Slam-o-Phobia (dooring) ad.
Thread started by
trickmilla at 06.1.07 - 8:57 am
Y'all seen this yet?
I was kind of excited to see it. In a way.
But, in classic MTA fashion they decidide to make it more cutsey than functional. I think for the average person driving-by this ad. The message will be totally lost on them. It got me thinking that the space on the back of busses could be an amazing venue for messages about cycling issues. That is if the MTA didn't fuck it up.
What do you all think about the ad?
Would it be worth adressing the MTA with other messages that would make you feel safer out there?
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thanks for bringing this up trickMilla---
i actually saw this bus while riding up Sunset towards Maltman, heading west a couple days ago.
i kind of smiled and allowed some wistful, vaguely romantic notions about the peaceful co-existence of bus and bike in LA to pass gently through my mind.
then, then bus driver man put on his rear-flashers, moved into *EXACTLY* the bike lane, forcing me off the bike lane into the whole lane, where i was clearly angering some cars.
he then proceeded to climb the hill very slowly and swerving, so i couldn't pass and the cars behind me were honkin and honkin.
the irony stung just a little bit, i got out the way, patiently thought a bit about "SLAM-A-PHOBIA" and caught up to the bus at the top of the hill. i then knocked on his window to explain the sweet and subtle irony of the whole affair, but it seems the guy didn't want to talk to me, for some reason... WINK!
ah well!
ingipet06.1.07 - 9:07 am
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While I find *most* bus drivers to be way above average in road manners. I definitely envisioned the potential for irony having seen more than a few crazy bus drivers making bad decisions.
(sorry you got to experince that first hand)
Potential irony aside, what about the venue? Is this message effective? Are their more important bike safety messages to be heard? Should we try to work with Metro to get our messages out there?
trickmilla06.1.07 - 9:33 am
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I have'nt seen that ad until now, thats our very own Stacy modeling it up larger than life!
I AM Traffic06.1.07 - 10:19 am
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i think it is a great venue though....maybe we should all rally together and pressure the bus union to *REQUIRE* mandatory un-ironic understanding of the bicycle PSA message on their vehicles...
a.k.a. bicycle safety training.
we could get our bike cop friends from bike to work day to give them a day long training course. make them all ride bikes in traffic with other bus drivers....
heheheheheh.
the drivers i've encountered have been real hit or miss (pun intended)...ranging from courteous to homicidal.
but i will say this, one time, i broke my bike while riding and dragged the pieces of it to the nearest bus stop. the driver gave me a free ride home and said that he was trained to give free rides to cyclists who are having trouble with the bikes...citing some california code....!
i wonder if that is technically true.
i still think if you ride a bike, all of LA METRO system should be free for setting such a damn good example.
wurd.
ingipet06.1.07 - 11:12 am
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Hilarious! Hope she designed it.
But let's get down to business here folks.
"Practice good cycology: share the road."
This is a line built for repetitive, generic use, so you can bet that the MTA has a mind to do some more ads addressing the many concerns revolving about the bike/car dichotomy.
The confusion, for drivers who read this ad, may arise when the context of the ad (on a bus), coupled with the frequent sops and opening doors, leads drivers to ask, "How are cyclists hitting the doors of the buses?"
It would be sweet if we could approach the MTA with a campaign idea where, those of us that have cars, could use our own car doors as advertising space (awareness space). The MTA would just print the vinyl sheets and send 'em to anyone that cared enough to send in an online request.
I know the MTA has to have their brand, their popy "we have a sense of humor" thing happening, but alternatively, the back of the bus ads could be something like this.
"Check the mirror before you pull that handle, or you're gonna have a cyclist in your car."
Eric Hair06.1.07 - 11:14 am
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it should be worded better but I'll take what I can get.... hahaha STACEY!!
Roadblock06.1.07 - 2:49 pm
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Maybe I'm missing the irony or the tounge in cheeck of this ad,
but it sounds like they are saying that it is an unfounded fear, that a car door is going to open in your path, so you don't need as a cyclist to ride out of the door zone. So cyclist should be sharing the road properly, "don't worry about the door zone" "ride out of the automoblies lane" stay as close to the right as possilbe.
Is this suppose to be addressed at cyclist or is this telling cars to respect the fact that cyclist need to ride out of the door zone.
Its sound to me they are saying it is a crazy fear to think, a door is going to open on you suddenly.
Someone clarify this......................
sexy06.1.07 - 3:14 pm
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I know that it's not easy to come up with a good ad campaign, but I think this is a bad way to approach a cycling PSA.
This ad is way too cutesy, and does not convey the potential of serious injury that can occur from getting doored. Sometimes soft-selling an idea can be effective, but in this case, the humor obscures the message. It almost seems as though the ad is saying that cyclists have a psychological disorder that needs to be treated by a therapist, as opposed to simply conveying that motorists need to look behind them before opening their car doors. I wonder if the MTA is trying to avoid overtly placing any responsibility on drivers.
The first order of business with a cycling PSA campaign, in my opinion, should be conveying, in no uncertain terms, that cyclists have a legal right to use public roads, and the responsibility to act as vehicle users. After that sinks in, more specific issues could be addressed, like dooring and left hand turns, etc.
angle06.1.07 - 4:09 pm
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That's the real problem with government funded PSAs. A private party can do and say whatever they want. They can offend, they can be direct, they can use unconventional tactics, but the government seems to feel the need to homogonize everything they say so that, as in this case, the message has good intentions, but you can tell it's been dulled by a please-everyone attitude.
A step in the right direction though, so HOORAH!!!!
Eric Hair06.1.07 - 4:54 pm
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This ad campaign is terrible. Visually (forget about the equally awful and confusing text for a moment) the subtext of these ads says to drivers, "cyclists are crazy and if you hit one of them it's comical".
But what can we expect from ads designed by a bunch of motorists who failed to include the cycling community in the process? Incidentally, AAA got to weigh in on them but we didn't!
survivela06.1.07 - 8:05 pm
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It's important to recognize where LA is in terms of recognizing cyclists' right to be on the road: at the very very early stages. I think the ad is far from ideal, but it is legitimatizing cycling in the road. It's a start. According to my sources from the MTA, including Stacy who's in the ad, the MTA does have a contingent of cyclists, albeit small, who have pushed to get this out there. There is a lot we can do as advocates without relying on the MTA or the city and very little has been done there either.
But, I have to add, MTA bus drivers are some of the most dangerous and reckless drivers on the road. That irony hurts.
bike punk06.3.07 - 12:36 pm
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I disagree that we as advocates have done little to promote cycling, bike punk. I think that the social ride scene, at least here in LA, has gotten more people out on bikes than anything else in the last 20 years, and it's been done entirely without the support of the city or any official organization.
it would be ideal if these PSAs could send a clearer message, not one that obliquely suggests that cyclists are neurotic. I will say that, for my part, I am committed to working through my issues with a trained therapist.
angle06.3.07 - 2:07 pm
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I am simutanously encouraged and discouraged by this ad.
On one hand, as stated above, it is great to have a little realestate on the back of a bus. I think its an apropriate place and very encouraging that metro is even thinking about us. I think the visibility helps.
I feel strongly that one of the easiest and least expensive things that city government and city agencies can do create a safer more comfortable environment for cyclists is education and public awareness.
So my first instinct when I caught a glimpse at this ad was elation ... after catching up to the bus and reading it however, i was dismayed by the fuzzy message and weak design.
The whole premise of this ad sucks, really. As stated earlier I equates having an awareness of getting doored to some sort of irrational fear. And of course ... the main content of the ad is pretty hard to read.
I'm wondering if we can some how approach the MTA as a group, and encourage them in their efforts to educate the public, but make some suggestions from a road cyclist's point of view.
Or perhaps, this would be something worth addressing at the BAC meeting.
I don't know ... I'm not really sure how to breech the walls of these buracracies. I just know when I see good money being thrown on a well intentioned ad that doesn't make any fucking sense what-so-ever.
trickmilla06.3.07 - 5:51 pm
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Yeah Stacey!! It's your big break!
If I get hit by an automobile while cycling, I want it to be the Slamophobia bus with Stacey on it.
City Hobgoblin06.3.07 - 8:06 pm
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