What’re up against, Paseos
March 9th, 2010 
8 Comments
It’s always good to know what you’re up against. This article in the LA Times Comments Blog, was an eye opener. It summarizes comments on an article on the Backbone Bikeway Network. The best? Julie writes:
I am begging you – NO!!!!!! let bicyclists ride on paseos and around neighborhoods. Bikes are NOT viable methods of transportation for work and should NOT be treated as such. I do not want to have to drive at 10 miles per hour because I’m behind a bicyclist on the 405….Please stop the insanity.
I had to look up paseo on dictionary.com.
Definitions of paseo on Dictionary.com
Please restrict yourself to riding your bike in public places or paths designed for walking, especially in the City of Santa Monica, where it’s illegal.
Or did Julie think it was a proposal to ride on the freeway?
Author Info
Not saying anything a reasonably informed citizen doesn’t/shouldn’t already know, but worth chiming in to say that while I’m glad to see our local media outlets (LA Times, KPCC, LA Weekly) jump on the ever-burgeoning popularity of cycling bandwagon by attempting to cover the pertinent issues, remember that they’re just out to sell papers/subscriptions. (Really, not even that anymore–they’re out to sell eyeballs and cochleae to advertisers and therefore must boast to their *real* audience that they’ve got x thousands of readers/listeners that advertisers will be able to reach.) And they do that by appealing to the masses or creating some sense of outrage–and hope to get you and me to join in. Old news, I know.
Publishing/highlighting that particular silly comment seems to be nothing more than pandering.
I remember reading that comment and dismissing it thinking, “what a lunatic” and moving on to hopefully find either positive comments or constructive disagreement issues–since that one clearly didn’t meet my standard.
If by seeking to educate ourselves on “what [we're] up against,” you mean lunatics that espouse nonsensical jibberish, I suppose it would be interesting to know what they’re thinking, say, for entertainment value–but little else really imho.
Don’t get me wrong, here, I get it that there are great numbers of people who don’t want bikes on the road or on “their” streets or want bikes relegated to off-street bike lanes so they don’t slow down vehicle traffic, and listening to valid and well-reasons concerns and alternatives raised IS a worthy endeavor, but I question the necessity of spending energy on the fringe crazies. I talk to a lot of people about bikes, cyclists and non-cyclists, and I can’t recall any that think the absolutist way this kook does (“Bikes are NOT viable methods of transportation for work and should NOT be treated as such”).
I encounter people that recognize cycling as generally a good thing–perhaps they don’t like how some cyclists act on the road or perhaps they hold the belief cycling should be in bike lanes only, but I have yet to encounter someone who has the wholesale belief that bikes are worthless for any type of transportation, no way, no how. Maybe it’s just that my sphere of social interaction is relatively limited or those with whom I talk have a higher-than-average sense of common sense. If so, lucky me, I suppose, right? Most people actually express to me that they WISH they could commute to work by bike or take short bike trips around the neighborhood on errands–if it were *safer* or easier.
Honestly I didn’t suspect there were many such folks out there like *Julie* such that her comment warranted being highlighted, and if her comment is legit, I suspect the numbers of this camp are pretty low and not worth focusing on. Instead, it seems that time/energy is better spent working with the majority of people that hold the above-described middle-of-the-road views as those we need to engage. The phenomena of the Shirtless Dancing Guy come to mind–get the first follower and many more like-mindeds will soon be flooding over–then, of course, you get critical mass (lower caps), and the movement flows on. I think we here in LA are barely past the *first follower* phase. Other cities have surpassed this phase (NY, Portland, Davis, Boulder, Madison, etc.), but not LA yet. A little top-down political support don’t seem to hurt neither.
Perhaps cyclists need to be more like the Times and focus on the masses to get people give them attention–and dollars.
(I love the concept of paseos, btw, but who really speaks of them here in LA? Maybe she meant cicLAvia? If so, someone reach out to her now–she seems really interested in making that happen.)
A simple question for you Dudeonabike:
What percentage of drivers do you think drive dangerously to cyclists? In other words, vibing off the 1% of people have 50% of wealth type of statistics – what percentage of motorists pose 50% of the car-driven risk for cyclists?
The attorney in me feels compelled to object on the ground the question calls for speculation–any response would be highly subjective and not particularly valuable from a quantifiable standpoint. It’s not a cop out, but a highly variable set of data–sure I can count how many cars I feel pass me dangerously or somehow subject me to a precarious situation on any given ride (rather small due to my awesome biking skills and my crazy-bright clothing and reflective/blinky stuff all over my bike), but how many instances go unnoticed by me, how many cars pass me on any given ride, etc.? Never actually thought about it–too busy biking. I would better trust your math analytical skills and numerical/statistical analyses on such a topic.
I hear your well-raised point, however, which I believe is that although crazies like Commenter Julie may be small in number they nonetheless drive–and could still pose a great danger to cyclists through their presumed reckless attitude, so they must be considered. Not sure about quantifying that though.
I do drive, too, on occasion, and notice that there’s no shortage of bad drivers out there as well as drivers doing stupid things–that have nothing to do with bikes whatsoever. Bad drivers don’t seem to discriminate b/w cars and bikes–they’re just bad all around.
So, fill us in. What’s the plan? Is it more important to push for education for these bad drivers? …or better enforcement of better laws that are better designed to protect cyclists?
Let me obliquely raise another point before I disclose my grand strategy behind this pithy post. How many of the people you talk to about cycling would, directly, to your face, tell you that they think you’re crazy? Or that they think cyclists don’t belong? How many humans will do that, particularly when they know you’re a committed and passionate advocate?
Fine, I’ll play along, but it’ll cost you and you don’t even want to know my hourly rate. Invoice to be sent under separate cover.
Your new question requires two separate responses for two separate situations:
1. When in bike commuting or some other bike-riding/advocating/advising mode, I get that people think I’m crazy all the time. Passionate, crazy, whatever. I *know* they think I’m crazy. I’m usually brutally honest with people about something I know is good for them. But with a little logical discussion, it seems I’m able to move from crazy to not-so-crazy. How many people have told you: “Because you talked it up so much I gave it a try and just bought a bike!” I’m sure those transformative stories are replete at the Bikrowave. True, the vast majority of these folks haven’t taken up regular commuting (yet), but they’ve moved from the realm of bikes-as-foreign or bikes-are-for-kids to bikes-are-fun. It’s a step.
2. During other times, when not in my obvious “committed and passionate advocate” role and one wouldn’t suspect my secret identity or that I commute to work by bike and dig going for long rides on the weekends, I still don’t hear an overwhelming chorus of folk dissing on the bike. At worst, it’s a recreation or mode of transport that just hasn’t come onto their radar yet in any substantial way (again, yet).
I think I hear what you’re saying that many people are generally sheep and like to be liked and seemingly agreeable so they generally feel uncomfortable taking adverse positions in casual conversations–and thus my point of view is skewed, and I am unable to discern a reality that exists among non-bike riding folks. I honestly don’t think so as it applies to me, but I get the point.
Well to start, thanks AT for posting this. I feel that its important to know these views for it is what we have to work with/ fight against. Unfortunetly there are a LOT of people like Julie out there. I don’t have a tangible figure but there are quite a few anti. Cyclist groups on FB, and a lot of them are down right nasty with violent tendencies. I have also experienced her type of attitude on the streets ( I swerve to avoid pot hole and get a glass bottle thrown out a car at me, sweared at…etc, I can go on and on).
However, not everyone has such hatred. My non riding friends and co workers all think I’m nuts to ride everywhere and none will ever start riding soon either. They don’t get the culture but they respect it. However, a general consensus is that they think ridaz are unsafe running lights, blocking traffic on group rides…etc…once I reason with them, they become more aware of their narrow thinking and a little more pro cyclist. My roomie, strictly a motorist, has heard me talk bike so much that she always checks her blind spot before opening her door so as not to door a cyclist. These people are no Dr.Thompson (not AT) . These people are easy to turn around.
I ride everywhere and I have seen a lot. I think that this is a complicated problem that requires everyones involvement for a successful solution. It’s vital to address negative attitudes toward cyclists for the more we can get on our side the safer our roads will be. The more respect we receive the less likely to be harrassed or hit. However, respect is a two way street so we should also address cyclists following rules of road. So yes it is just as important to address the ideology as it is the physical.
We also need to continue to get the support of the LAPD, CA,DA,city council,DOT…etc….in the making and enforcement of safer roads and humanistic treatment of cyclists.
Anyways, just my observations……….
Gotta say I’m much more with Lil Red on this one. Best example – Mar Vista Community Council.
You rarely run into people who will speak in absolutes like Julie = “bikes suck.” But I get plenty of things like “when it’s car vs bike, you lose” and then something about how I may want bikes on the road, and it might be the right thing, but it’s not realistic. I get that line a lot at MVCC from board members. I also get lines like “bikes are good and all, but it won’t work for everyone.” The hidden subtext is that “cars work for everyone.” Right away that puts you in 2nd class citizen status.
I’d love to talk about this at more length, plus I still want to talk smart math kids with you Dudeonabike. We can compare rates . . . you lawyers always inflate your rates with all that overhead! Let’s meet up at some point – come out to the Bikeside Salon or we can figure out another time. I got a project with SMPD that you could make a huge impact with = I need some letterhead.
Roos/Lil Red – are you going to ArtCycle?
AT, I am excited to go, looks awesome, but with a sprained knee, I can’t ride, so ill stop by and check it out, I really want to see the living room exhibition @ barnsdell park.