The consumer alert Page 2 THE BATTALION WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1974 Prospective bicyclists given tips TUe consumer report is a periodic distribution. If you are interested in seeing its continu ed publication in the Battalion, please inform us. By JOHN L. HILL Attorney General AUSTIN—Bicycles turn up fre quently on Christmas gift lists for children—and for adults, too, these days. The Bicycle Institute of America estimates that there are about twice as many bikes as families in the country today. In .1972 alone, more than 12 million new bikes were bought. So bikes are undoubtedly popular consumer items. Since they are also relatively expensive items, con sumers should ship carefully to get the best machine for the money- —and that means the machine best suited to the rider and the type of riding he or she will do. Such a machine will probably also be the safest, too, since many bike injuries residt from problems occur ring with a bike unsuited to its rider. Other causes of injury are loss of control, mechanical and structural problems, entanglement, slipping from pedals, and collisions. More than 400,000 persons suf fered bicycle-related injuries seri ous enough to need hospital emergency room treatment last year, according to the U.S. Con sumer Product Safety Commission. The Commission is developing safety standards for bicycles to eliminate many of the injuries caused by mechanical or structural failures. The new regulations will set strict performance and construc tion standards for brakes, wheels, steering system, and frame. They will require reflectors on front, back, sides, and pedals to make bikes visible at night, and also will require elimination of uncovered sharp edges and jutting parts. These new standards aren’t ex pected to go into effect for several more months. In the meantime, however, if you’re bike-shopping for Christmas, the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Di vision recommends avoiding pos sible dissatisfaction, repair prob lems and even danger, by looking for these points when choosing a bicycle: -If you’re buying for a child, get a bike that fits his current size. Don’t select a larger one, thinking he will grow into it. A bike that’s too big will be hard to handle and coidd contri bute to accidents. -A bike should suit the rider and the purpose. A youngster who has never owned a bike before may need a more basic model than an adult who has hiked frequently for years. Likewise, a bike that will be used mostly for jaunts to the park can be less complex than one used for cross-country competition. - Make sure the bike is the correct size. First check to see that the seat post extends the recommended two inches. Have the rider stand over the bike seat and rotate the crank so one pedal is all the way down. If the bike fits, the rider’s leg should be straight when the heel is resting on the pedal. -Check brakes carefully for fast, easy stopping. If the bike is for a youngster, and it has caliper hand brakes, make sure the child has the strength and hand size it takes to operate them easily. -Check the entire frame of the bike for sharp points and edges and for any protruding bolts or other structural problems. -Inspect pedals. Plastic ones may be slippery. Rubber-tread pedals or metal ones with serrated edges or toe straps are usually safer. -If the bike doesn’t come with headlights, taillights, and all the re flectors recommended by the Con sumer Product Safety Commission, consider purchasing them, along with extra reflective trim for fen ders, handlebars, chainguards, and wheels, to be certain the bike will be recognizeable in the dark. -If the bike is fora child under 12, the safest choice may be a single speed model with pedal operated brakes. In most cases, a three-speed bike with pedal brakes is the most elaborate model a child should have, according to bike safety ex perts. Five or 10-speed models are relatively complicated for a child to operate and may cause more con centration on gear shifting than on traffic. A three or five-speed model may be all an adidt needs, too, after considering how the bike will be used. -If you know little about bikes, choose a reputable dealer who has a variety of models for comparison, who can help you make a decision, and who can service the bike after the sale. Consult the Attorney General s Consumer Protection Division, your county or district attorney, or your local Better Business Bureau if you have a consumer problem about a bike purchase or service under a warranty. FOR A BROCHURE .SuL CALL: 713/823 0961 5#^ Mm or write: Beverley Braley Tours, Travel P.O. Box 3872 Bryan, Texas 77801 713/823-0961 Listen up ‘Student priorities bad’ COUStCTS By Rodney Hammack — “This is Student Radio where you just heard ‘Going Down on Love by John Lennon, before that you heard Pictures of Lilly’ by the Who, and before that was Eight Miles High by the Byrds, and before that you heard ‘Smoke on the Water’ by Deep Purple, and before that you heard ten minutes of stereo silence until someone called in and woke me up ...” Editor: Having just spent two days on the A&M campus while on leave from the Army, it has been a real educa tion to discover how messed up the priorities of this university and its students really are. The members of the Corps of Cadets are griping about women en tering ROTC; yet, at the same time, the number of men actually par ticipating in the ROTC program has dropped significantly in the last few years. Instead of downgrading the women for becoming part of the great tradition of the Corps of Cadets, the time and effort coidd be spent more effectively in upgrading the numbers and quality of the Corps. While the Corps is complaining about women, other members of the student body are complaining about saying prayers in Duncan Di ning Hall and before football games. Apparently, prayers before football games are more important than the fact that the Administration is tr\ ing to dictate what students can say and see on this campus. And while everyone is worrying over some tri vial item, the construction on the University Center continues with no consideration as to the needs and wants of the student body. To the Corps of Cadets 1 say, “Let tradition be the base upon which you build but don’t let it blind you to the fact that if you don’t change and progress you cannot grow and if you cannot grow you will surely die out. To the civilian students I say that the traditions are yours also and so yours to build on as well. If you don’t, this university will become a place where students come to do their four years and get out, not hav- Aggieland Pictures SENIORS & GRADUATES Nov. 18 - Dec 20 Makeups Students who have paid to have their pictures placed in the 1975 Aggieland should have their photograph taken according to schedule at— UNIVERSITY STUDIO 115 North Main College Station ing learned anything except what came out of a book. If you worry about ants while the elephants are tearing down the house around you, you ’ll be rid of a few minor pests but you’ll have no place to live. Donald F. Killingsworth ’72 Night nuts Editor: I ply you with this epistle on the behalf of a forgotten minority of faithful Aggie students. After a long and demanding day of classes and related activities followed by sev eral hours of tedious research in the library as we drive slowly home we find ourselves beseiged by those sadistic invisible two wheeled har pies of the night—the campus bicyc lists. These enemies to our mental health leap the curb into our paths with not so much as a piece of floureseent tape to make them selves more visible. If these indi viduals are so desperate to commit suicide I would beg them not to draft us for instruments of this free wheeling purge. If some compul sion is pedaling them to meet their Maker astride their ten speed cof fins let then! run head Jong into Rudder Tower or Sul Ross statue so that none of the loyal minority of motoring aggies has to feel respon sible for their self-ordained destiny. There is another alternative to this plight facing my small desper ate group. The university could make an all out effort to foil these thoughtless suieidals by making stiff fines for riding unlighted and un- Cbe Battalion Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editor on request. Address: The Battalion, Room 217, Services Building. College or of the writer of the article and are not necessarily those of station, n \as //Bet the university administration or the Board of Directors. The The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use for reproduction ot all Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting enterprise operated news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in the paper and local by students as a university and community newspaper. new $ of spontaneous origin published herein. Right of reproduction of all r-,_i.. . » ». -I* ■ ' i i i.. * other matter herein are also reserved. Editorial policy is determined by the editor. Second-Class postage paid at College Station, Texas, LETTERS POLICY Editor Creg Moses Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words and are Assistant Editor Will Anderson subject to beingcut to that length or less if longer. The editorial Managing Editor LaTonya Perrin staff reserves the right to edit such letters and does not guaran- Sports Editor Mark Weaver tee to publish any letter. Each letter must be signed, show the Photo Editor Alan Killingsworth address of the writer and list a telephone number for verified- Copy Editors Cynthia Maciel, tion. Carson Campbell News Editor Roxie Hearn, Address correspondence to Listen Up, The Battalion. Room -p q Gallucci 217, Services Building, College Station, Texas 77843. Campus editor Steve Bales , , , , City Editor Rod Speer Members of the Student Publications Board are: Jim Lindsey, chairman; Dr. . . . _ . , D , ... ,, , .. Ton, Adair, Dr. R. A. Albanese, D, H. E. Hierth, W. C. Harrison, Steve Special Assignment Reporters Teresa Coslett, Eberhard, Don Hegi, and John Nash, Jr Mary Russo, Jim Crawley, Paul McGrath, Tony . Gallucci,Gerald Olivier, Steve Gray, Jack Hodges, Judy Represented nationally by National Educational Advertising Services. Inc., Baggett, Barbara West New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. General Assignment Reporters Dave Johnson, Kanaya Mahendra, Jim Peters, David White, Cindy Taber, i MEMBER Roxie Hearn, Debi Holliday, Rose Mary Traverse, Ron Ams- The Associated Press, Texas Press Association Jer, Robert Cessna, Richard Henderson, Daralyn Greene, ~ , L . , „ Scott Reynolds, Sandra Chandler, Jim Sullivan, Leroy Dettl- The Battalion, a student newspaper at Texas A&M, is published in College . Station, Texas, daily except Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and holiday periods, & September through Mav, and once a week during summer school . . Photographers Douglas Winship, Mail subscriptions are S5.00 per semester; $9.50 per school vtMr; Sin. Til per David Kimmel, Jack Holm, Glen Johnson, Chris Svatek, full year. All subscriptions subject to 5*# sales tax. Advertising rate furnished ^ Gary Baldasari, Rodger Mallison, Steve KraiiSS PEANUTS VES, MA'AM\ I'M HERE FOR THE SKATING COMPETITION... HOW ABOUT PRACTICE TIME, MA’AM? NOlO? GOOD! I'LL PUT MV SKATE5 ON... UJHAT ARE VOUR 5KATES... I V0U L00KIN6 THINK VOU'VE MAPE AT, KIP ?/ A LITTLE MISTAKE TRIG IS A ROLLER 5KATIN6 COMPETITION! Embrey’s Jewelry We Specialize In Aggie Rings. Diamonds Set— Sizing— Reoxidizing— All types watch/jewelry Repair Aggie Charge Accounts 9-5:30 846-5816 marked Jiikes after dark. In fact they could stop these individuals from molesting our sanity at all just by refusing to tag bicycle's whic h do not have the proper safety equipment for night cycling. Pat Mabry I n I • r • I a I CINEMA I •aWdSIM MMtl IIIMMI CIR1II 846-6714 846-1151 PARAMOUNT PICTURES PRESENTS AN ALBERT S. RUDOT PRODUCTION STARRING BURT REYNOLDS “THE LONGEST YARD” COLOR By TECHNICOLOR ’ A PARAMOUNT PICTURE [R] the rebellion of hot- on the field of battle o hero. The play has DECEMBER 4, 1974 - 8 00 PM RUDDER AUDITORIUM CALL 5-2916 TO RESERVE TICKETS TICKET PRICES: STU GCNMUC ZONE I $3.50 4.00 2 2.75 3.25 3 1.75 2.50 10%-20% Off During Our Pre-Holiday Calculator Sale You’ve been wanting a calculator. Now’s the time to buy one, while we’re having a sale on selected models. 10%-20% off regular price. Come talk to our calculators. They’ll talk savings. LOUPOT’S Northgate Across From The Post Office niversity ulator i.itotS |n< Ofpop.jlfjd