My Rational Voice says calmly, You could die here. Don’t mess up. Thanks, Rational Voice.

Spelunkers are nuts

Yeah, just a brief comment on your story, (“Why do I do this? A conversation with the rational voice in Thunder Canyon Cave”, Cover Story, Nov. 23). About 72 years ago on the Cornell campus in Ithaca, New York. I heard about a spelunkers club and it seemed interesting to me, “Oh, to explore a cave.” So I went to their meeting and I came out of the meeting thinking to myself, “These people are nuts!” There’s too many ways to get injured and die above ground. And I’m not interested in getting myself killed below ground, so that was the end of my interest in caves.

Above Ground

San Diego

Almost factual letters

Years ago I used to look forward to letters from indignant dolts who couldn’t figure out that SD on the QT is a satirical take on actual events. Alas, those letters have all but dried up in the last few years. Ah, but we hit the mother lode in (“San Diego Hells Angels defended”, Letters, Nov. 29) with not one but two clueless complainers.

Brian from SD claims he is going to take legal action in favor of the slandered motorcycle clubs who “do more for their community than any branch of government”. Joe from O’side was outraged that a SD councilman wanted to rid the libraries of books because “literacy is not an equitable value.”

Hilarious, but how can we guarantee a steady supply of letters from mistakenly miffed readers? I propose a new offshoot of SD on the QT: Almost Factual Letters. If you can print fake news why not print fake letters for those weeks when no real irate letters are forthcoming?

John Rhodes

Carlsbad

Global warming as scapegoat

There is something terribly wrong in this city with regard to bicycle transportation. (“Bikes spiked”, Under the Radar, Nov. 29)Here are the words from the “Million Mile Man,” a CBS News Documentary. Since Christmas Eve of 1953, when I entered the world, my life has been devoted to movement via human propulsion. On three continents, I have participated in athletic events, both running and triathlon.

SANDAG has got it all wrong. If it were so easy to ride a bike as alternative transportation, everyone would be a Navy Seal. It is reckless and ridiculous to believe that suddenly, San Diego and the nation are all over the barrel for cycling. Why does society scapegoat global warming for this insanity?

As a mayoral candidate in San Diego, I will tell constituents the truth and nothing but the truth. The City of San Diego is going about this wrongheaded public policy helter skelter. There has honestly been no significant increase in cycling for decades. But SANDAG wants to perpetuate this nonsense and hoist lies on the citizens of San Diego. The only thing these bike lanes are achieving is the death and destruction of our residents. This must stop and as mayor, I will stop this folly.

Daniel Smiechowski

Bay Ho