It seems like a no-brainer, doesn’t it? You put a penny in the machine, you get back a gumball. The most fundamental of business transactions imaginable. Penny. Gumball. Every time.

If every day life – in relation to our dealings with one another – was as equally straightforward and uncomplicated, what a lovely world it would be. Right? Certainly. But we’re not all that uncomplicated, are we?

Take, for example, how so many of us turn a blind eye to certain “victimless” infractions of the law. Substance abuse, prostitution, and the like, are often cited as examples of victimless crime, and therefore they should be decriminalized. All that is a debate in itself. But when it comes to matters of public safety – where real potential victims unquestionably exist – we must recognize the need to exercise more control in what sometimes becomes an out of control situation.

Bicyclists should and must follow laws and regulations the same way everyone else does. People can get hurt, so reasonable safety measures must be taken. If law enforcement needs to get a little more aggressive to make that happen, then let it be so.

Break the law, pay a penalty. Penny. Gumball. No-brainer.