Thursday, July 16, 2009

We're here, we ride, get used to it

Though I'm a fan of considerate and safe cycling, there's something about this list of suggestions that reminds me of the old-school approach to gay and lesbian defusing hatred against them: pretend you're just like them, no, pretend you're better than them. That way, they can't possibly hate you.

Women were told to wear skirts and makeup; men were supposed to be masculine. It was all about keeping your head down and praying for toleration. The goal was to fit in and to deny whatever part of yourself made that difficult. That didn't work, of course--it took radicals and subversives of all kinds to effect social change. So I'm not sure why cyclists would expect the same.

Sure, don't be an asshole. But a bike isn't a car and each of us is responsible for our own publicity. Just because one driver cuts me off or opens their door into my path doesn't mean every motorist is a danger to cyclists (though some times it feels like it). By the same token, cyclists should avoid falling into the trap of expecting each other to "represent." We shouldn't have to be popular to expect not to be killed when we go out.

Plus, the whole "drive your bike, don't ride it" doesn't really jibe with common usage. Bikes, I'm afraid, are ridden and motorists are going to have to live with it.

1 comment:

  1. Sheila1:16 PM

    good thoughts, Paul, and I like the analogy. That suggestion in the list to "carry flowers" is as appalling as the random men on the street who pleasantly command women to "Smile!"

    I'm definitely inclined to ride my bike however I want and I've never been comfortable with Critical Mass's statement "We are traffic"(thereby implying, I guess, that we gotta follow the damn car rules).

    Representing aside, a friend of mine clouds the issue by bringing up our socialized healthcare system; ie, is it okay for me to expect taxpayers to pay for my healthcare if I injure myself by not following the rules? (I don't have an answer for that)

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Thanks for the comment!