Effecting REAL change
Thread started by
scooter mcgee at 06.21.07 - 1:50 am
OK, so I'm new to this board, but I couldn't help following the DIY Bike Lanes thread and, (not being able to figure out how to reply) couldn't help but want to inject my 2¢.
If the goal here is to make biking legit, we've got to make it _look_legit. What I mean is, present a role-model to Joe Q. Carguy that's getting bit in the ass by high gas prices but just doesn't see biking as an option.
I love Ridazz/Mass as much as the next guy, but unfortunately, to the average motorist, they reinforce two pretty negative images: 1) Biking is just an (often drunken) form of recreation, and 2) Bikers hog up the streets when they ride and help me buy in to the 'us vs. them' mentality of road use.
I'm sick and tired of that mentality and of hearing stories of bikers hit by cars trying to squeeze them into the gutter.
Luckily, we live in a monkey-see-monkey-do world and if enough of us demand the respect of motorists to take the space that we need to ride safely, biking will be seen not only as an acceptable option, but even a sexy one.
So here's the art project: "SQUARESVILLE RUSH-HOUR RIDES"! I'm talking a steady stream of small groups of cyclists (5-6 max) dressed in BizCashFri attire making their way along LA's biggest streets at the busiest times of day.
No sidewalk-hopping, no lane-splitting, just the calm assertation by example that WE OWN THE RIGHT LANE -- signage or not -- and if Lucy Leadfoot the Soccermom wants to be a spaz, we'll she can just _go_around_ to pass. Bonus points for listening to music and generally showing those box-car racers what a better time we're having in the fresh air, especially while caught in bumper-to-bumper.
Write me off as a nutjob or a narc or whatever, but hey, it only took a few people lighting up in a parade to change America's mind about women smoking, so why the hell not?
I commute from Ktown to Santa Monica on Tues & Thurs down Olympic or Wilshire alternatively. Let me know and let's get this thing started.
creativenadir@gmail.com
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i will definitely come along for a squaresville rush hour ride!
are you imagining something kind of like a mini-critical mass and more frequently?
if we could get our sexy cop friend to join us, that would be sexy.
ingipet06.21.07 - 1:56 am
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Point taken, Ingipet..
But that's the theme of the ride: Conservative drag; nothing that screams "I'm a biker". I'm thinking from American Eagle to 40-year-old-virgin in palette.
Blending-in and "passing" are the matra. Go with the flow of traffic, but all the while passive(-agressively.. this IS LA after all!) make sure your group takes up the right-hand lane.
If we don't break the law, or give the appearance that we intend to do so (I know, I know... but this is LA, after all), they'll have no inclination to stop us. Especially if there's just a whole bunch of groups out doing the same thing that day. And nothing in the CVC says that you can't ride two abreast in the right-hand lane.. (or that you have to wear a helmet, for that matter, but I digress.)
It's sorta like Mass, cuz we could set up points to assemble along the ride; but the essential difference being that we go out in "flight groups" of 5 or 6 sufficiently spread out enough to just make Lazy Louie the Gas-guzzler go: "Gee.. I wonder why so many people picked up a bike today?"
So.. "World's Slowest Checkpoint Rally"??
I'm no good at organizing, so if anyone wants to help me set a date, etc, pls hit me up.
scooter mcgee06.21.07 - 2:48 am
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i love that particular cop. (the one to the far right) he was actually on the ride with us that day, helping us to cork the intersections! his name is *literally* Officer Helpers...
i see what you mean though.....let's see what the we all can come up with!
ingipet06.21.07 - 3:02 am
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ingipet - youtotally love that cop!!!
I love that you love that cop!!
redridinghood06.21.07 - 3:07 am
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The "critical non-mass" sounds like a good idea, but the "conservative drag" thing seems kind of like an unnecessary gimmick. Not to mention a bit craven, no? I don't know about you, but I'm not ashamed of being a scruffy bike guy. If the idea is to demonstrate people riding bicycles in traffic in an assertive but orderly manner while having fun and getting exercise, then what real difference will it make, from the point of view of the drivers watching this unfold, what the riders are wearing?
How's this: just have everybody wear their work clothes. If you dress up for work, dress up for the ride; if you wear "business casual" or casual-casual, wear that for the ride; if you're a scrungy messenger or pajama-clad blogger or unemployed bum, come as you are. That way you get a nice mix (see picture). How could Joe Carguy possibly object to that?
PC06.21.07 - 3:19 am
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I agree with PC on this one. I wear what I wear to work on pretty much every bike ride i'm on, but then again, I'm usually working while on said rides....
FuzzBeast06.21.07 - 3:37 am
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After further re-reading of the topic, I gotta say this, I hope this doesnt come across as angry or assholeish, it's late and i'm tired, i actually like the ride idea, however, I must make a couple comments.
1) Lane splitting is legal in california.
2)Id like to know what you mean by passing?
I hope you don't mean trying to pass as a car type vehicle, because the problem is, a bicycle is not and never will be a car, neither in the cyclist's eyes, nor the driver's, the same as a motorcycle does not look like a car in either driver's eyes. sure we can make an attempt to assert our right to the road and try to make motorists see us as a vehicle (or group thereof), however in my eyes the best way to do this is just to ride as we normally would, albeit maybe with obeying things like stop signs and red lights a bit more. I also don't think we should have to "pass" as decent citizens, most of us are, and many of us ride every day, out in traffic, regardless of our level of sobriety on our large group rides. I like the idea of riding in small groups and all that, however, I think that;s all this ride needs.
I also don't really understand your want to have everyone dress a certain way, people who ride bikes in LA, or any major city, tend to be a cross section of society anyway, maybe slightly more weighted toward low income sectors of society, but still a cross section. How a group of cyclists riding on the road is dressed is not what is going to make itself known to the car driver, they're not going to be annoyed because it's some gutterpunk, they're going to be annoyed because it's a bicycle on the road, regardless if the person is dressed like Marie Antionette or Johnny Cochran.
Also, of whom are you speaking when you talk of someone "stopping us"? I've ridden in groups of all sizes at all times of the day in this city and have never been stopped once. I've been harrassed by police twice in the last year, bith times on huge midnight ridazz, and in both cases the police were actually ignorant of the law they were trying to enforce, and after having the law cited to them word for word by a couple people they took off.
FuzzBeast06.21.07 - 4:07 am
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haha
I actually wear jeans and a t shirt to work everyday.
While on Bike rides (Midnight Ridazz, SINS etc.) I find that as an excuse to dress up.
:)
feelingrandy06.21.07 - 8:28 am
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I'm down for this.
I can see both sides of the clothing issue. I think what the original poster was trying to say was that if we were wearing business (casual) clothing, cycling might strike the average driver as being a more reasonable alternative to driving than if (s)he saw a bunch of riders and immediately dismissed them as recreational riders or unemployed bums, or whatever.
I don't really care though. I'm down for the ride and if the consensus is to look a little more professional than usual, I'm down for that.
monovsstereo06.21.07 - 8:31 am
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With a small group dressing up will catch peoples eye making a bigger impact. With a giant group it would be better if everyone didn't have the same uniform so it doesn't look like we are together- just bikes everywhere.
alec06.21.07 - 9:20 am
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there's only one outfit that a cyclist can wear that will command any attention and respect from a driver that thinks that cyclists are a nuisance to begin with... it's not business attire, it's not roadie gear, it's not messenger gear, it's not an emo outfit, it's not an Elmo costume, it's none of those...
we should all wear police uniforms
adrian06.21.07 - 9:22 am
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I like the idea and propose we wear nothing but maybe helmets,
that would get more attention.
dannyzuko06.21.07 - 2:01 pm
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I dare you Mr. Zucko. You know I would...
Joe Borfo06.21.07 - 2:29 pm
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only if you double dog dare me
any one else have the cojones?
dannyzuko06.21.07 - 2:50 pm
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The more the merrier. I'll post the ride, you fruit.
Joe Borfo06.21.07 - 3:28 pm
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Haha ... I just have to say that we have some fucking rediculously themed rides here and not everybody comes "dressed up" but i have seen clowns, rabbits, skeletons, unicorns, cats, WWI pilots, ninjas, aliens, and so many other forms of drag out on rides ... I've never heard anybody on this message board suggest watering down the theme until the suggestion is to act totally conservative.
While I don't agree with all the stated premises of why this ride ... i still think it is a great idea.
It reminds me of
billionares for bush and.
The Yes Men.
There are plenty of rides around that do things a lot alot differently.
I think it is smart to have a ride like this that will have it's own visual trademark. If people are dressed business casual to officewear it will be a quiet little suggestion to drivers that they are seeing something a little different. I'm sure most of them will not be able to process if they are looking at reality or a slightly staged reality. At those times I think drag can be totally subtle, effective, and subversive.
The funy thing is, in a place like Japan, this ride would go completely over people's heads, because you see people in suits and nice dresses riding around at all hours of the day or night.
Nice ride scooter.
Post it and they will come.
trickmilla06.22.07 - 9:01 am
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MR literally changed me from a 99% motorist to probably a 24.9% motorist in a period of only 3 years. I ride a TON more than I used to. For the first year or so I used to drive to Magic Gas.... now I ride everywhere. based on that formula party rides and fun wildin out type rides are a good entry way into riding bikes more for guys like me. other things work for other people. the bad side is the conflict with motorists from the fun ride parade that was especially true when the ride was 1500 and the only big ride in town. but the plan from the beginning with this website was to enable and inspire more people to create their own rides so that eventually the mass of 1500 would naturally split up and be distributed amongst more rides across the calendar. having more rides can only serve to increase the visibility of bicycle riders. every week there are so many ride activities going on that the 2nd friday ride is now back to a manage-able and much more friendly to motorists 250-400. it's to the point where the 2nd fridays ride is almost not even important anymore. mission accomplished I would say.....
I fully recognize there are still issues with angry motorists because of massive party rides. but the reality is that even one single person riding their bike on the street is enough to set off an idiot in a car. so the benefits of having lots of group rides and luring people in by the fun still outweighs the negatives in my opinion. because at the end of the day, seeing more cyclists on the road even if it's a rowdy party ride does serve to increase the constituency. I would still like to see the 2nd friday ride slimmed down to about 300 but cant complain too much..... look at the calendar> lots of fun rides going on!
I love the idea of a civilian looking functional ride as you speak of. rather than doing it as a performance piece in fact I would like to see some routes created that all riders could converge on for a morning commute ride and an evening commute ride. something functional for getting to work. north south east west routes. back and forth. how about we lay out some bike to work routes amnd meeting times. lets start with a single day of the week. bike to work rides.
Roadblock06.22.07 - 10:18 am
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The experince RB describes about the funrides helping to transform him from a mostly-driver to mostly-rider is pretty much identical for me.
I am for
all the the above when it comes to different rides.
The more our numbers grow and more nitches we continue to carve out for rides, the more it will allow ride orgainzers and riders to find their own type of personal expression in organizing and participating in rides.
We've already seen it happen here with some people orgaizing rides for safety, races, causes, political organizing, solidarit, protest, partying, and art projects and of course the beautifully muddy mixture of intentions and influences that every ride eventually becomes.
trickmilla06.22.07 - 12:51 pm
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I'm down for a north/south route. I commute from San Pedro to downtown LA (80%-90% of the time by bus). If anyone's interested I would definitely join them to commute 1 or 2 days a week by bike. We could hook up on any of those major arteries running parallel to the 110 freeway (Vermont, Figueroa, Main/Broadway, Western ...). Unfortunately I have to be in at 8:00 am so my morning commute would have to start pretty damn early....
420LaHaRR06.22.07 - 1:45 pm
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I'll be there in wool knickers and a seersucker button up!
I've thought about this a lot too. While I love to fly the freak flag it's also important to let people know that cyclists come from all walks of life. Part of winning people over is making them see that we are just like them, just somewhat more enlightened (WE ARE THE CYCLISTS...).
cabhauler06.22.07 - 2:13 pm
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