Re-think getting lost in L.A...
Thread started by
mrk at 07.16.09 - 10:05 pm
Highland park incident really sucks... posting routes (as you did) was smart, but L.A. isnt as wonderful as some of you think... especially if youre new to the area--be careful... dont listen to the riders who try to kick their u-lock power knowledge... L.A. needs to be respected... for a glimpse into how some of these forum members think about riding L.A... just look at a brief exchange i once had...
im not criticizing everything from those who i quote... but I think CM needs to be a little more responsible about where they lead people.... YOU CHOOSE to be the leaders, you make the route... Just be careful (not blaming if that seems implicit, i know better than that)
heres the thread... my response is to a rider claiming we should get lost in L.A., after I asked for route to be posted in case people get lost; noting L.A. isnt a place to get lost in.
http://www.midnightridazz.com/forums.php?searchType=user&showThreads=1&keyword=mrk&topicId=9960
quotes:
Some of you riders are so predictable its almost stupid.
Whether you live in LA or not, you can get lost from the pack due to repairs, helping others, and any other event that may separate you from the pack. You would like to know where the ride is headed in order to catch up. Plus you would be the most ignorant person on the forums to think only people from LA show up to the rides.
Moreover to my hardcore LA natives (who are probably only in LA via gentrification), whether you know the streets or not, only the over-confident tight jeaned hipster would think his pocket knife and U-lock were enough a defense in the event they get lost in the area.
If you want to kick around "Im from LA, I know my way, I can ride all the streets" jargon, then you're really not FROM LA.
Its like having a conversation with a kid living in the "new" Echo Park claiming how much they love it, love the scene, and love LA. When you talk to people who lived there before your retard 80's sunglasses (which werent even cool then) were in fashion, they will usually explain WHY the wanted to leave LA.
Be safe, dont be stupid...
i guarantee for many, the former is easier...
--mrk (me)
please.
People are always worried about the route.
A good 2nd Friday ride is about 18 miles top and usually ends right near where it started.
It's good to get lost in LA. In fact, I'm going to be making a ride for people who LIKE to get lost in LA, called Let's Get Lost Ride.
I don't care if people don't like what I say.
The Route leaders should print route slips for those who need it. People should stay together the best they can.
--joe barfo
if you grew up in LA, why do certain neighborhoods scare you?
maybe i'm being a bit harsh because i voluntarily ran through some grimey ass spots in LA growing up, but i've learned that no matter where you're at it's all about how you interact with people. if you're just minding your own, no one's gonna fuck with you. in "wrong place at the wrong time" situations, it won't matter whether you're in a comfortable neighborhood or not, sometimes shit happens that is beyond our control.
and getting lost is the best way to learn your way around.
--cold cut
I think it's easier for some people to get lost anywhere in LA and not feel in danger. But someone who's recently moved here and lacks a bit of melanin might not be able to blend right in, and not only due to the physical, but also the language barrier they might encounter.
LA is really not that bad. There's always people out in the streets... just gotta know to stay on the main streets and not the little side streets, where a lot of shady shit can and will go down.
--godlovesugly
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these are all excellent points. however, there is no right or wrong.
tfunk40807.17.09 - 12:08 am
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How many times are you going to recycle this crap?
PC07.17.09 - 12:40 am
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"I think CM needs to be a little more responsible about where they lead people.... YOU CHOOSE to be the leaders, you make the route... Just be careful"
How about "Ridazz need to be a little more responsible about how well they prepare, how they maintain their bikes, how they behave, and how they choose to act"?
If you've been riding for more than a month, it's not hard to figure out who the more responsible ride leaders are, and if you've lived in L.A., it's not hard to figure out where the safer neighborhoods are. Yes, bad things can happen anywhere, but they're statistically FAR more likely to happen some places than others.
If you check your bike out beforehand, bring tools and tubes so you can fix your bike easily and quickly, carry pepper spray, and behave with courtesy and common sense, you can minimize the chance of a negative outcome.
Riding a bike in L.A. has some inherent risks, but there's a lot YOU can do to reduce them. The ride leaders can only do so much. Worse comes to worst, carry a Thomas Guide in your backpack, then you're never lost.
JB07.17.09 - 8:45 am
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I agree, CM needs more than good leaders (and there are some, even those that hate my posts)...
The problem Ive seen over the years is that ride leaders are mostly aware of the "kinds" of people, and the "kinds" bikes on these rides.
Ignoring those factors, as if they do not exist is irresponsible.
Im not targeting anyone in particular, im just suggesting something.
Sometimes I think it is pretty fucked up when we ride through residential areas so late, and as loud as we can be... As much as it is great to see people cheering you on, CM is way beyond its infancy, so its not a surprise anymore... so I tend to think riding a route that makes use of residential streets, where families are try to put their kids to sleep, wake up the next morning and the like... should be considered.
I've advocated a bit of consistency on the forum... whether talking crap or not...
With all the mass rides that occur today (opposed to when MR was once a month), ride leaders need to take into consideration more than their feelings of freedom and entitlement to ride where ever they want.
If real change is going to happen on CM, then it needs to happen with the leaders first....
Stop advocating drinking, and smoking weed
Stop allowing posts about alluding to drug use (i think a recent add has someone snorting lines)
Stop acting like entitled brats, and ride on larger streets, or streets with no residents... stay away from residential streets where you can really piss people off at home...
I love bikes, and I use to think CM was a way to promote some political, philosophical points about society... now its exactly what I really knew it was--its only really about partying and having fun.
If that is the case, then do it with more sense.
Again, some of you do, so dont take offense.
mrk07.17.09 - 9:09 am
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Plus it's not really making "the point" if you ride down a residential street where no one may even see the bicycles.
Although if ya'll ever rode down MY street while I was out, I'd be kind of pleased.
CM in particular might be more effective if it went through really congested streets during rush hour. Moving bike vs stationary car is a very visual argument.
HappyLand responding to a
comment by mrk
07.17.09 - 9:27 am
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And while I love my Lady LA, there are some really rotten parts to her, as in any major city.
I lived around USC for five years, which is by no means even that bad of a neighborhood, but it was always shocking how irresponsibly some of the USC students behaved, such as walking around at night plugged into an iPod and swinging around an expensive bag loaded up with a shiny new MacBook and an iPhone. Or just being stupid drunk on foot at 3am.
I think you can safely navigate most of LA at almost any time (I've braved some pretty desolate streets at pretty desolate hours alone), but the problem is that for some strange reason, most people are just not aware of their surroundings. And maybe ride leaders cannot always be responsible for the people who screw up alone or in a group.
HappyLand07.17.09 - 9:37 am
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Good thread, yeah don't bring that over here, you'll straight get robbed. I got my bike from my neighbor, and only because I told his sister that i wanted a new one, lol and all he did was look at my bike, saw it was a rode bike, and went and jacked the first foolish person rolling one trying to be all echo park on this side haha. He came around talking about "Damn i got this 10 speed lok, got your name written all over it". I didn't know what to do, i didn't want to ride a bad omen, I still have it and am probably going to donate to a homie that wants to start riding. point of the story is be safe!! don't underestimate no one or nothing! I'm born and raised in LA, watts/southgate to be exact. And when and if you come to this side of town everyone is against you even the cops, especially the cops. No hipster culture here, except the esoteric things that exist among us. but keep that third eye open.
vampo07.17.09 - 9:55 am
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