SHARING THE ROAD
Jennifer Schmidt
Thawing winter legs means more and more ped
dlers roaming the streets As bicycles come out ol
hibernation the need lor increased awareness and
road smarts becomes apparent Cyclists and motor
ists are sharing the same territory in many cases
and a mutual regard for each other is essential Ai
cording to statistics, the majority of accidents in
volving both cars and bikes happen in urban areas,
during the daytime, and on dry roads By using cau
lion while driving or riding, and by keeping the fol
lowing tips in mind, a disastrous collision may be
avoided
For Drivers
' Remember, bikes obey the same trattic rules as
you do Be as aware of them as you would be of
any other vehicle
' If you wish to turn across a bike's path, yield to a
bike that is continuing forward Don't cut it off
' Parking in a bike lane creates a road hazard for
any cyclist
’ Remember that cyclists put up with road hazards
that don’t always affect you Storm grates glass,
trash or pedestrians could cause them to slow
down or swerve unexpectedly
‘ Compared to a car, hikes are small and therefore
not always as visible as another car would be
Really look before opening your car door, or before
backing up onlo a sfree!
For Riders
' Obey traffic rules This gives a degree of predicta
bility to your actions that drivers and other cy
clists depend on
‘ In congested areas slow down
' Because of poor visibility, like sunlight in their
eyes or another car blocking their view, drivers
sometimes fail to see bikes While riding, never as
sume that a driver has seen you
' Check the traffic on a street before entering the
flow yourself
‘ Don’t run stop signs or red lights Don't ride the
wrong way on a one way street You place yoursel!
in a position drivers don’t expect you to be
Alas for
mortality,
there is only
J
one you.
■ .
j.
__
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OPEN WATER SWIMMERS...
The beach is i ailing you you heard
il in one of those sea shells and it •,
been so long stn< * you've been There
Perhaps you ve newer seen the m can
t)*>hife We *vhQ live in the state *■ bor
daring the P.t ifn are truly iu Ky The
rugged coast is beautiful and the *u
it i*. i nmy ti'iij i ", diji I’lK'! W U'f -.w- ‘ 'y
iWM-if1 to be i! with groat are Nova e • /.imfr e" and
suitec, who hrt the loamy crests «>f the Pa< ihc must take
heed of the {Kissitulity of undertows an.l riptides
A .. ordmg to the Surf life Saving As&o< <atn>n f a k
wash from waves Known as undertow is of less non. er<
for swimmers than underwater rip currents A rip current
is water moving swiftly seaward, usually ir currents not
more than 10 to 20 feet wide These an- hard h spot and
may 0»ist even in calm looking waters
Rip currents can be spotted t>y a break in wave pattern
of a discoloration ' the water Ahich v usually caused
by • e d K t t , ’ i ■ ; ,"< ! don't struggle Th*-wa
ter is infinitely si rouge' than you am y
and keep calm t.wim with the nj < urmnt but anym to
ward the shore c.n • ■•-» %! bank If th<s is impossible mi
11ally fide the current seaward and .»*. • • ;• f «
turn and swim to shore outside the urmnt
Other open water per is ,.u i0de weedy ao .e. If you t>t*
< ome entangled, don't struggle Tread water and ah .v
the current to arry you and you W eventually Ore ah free
The swim paiatmi with the rorient heading toward sh<. m
Fighting against the :ur»ent wi'i umy tee you out Pa
• ?> your worst e-uemy ir .-pen water swimming
Finally don t swim m waters that have t he** tested
for safety by the local board . * health In this aye of m
dust rial waste contamination is not always v*sibie to the
naked eye The < ean is a beautiful sight • behold .md a
powerful lor-r d energy and water Tafcr am and ?e
sped the sleeping giant
I LEAST TOXIC CHEMICAL I
SOLUTIONS TO FIGHT FLEAS: I
Robbie Ross
Apply an insecticidal fatty-acid
soap. Fleas can also be repeled
with a shampoo or spray contain
ing limonene, which is extracted
from citrus fruit.
Sprinkle diatomaceous earth
sparingly into rugs and uphol
stery frequented by your pet. Dia
tomaceous earth abrades the
flea's outer shell and causes the
fleas to dry up and die. This mate
rial is relatively harmless to peo
ple and pets but care should be
taken to avoid breathing it. These
products can be found at most
hardware stores and garden sup
ply centers.
Deep Heat from Tube
- Does deep heating liniment work on tired and sore
muscles'* Good question There's a theory that the
answer is no Ad copywriters like to claim that
balms and liniments soothe muscle aches away. A
more appropriate mane for something such as
Menthol Deep Heating Rub" might be 'Rub on a
counter irritant The latter name describes the
product tor what it is When deep heating balms are
applied many of their active ingredients stimulate
sensory nerve endings in the skin to produce sensa
lions of superficial pain, heat or cold that presum
ably distract from the more intense pain in sore
muscles One theory holds that heightened stimuli
from the skin actually blocks pain impulses before
they can travel along nerve pathways to the brain
When ointments, balms, lotions, creams, and gels
are applied the gentle massage used to apply them
may be actual relief For some people, the aroma
probably has a strong psychological effect
Most heating rubs contain menthol from pepper
mint oil and methyl salicylate from wmtergreen oil
The more expensive the ingredients the more ex
pensive the product Usually most products contain
the same ingredients of counter irritant
Counter-irritants can actually be hazardous when
used in coniunction with heating pads or heat
lamps Never apply a counter irritant before sunbath
mg or using a tanning bed Heat applied over coun
ter irritants can result in severe burns and blisters
Counter irritants which are applied before a bandage
or wrap can also result in blistering of the skin
If you re sold in the idea that a deep heat balm is
what works best over an athletic injury or deep mus
cle soreness, you may indeed have an in|ury. muscle
spasm or problem worthy of medical attention Rath
er than treating yourself which may lead to further,
more severe injury, see a physician or call the Stu
dent Health Physical Therapy Clinic at 346-4401
| ALCOHOL AND BOATING
Robbie Ross
According to a recent study, 60% of all fatal motorboat accidents in
volve alcohol Drinking and operating a boat is as dangerous as drinking
and driving and is also against the law
If marine patrol officers suspect that a boat operator is under the influ
ence of alcohol they may require the operator to undergo sobriety tests
The penalty for operating a boat under the influence Is a Class A misde
meanor and could carry a penalty of up to $2500 and one year in jail
Why Drinking Alcohol and Boating is Unsafe
1 Alcohol affects your sense of balance, which is critical when boating
2 Boating requires good vision and alcohol can seriously restrict your vi
sion by reducing peripheral and night vision as well as affecting your
ability to focus
3 Alcohol affects your |udgment A person under the influence is more
likely to take risks they normally wouldn't and are less likely to make
the right choices in a life threatening situation.
4 Alcohol slows your reaction time and in the case of a hazardous situa
tion, seconds may be all you have to take the correct action.
5 Even without alcohol, reaction time is slowed in normal boating by
stressors such as motion, sun. wind, and noise and when alcohol is in
cluded the stressor s fatiguing effects are multiplied