As Far As I Can Tell

But motorcycles are cool, Simon. Isn’t your choice clear? Keep us posted on the response letters if you see any of them. I’d love to read. Question - do mopeds adhere to bicycle traffic laws or automobile traffic laws? Also, don’t take it personally. Let me play as if I am as narrow minded as Schinkai, and point out the fact that he’s a sports editor. Surely this explains a lot. Like duh.

Posted by: andrea on November 4, 2004 6:50 PM

I’m really surprised that it took some “assclown” so long to crap out an uninformed and sadly researched anti-moped army opinion column for the Western Herald. Has the Herald ever done a pro-MA piece? Either way, it’s a shame that Mr. Shinkai wrote such an awful article and by doing so has opened up a can that should have remained, for his sake, contained. For the Moped Army’s sake, I hope retribution comes with some sense of sanity… and there’s no Revenge of the Nerds sequel to be found within. The response letters that I’ve read so far, are solidly mature and worthy of publication. Good luck, e.

Posted by: e_prime on November 5, 2004 11:33 AM

Sorry to hijack this is a little but: F#CK PETER SCHINKAI. Not because I ride a moped but I do bike and he indirectly puts that down too. Either way, what is his problem? Does he now know that he will be targeted and brought to justice? I sincerely hope so. Loser.

Posted by: Naz on November 5, 2004 1:33 PM

PS. Somebody ought to let him know that looking like a “beatnik” is so out.

Posted by: Naz on November 5, 2004 1:34 PM

It’s totally ridiculous the way he attacks any two wheeled vehicle except “cool motorcycles”. It’s amazing this ever made it to print. The Moped Army crew has been heavily mobilized and roughly 30 letters have to written so far, including plenty from people not in the Moped Army. They don’t publish again until Monday, so we’ll have to wait until then to see how they respond. Andrea: Mopeds adhere to automobile laws. Eric: Yes, The Herald has done a pro Moped Army piece. Naz: The targeting has begun.

Posted by: simon on November 5, 2004 1:50 PM

So, once again I am embarrassed to be a WMU alumni. How could that article get published? I am all for alternate modes of transportation and am a supporter of both mopeds and bicycles, but just to put that aside for a moment, what editor, in their right mind would publish such an awful article. Even if it is merely an op-ed piece, it is still a piece of garbage. Completely unsupported statements, terrible phrasing, it might be reaching high school equivalent writing, at best. Mr. Schinkai should get over his hang ups and get his ass back in class. College kids, where do they find them these days? Also, I agree with Naz and that whole beatnik thing, sick!

Posted by: ivo on November 5, 2004 2:40 PM

I’m a WMU grad but non-MA member that mopeds dowtown Detroit. I’ll drop an email to Shinkai expressing my view of his idiocy. I doubt he’ll respond.

Posted by: tom on November 7, 2004 3:36 PM

An update. I sent the following email to beatnik: Peter, The article you wrote in the Western Herald about the Moped Army casts a pretty wide net and is somewhat slanderous to just about everyone on two wheels. I’m a WMU graduate, non-member of the Moped Army, lawyer, and I both bike and moped downtown Detroit. A few preliminary thoughts: 1) Mopeds consume far less gas than automobiles 2) Mopeds pollute far less than automobiles 3) Mopeds provide a slow, but relaxing way to travel 4) Your article equally applies to bicycles. Bikes don’t produce exhaust pollution at all, and contribute to the health of the rider 5) Mopeds provide a relaxing hobby 6) Mopeds are exceedingly convenient for WMU students, as they can avoid high parking sticker fees and difficulties finding parking spaces 7) Motorists can generally navigate around mopeds 8) Legally speaking, moped riders have just as much right to use roadways as you 9) Mopeds are not “fake” motorcycles, as opposed to “real” motorcycles. Mopeds are “motorized bicycles”. Or a bicycle with a motor, if you prefer. 10) The Moped Army is a club of mopeding enthusiasts, not a group reliving their childhood as your article suggests. I know, because I am acquainted with several MA members and they are adults that share a common interest. There are more reasons, but I think I’ve made my point. And if the point of your article was humor, it is sort of funny, but sophmoric. I personally enjoy mopeding downtown Detroit for the above reasons, among others. I’ve put my moped away for the winter. But during this past summer, rarely a day went by that someone didn’t express interest in my moped, and quite often expressed a desire to themselves buy one. Sincerely, T’su Rii His response: Dear Mr. Rii, On behalf of the Western Herald, I would like to thank you for reading our newspaper. We look forward to your readership in the future. ****************************** Peter Schinkai Sports Editor Western Herald Faunce Student Services Bldg. Kalamazoo, MI 49008 (269) 387-2099 Fax: (269) 387-2267 PRETTY LAME!

Posted by: tom on November 7, 2004 6:15 PM

Yeah, really lame. Thanks for writing though. I haven’t gotten any sort of response, so we’ll see what show up in tomorrow’s newspaper.

Posted by: Simon on November 7, 2004 8:37 PM

The Western Herald has responded. I figured they would print a letter from a WMU student, but at least they chose a decent one with a variety of good points.

Posted by: simon on November 8, 2004 9:20 AM

wow, dont you people have anything better to do than bitch and complain about what a journalism major/sports editor wrote as a filler piece for the WMU paper? it is obvious that the article was not intended to be taken seriously seeing that it was an opinion paper written by a sports writer… and some of the responses that are posted on the MA site are the most egregious statements i’ve ever read in my life. i mean, are you people so concerned about what a college student has to say about mopeds that you would actually consider physical harm against another human being? i’ve read numerous arguments saying that mopeds are great for the enviroment, and then you turn around and talk about burning a persons house down. all that does is make you and your fellow “moped army” members look really foolish and ignorant.

Posted by: andrew s. on November 8, 2004 11:57 PM

1. Nobody who has read that article thinks it was written with comedy in mind. If you do then you aren’t looking at it objectively. It has no trace of humor and comes off as a straight attack piece. 2. Yes, I do take it seriously when somebody attacks the organization I founded in a newspaper. I have every right to respond. 3. The Moped Army forum is public and the comments you’re referring to come from immature kids who frequent it, not from Moped Army members. The responses to the editor written by Moped Army members were intelligent and well considered.

Posted by: Simon on November 9, 2004 1:03 AM

I completely understand your anger at your little group being attacked… But if you are so passionate about these mopeds, you should at least be mature enough to deal with a little critism about it. Also, as far as i can tell, the article was writen in response to the riders around the WMU campus that often dirupt the flow of trafic. It was merely writen to vent his frustrations, much like many of the responses writen on your pages.

Posted by: andrew s. on November 9, 2004 11:13 AM

Criticism is fine. We responded appropriately and through the proper channels as outlined by the newspaper. It’s really a non-issue at this point. A mature response does not mean simply ignoring it or letting unfounded attacks go unchecked. Also, your very statement seems to be missing the point. Campus moped riders don’t disrupt the flow the traffic, the writer is simply intolerant of traffic from alternative vehicles.

Posted by: simon on November 9, 2004 11:43 AM

Newspapers are not a place for a journalist to “vent his frustrations”. A major problem here is it is completely irresponsible journalism, even if it is an opinion piece. Posting in an open web forum, like this one, is a much more appropriate place for venting, or maybe we could even say conversing. “…are you people so concerned about what a college student has to say about mopeds…” Andrew, not just a college student, a future journalist.

Posted by: ivo on November 9, 2004 11:49 AM