In his article “Helmetless priest ticketed at Mass” [Jan. 4-11], Matthew Burrows neglected to mention a couple of results from Mayor Sullivan’s “Project Civil City” survey.

Of the 212 open comments submitted, the highest percentage (45.11 percent) expressed concern about “aggressive driving” including road rage, drivers talking on cell phones, and street racing.

Out of 2,469 respondents, only 12.47 percent clicked a button for “cyclists not wearing helmets”. There wasn’t a single button dedicated to inappropriate driving. One can only wonder what may have happened had the city paid as much attention to people endangering others, as they do to people endangering their own peanut.

Regarding Const. [Howard] Chow’s comments, I must point out that only one of us was actually stopped for not wearing a helmet.

Mr. [Doug] Gook was stopped and ticketed because he was corking an unmarked police car; hence he was selected out of all the other unhelmeted riders. Reverend Smith and I were ticketed because we went back to see if we could be of assistance. Although I was told to leave or face a helmet ticket, I chose to stay.

The VPD generally conduct themselves in a courteous, supportive manner, particularly during last summer’s Big June Ride, and it is dearly hoped that they will continue to do so in the future.

> Ifny Lachance / Vancouver

How is it that our government sanctions the smoking of cigarettes—which will kill one out of every two long-term smokers—on public property, yet the riding of bicycles without wearing a helmet—which will not kill one out of every two nonhelmeted long-term riders—is prohibited by law?

How about reversing the penalties?

> Norbert Kaysser / Port Coquitlam