Police officers still need to chase after criminals

As the victim of an attempted midday carjacking at a busy Marin shopping mall, I profoundly disagree with my friend Kathy Hartzell's opposition to police car chases, as expressed in her recently published letter.

Fortunately, the carjacker who attempted to rob me was foiled by my screams and the intercession of a few nearby shoppers. But what if he had not been? What if the police were called and arrived momentarily, but then told me that they were sorry they couldn't chase after the person who stole my car because of policy? I would have been furious.

It makes me recall the folkwisdom saying from the 1960s: “A conservative is a liberal who just got mugged.”

— Steve Stein, San Rafael form of violence. Perhaps those of us who turn a cold back to those less fortunate than ourselves might consider what caused them to become homelessness. I think we need to start thinking about how we would react if we were “living on the street” under such difficult conditions.

Physical or mental illness, disability, lack of skills and an inability to pay for higher education are all factors that can lead to homelessness. It can happen to any of us. Imagine an unexpected accident. You could find yourself disabled and unable to earn money.

In considering the challenges for all immigrants in our country, we need to remember that the U.S. government puts immigrants through lots of red tape. Many are in desperate need of refuge after leaving hostile conditions at home. We need to show compassion.

Additionally, drug addicts need our support. They face a difficult reality. Some people may need job skills.

Please don't add insult to injury by judging and giving homeless people the silent treatment. Please regard them as the souls they truly are. Instead of ignoring them, help them.

I think that requiring all employers to provide at least one month of severance pay would help people stay in their homes as they transition to new jobs.

— Drina Brooke, Novato

Marin. Perhaps we can all agree that this separation of bikes and pedestrians makes sense.

Bikers are allowed to ride on all fire roads in the county, where they peacefully and amicably coexist with hikers. Furthermore: Bikes are welcomed on all trails in China Camp State Park; Tamarancho in Fairfax is a purpose-built trail area reserved for mountain bikers; the open space near the Dominican neighborhood in San Rafael also has trails specifically developed by bikers for their use and enjoyment.

Fire roads are extensive and wide but are not the “trails” that bikers are now lobbying to use on Mount Tamalpais and other open spaces in the county. The mountain trails in the county were historically developed for hikers. Most are narrow, often requiring single-file hiking.

Hikers are accustomed to stepping off the trail to allow approaching hikers to get by. Many trails incorporate steps, hairpin bends and vertical drops into canyons or creeks. Bikers and hikers are incompatible on these narrow trails with no way to know who or what is around the next bend.

As with sidewalks, safety is the major issue when mixing those on foot with those on wheels, bearing in mind that the speed and momentum of bikes will put hikers at risk. Narrow trails will deteriorate if used by bikes. The wear and tear from footsteps are very different to that from adult weight on rotating wheels. The additional weight and potential speed of electric bikes would exacerbate these issues.

— Kay Law and Dave Law,

San Rafael