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In light of recent trying times....this space is dedicated to learning how to get through very nasty scenarios.
Everyone here has made mistakes... I know I have.... But this thread is about the positive ways we can keep things peaceful with our brothers and sisters in the city.
Suggestions:
Always look for ways to de-escalate a situation....
Always think of ways to invite people to join in the fun... No matter who they are.
When people ask where are we going or whyare we riding be honest not mean. Make people feel invited...
i feel like people in they'er cars always hate me when im on my bike, and i wish there was a way to tell the people im not one of the asshole bike riders and that i respect their car as much as i wish they respected me
I think this is an excellent reminder, not just for here, but for life. I admit I may have lost myself recently just like, on my life's journey, and it's important to remember the lengths that kindness, positivity, and optimism can take you.
Thanks.
Also, I think I like this song. That crazy piano/violin crash sound tickles me.
Whenever someone lays on the horn behind me, I just give them the biggest thumbs up I can without falling off my bike :-) Although this triggered a very nasty reaction in one instance (a driver cutting in front of me and slamming on the brakes on Pico), I reveled in the fact that only one of us was participating in blissfully ignorant bafoonery!
One thing I like to do is to check behind while waiting at stoplights to see if any cars are trying to make a right on a red.
Moving over a couple feet on a busy Monday morning can really make someone's day. 9 out of 10 this happens, the driver will wave a very appreciative thank you.
we should all where shorts that say on the part of our ass/lower back that people can see when were riding "honk if you think i have a cute ass" or some sort of variation of phrases
Sm_hobo responding to a comment by BlAcKnYeLLoWfUji
07.13.09 - 8:59 pm
I've been thinking about trying to respect the neighborhoods we're riding through on the bigger rides...
Consider keeping to main streets and not run through residential neighborhoods, especially as it gets later on the ride. Out of respect, cut the music or turn down when rolling through residential streets.
No need to escalate a situation...keep riding and have another beer. The worst part is that somebody talking shit at the front of the ride can cause major problems for the people further back.
Somebody also mentioned having a "lost patrol" to run sweep and at least hang while people fix mechanical problems.
i think we definitely need to think of better things to say to people when they ask us what we're doing. people can be so sarcastic when they forget what it was like before they realized fun could be had without spending money or wasting gas. most people who ask stupid questions are just so amazed by our tallbikes, tallcans and the sheer diversity of both our group and our bikes, but it's easy to forget this when you expect to see at least one person riding a tallbike when you hang out with your friends.
here are some of my suggestions:
-we're having fun! why don't you come along?
-we're having a bike party. do you have a bike? why don't you get a cheap used one at the bikerowave?
-we're a dance club on wheels. check out our website?
-we're your new friends!
but it's easy to forget this when you expect to see at least one person riding a tallbike when you hang out with your friends.
LOL! So true...
Great advice on what to say! I think sometimes most of us are suprised by motorists who AREN'T yelling out something mean that we have no clue how to react!
I try to always wave and say thanks to motorists whether they're being cool or jerky. My fav thing is when somone yells or honks at me from behind and I catch up to them at a stop. I try to make eye contact and just wave and nod...(Not in an agressive or asshole way). Usually they avoid eye contact and I'm guessing they feel embarassed by their childish immature behavior.
Gizzard responding to a comment by tortuga_veloce
07.13.09 - 10:58 pm
thumbs up. if someone gives you shit, give them a thumbs up and remove yourself. don't delude yourself into thinking you can change them or (ugh!) control them. that's love. for god's sake don't worry about controlling people. it's enough of an accomplishment to control yourself.
the biggest thing you can do to promote LOOOOOOVVVVE and quell confrontation is look somebody in the eye. That simple act turns both parties into HUMAN BEINGS,
99% of aggressive bullshit happens when somebody(s) forgets that they are dealing with a fellow human being, in all their power and with all their weaknesses.
lackflag responding to a comment by Gizzard
07.14.09 - 12:21 am
Definitely! I have been just as caught up by a passing motorist asking "what are you guys doing?", I get a little sarcastic and sometimes answer "RIDING BIKES, DUH", but I definitely will try to keep a better attitude and approach to curious motorist, I'm thinking
Question = "what are you doing?"
Answer = "Midnight Ridazz .com , join the fun!"
I just need to keep it in mind when I'm lagging behind and trying to ketchup, lol.
X-Large responding to a comment by tortuga_veloce
07.14.09 - 1:13 am
I always say THANK YOU! and... You guys are the BEST! anytime I roll through a red when cars are waiting.
Violence sucks. I give props to Fuzzbeast on Friday for leading the majority of ridazz to safety when it got crazy.
No matter what happened this weekend, I still love Los Angeles.
Don't forget all the smiling faces we see when we ride through the city. Who hasn't seen children at the window excited to see us pass? We are positive energy! and don't forget that.
Always look for ways to de-escalate a situation....
Always think of ways to invite people to join in the fun... No matter who they are.
When people ask where are we going or why are we riding be honest not mean. Make people feel invited...
+ 1 to the power of 100000000000000000, especially that third one. That should all be on the front page (or actually on this page...does anybody really go to the front page when they come here?) in bold. I love you, man... (*snif*)
I thought of that last one because I saw first hand how a mean answer turned a person from curiousity to fuck you. A guy on the side of the road on Friday asked where are you going? And some one answerred "your moms house" the guy yelled "what fuck you" back. Good job whoever that was.
this person would not have answered "your mom's house" if he was on foot and by himself. It's similar to car drivers who harass cyclists, I can't imagine drivers to be assholes if they were by themselves and they couldn't just speed away.
or to sat where we are actually going which often sounds outlandish to people who don't ride bikes.
.............................................
Roadblock,
This thread is a good idea.
There is a lot of smart people here with good ideas who often express them at the wrong place and wrong time and come off as assholes.
...............................................
We need more outreach.
The more diverse MR is the more we as a group can understand and traverse this city safely with the help of our growing legion.
Every 6 months a new crew starts to feel comfortable and gain a sense of ownership over MR. Which is great. But the more we experience that change and the more we tend to evolve, the more important it is for the MR veterans to help new people understand the ways of the road.
We need to check our biases and really work to think about how we can make M.R. as inclusive as possible, while making sure that we all have a mutual understanding of the MR code.
On riding etiquette. We constantly have this problem of people riding off teh front of the ride, which causes a chase instinct and people want to catch up to them making the ride fast in the front and spreading the ride way out with often less experienced riders on slower, heavier bikes, taking up the rear.
I have literally seen somebody get pulled off their bike by a thug because of this.
In my opinion, if people want to ride fast, we should let them go.
Make an effort to stop at more red lights and just let the fast people ride off into the Sunset ... we are always looking forward on bikes, when the MOST IMPORTANT RIDAZZ are the ones behind us.
The safer/ more accommodating ridazz is ti newer and less experienced Ridazz, the more we will continue to grow and evolve and become one with this city.
I have yet to read any of the previous posts, but I am sure there are lots of great suggestions.
The key to things actually progressing on these things is gathering the information, organizing it, getting out to people and putting into practice.
In my opinion, if people want to ride fast, we should let them go.
Make an effort to stop at more red lights and just let the fast people ride off into the Sunset ... we are always looking forward on bikes, when the MOST IMPORTANT RIDAZZ are the ones behind us.
Sad thing is that most of these guys are just unknowns who will never be known if they keep putting the pedal to the metal.
You would think that "be nice and don't act like an asshole" would be something you don't need to tell people, but until that happens +1 to this thread.
Usually, whenever a motorist starts honking and being aggressive, I blow them an air kiss.
Being nice to pedestrians on rides should be a no-brainer. We're trying to promote bike culture. Plus many of them are attractive members of whatever sex you're interested in, so remember that you're getting a chance to chat up a hottie.
But... but, what if we actually were going to his mom's house? Sometimes honesty just doesn't pay.
So, yeah, every time someone in a car honks at us on a group ride, I yell back "love you too!" as if they had laid on the horn as a show of support. I try not to sound too sarcastic about it. I don't know whether I succeed in not sounding sarcastic, though, because sometimes I am.
Once when I was corking for a circle of death on Crank Mob, this guy who was trying to nudge his way into the intersection finally jumped out of his car and started yelling at me to get out of the way. At first, I gave him the sort of arrogant "and what then - are you going to plow through the rest of the crowd too?" Pointing out how powerless he was in the face of our overwhelming numbers of course did nothing but piss him off more. So after about 30 seconds of completely unproductive back-and-forth, I just turned around to face the intersection, trew out my arms and said "We're putting on a show for you! How often do you get to see something like this?" Not being a mind reader, I don't actually know whether that made him any less angry, but it did at least make him pause for a couple seconds to take it all in, which was just long enough for the circle of death to finish and everyone to ride away with a "thanks for waiting!"
So anyway, that's one of the things that I think can be really useful - shifting the emphasis away from our overwhelming numbers (which can be intimidating) and playing up the value of fun in the streets. If the drivers can't be part of the ride, at least help them appreciate the spectacle*.
*By "spectacle," I of course mean the memorable scene, not the reified social construct, lest anyone get the wrong idea. It's not all situationist in-jokes all the time around here.
"this person would not have answered "your mom's house" if he was on foot and by himself."
+1
Seriously. We are not a gang. If you say something stupid and get called on it, you may find yourself all alone very quickly, or even worse, you may cause problems for those behind you.
If "just being nice" isn't part of your outlook, at least exercise the common sense to behave as you would if you were riding through the same part of town all by yourself. Being obnoxious and then seeking anonymity as part of the group is moronic.
JB responding to a comment by bentstrider
07.14.09 - 12:39 pm
I just wanted to throw in my 0.02.
While at work I was thinking that When I'm in a bike ride people or drivers get upset when we cork the intersections and they seem to yell out obscenities most of the time. Then I thought that if I made flyers of some sort and cork the intersections myself with others we can hand them out or place one in the windshield wiper and tell the drivers or people what the ride is all about. I also thought that this will encourage the people that want to smash while on a bike ride to do so while also promoting more people to join in on rides. I think it will be a good idea any suggestions or this is looney talk.
Who cares? Every day we have to deal with motorists who don't give a damn about cyclists and some that actually go out of their way to make life more difficult and dangerous for people that ride. I think saying "fuck you" to that every once in a while is a good thing.
just ride a freakbike. i can ride my tallbike in the middle of the road and i still only get thumbs up, no one ever gets pissed at me when riding that thing. you can get away with lots too. ive run reds and drank beer on it in front of cops.
"Always look for ways to de-escalate a situation."
I had a friend whose policy it was to always assume benevolence. If you assume the other party is fulla good will & shit, & you act accordingly, this weird thing happens where the other party usually responds ... with benevolence. Even if their initial intent was malicious or degrading or condescending.
I like to wave and say thanks to people.
I usually stop at reds look around or wait for the traffic to clear up...Only cuz I'm on a bike doesn't give me the right of way. Everyone should be aware of their surroundings to avoid tickets, accidents and stay out of harms way:D
I'm no angel when it comes to drivers harassing me..and its something I need to work on....I may be small but I stand up for myself and usually drivers are surprised and shocked that I respond back...yeah I have one nasty potty mouth but I'm working on it:D
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Ridazz Roulette!
I always say THANK YOU! and... You guys are the BEST! anytime I roll through a red when cars are waiting.
