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Letter to the editor

Today's Letters: Cyclists, drivers need to share road

As a cyclist, do you ever feel the urge to shout at drivers who come too close, buzzing you, honking in your ear or cursing at you for being on the road? Do you have a difficult time maintaining the quite Zen-like state that you seek when you ride your bicycle? I do.

Do you ride with a group of cyclists in which some individuals disregard the rules of the road or are insensitive to vehicles and drivers around them? Do your fellow cyclists attempt to retaliate when insulted by drivers? Do you wish you were somewhere else when these events occur? I do.

Statistics show that Pinellas County is a very dangerous place to ride a bike. Road rage is not limited to four-wheeled vehicles. I was involved in a recent incident at 10 a.m. on a Sunday that has me re-evaluating a number of things. I got angry with a motorist who was harassing my group of five bikes. Things escalated to the point that the driver attempted to kill me with his car. I'm still angry, but mostly at myself for letting someone provoke me. That's my wakeup call.

I'm not talking about accidents or carelessness, I'm talking about intent. This turf war must end! What small satisfaction would come from running me down in front of witnesses? My life ends, the driver rots in jail. It's not worth it!

We all have stories about motorists doing insane things to bikes and of cyclists behaving like arrogant pigs toward motorists. But this is not every cyclist nor every driver, it is a fringe element from each group.

I appeal to all of you who share the roads with me. Let's clean up our act on both sides of the white line.

Richard Reynolds, Clearwater

Lost beaches pain 'saltwater cowboy'

We've lost all of Pinellas County's beaches to overdevelopment. There's a few square feet of public access, but try to find a place to park or a little privacy. When it comes to sunsets, most of us have been left in the dark.

Then they take our tax dollars to renourish private beaches that weren't supposed to be renourished. When I say "they," I mean those elected officials who think everybody should pay for those exclusive private beaches where their development cohorts develop and then redevelop, on and on.

Beaches move because that's the way God designed things. They spend millions of dollars to fix what didn't need fixing to begin with. Then all this extra sand washes away eventually because beaches move.

Can you guess where it goes? Well I've pondered this question deeply, as being a natural born and raised here saltwater cowboy who loves to watch the few islands still left in the area redistribute themselves like the change of seasons. I've determined it is washed into the natural rock outcroppings and grass sponge reefs a few hundred yards out along our once Caribbean-like waterways.

Now mind you, I'm not saying our waterways are not beautiful, although Clearwater Beach used to be, well, clear like the Caribbean. Furthermore, I have nothing against people owning waterfront property as long as it comes in the form of a boat.

And those of you who do own real estate on the water, stop putting down those fertilizers and chemicals on the unnatural hybrid St. Augustine grass. I say, let the real natural vegetation grow, so the sandpipers will have a nice place to nest. Stop grooming your mangroves, so other birds have a nice place to nest. If they block your view, tear down your condo and get a boat.

And one more thing, stop yelling at me when I'm fishing in your back yard. Don't you know snook bite better between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. three days before the full moon? One last thing, tell your dog to stop barking. They scare the fish away.

Scott Rexroat, Dunedin

Thanks to all for jazz holiday

It's truly a cast of thousands that makes the Clearwater Jazz Holiday unique in our community. It has given our economy a boost, enhanced our quality of life and pulled the community together to enjoy our downtown parkland.

People travel from all sorts of destinations to sample the harvest moon lighting the Clearwater Harbor waters, and the sounds and smells keep bringing them back year after year. That's what we have that is special. It's free, and sponsors are climbing on board recognizing value when they see it.

Let's pull together and keep moving up. Thanks to Pat Sheppard, Frank Chivas, Steve Weinberger, Gary Hallas and hundreds of other leaders and sponsors, that's exactly where the holiday is headed.

Cary Stiff and Don Mains,co-founders, Clearwater Jazz Holiday

Your voice counts

You may submit a letter to the editor for possible publication through our Web site at www.tampabay.com/letters, or by faxing it to (727) 445-4119, or by mailing it to Letters, 710 Court St., Clearwater, FL 33756. You must include your name, address and phone number. Letters may be edited for clarity, taste and length.

[Last modified October 30, 2007, 20:30:16]