drive and bike in fear so that they may enjoy riding COMPLETELY illegal machines. The "no-chase" rule makes these gassers ideal for shuttling guns and drugs — a twofer for the unlucky neighborhoods where the PPD has waved the white flag. Perhaps the Hang Gang are all squeaky clean. How can the police distinguish one speeding, unregistered motor vehicle from another?
Did I mention that dirt bikes are tearing up Fairmount Park land at a record rate? "If they would just build us a place where we can go and do stunt riding, we wouldn't ride down both sides of Girard Avenue at 40 mph," goes the entitled argument. Right now we're trying to educate kids and feed the homeless, so landscaping and finding liability coverage for a dirt-bike playground is about 20 million smackers shy of sanity.
Dear Commissioner Ramsey, Mayor Nutter and Council: Let's imagine that these bikers are Occupy Philadelphia, and the city is about to host the RNC. I suspect we could manage to locate their lairs, identify the illegal garages that service and act as chop shops, and shut this danger down in a couple of weeks. Remember all those raids on puppet warehouses? It's not rocket science finding a bunch of noisy motorcycles that everyone hates. Just set up a Twitter account and watch the tips roll in from people who want their neighborhoods back.
Councilman Greenlee: Can you bang out a bill to make it illegal to service/sell these already-illegal dirt bikes and ATVs within city limits? Maybe add some heavy fines — for the schools?
Michael McGettigan
University City
Memory's tricky
Sunday marked the 40th anniversary of the Wuddergate break-in.
Was it John Dean or Jimmy Dean? Was it the "plumbers" or the "electricians?"
Was it Dick Nixon or Nick Dixon? God, it's been so long!
Jim Acton
Collegeville
Who's to blame?
Re: Monsignor William Lynn
As a lifetime Catholic, I was led to believe that the head of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia was the cardinal or archbishop, as in any archdiocese. I never knew until about 16 months ago that the secretary for clergy was the head of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and guess what … nobody else did, except the prosecutor's office in Philadelphia and here we are today waiting for the jury to decide the fate of Monsignor William J. Lynn. What a miscarriage of justice.
I've spoken to many attorneys in Chester County and Montgomery County, they state Monsignor Lynn's case should never have gone to trial; I guess they don't know what they are talking about, just Philly does!
My prayers go out to the victims of abuse and their families. In fact a member of our family was a victim. Do I blame Monsignor Lynn for that?
Sorry, the victim in this trial is a kind and caring priest, Monsignor William J. Lynn, who is in all of our prayers.
Dennis W. Luminella, Sr.
Downingtown
Letter for the birds
A response to "Wing and a preyer" letter (June 14).
If pigeons were game birds, they would be shot in a game season and few would be complaining about it; most people get the necessity for game management and the money hunting licenses bring in for warden's salaries and conservation projects. When Pennsylvania's deer populations become too big, federal sharpshooters are brought in to cull numbers.
Hunting season isn't just an excuse for yahoos to go out and kill something.
There is a reason to make a connection (Google it) between pigeons and Hodgkin's Disease. At the University of Edinburgh, students living in a dorm under an ancient pigeon roost were being struck with Hodgkin's Disease in alarming numbers until the roost was eliminated.
It's easy to trap pigeons — I saw two men get a bunch of them at 30th Street Station about 15 years ago. They pulled up in a pickup with a wooden box. It had a lid with small holes in the top, attached with hinges on one side. They laid it on the ground and sprinkled cracked corn: pigeons and sparrows arrived in moments. When the box was full, the lid was dropped and the box hoisted on the pickup again. The sparrows escaped. All of this took about one minute!
If you every see "squab" on a menu, that's pigeon — hopefully farm-raised!
Georgia Makiver
Lansdowne, Pa.
