[*BCM*] Boston Bikers

[John Lerner]

I promise to be nice, look you in the eye and smile.
John

-----Original Message-----
From: bostoncriticalmass-bounces at bostoncriticalmass.org
[mailto:bostoncriticalmass-bounces at bostoncriticalmass.org]On Behalf Of
TSmith4918 at aol.com
Sent: Thursday, August 17, 2006 11:57 AM
To: list at bostoncriticalmass.org
Subject: [*BCM*] Boston Bikers


Just some rambling:

So, someone splain to me the following about Boston bikers;  why is it so
dang hard to get a friendly response, a nod, wave, or acknowledgement of our
fellow bikers in the area?...could it be:

A.  FEAR: People are too preoccupied avoiding becoming hood ornaments that
they are oblivious to other bikers.

B.  CULTURE: People in this area never look you in the eye even when walking
to driving...why should biking be any different? c'mon,  It's not like we're
in santa monica or anything:  this is serious!

C.  CLASS:  Unless you're wearing the latest in lycra/spandex day-glo clingy
fashion (personally I've gravitated to cotton, yeah, I know, sweat and all)
why should they waste their time on a recreational biker.

D.  SNOBBERY:  ok, so my bike is 20 years old with cracked fenders and dirty
rims (comes from commuting 12 months out of the year), does this make anyone
unworthy of a nod?

E.  AGEISM:  ok, so I am almost 50, it's not like I am hitting on anyone
from being friendly, especially if we're whizzing past each other at a
cumulative 30 miles an hours.

F.  LACK OF GOOD BREEDING:  don't need to say much on this.

G.  URBAN/SUBURBAN CLASH:  I do bike thru Chestnut Hill to get to work...do
I look to urban-scary-like? c'mon I'm almost 50 (see E)! and I wear baggy
clothes (see C)...

H.  THE MYTH OF BIKER UNITY:  maybe I am expecting too much, rather than see
the bikers I encounter as brothers and sisters in the struggle for
liberation from petroleum products, maybe we're just individualists doing
our own thang with little in common.  Haven't we all felt a little twinge of
"hmm, I know I'm probably just a little faster than that biker up the
road..."?

I.  NO REASON AT ALL:  that's just the way it is.

It's not that hard to acknowledge each other:  critical mass does a great
job once a month;  here's hoping for a little more nods and waves out on the
roadway.  It's a good way to recognize what we're doing as a biking
community for fun and for meaning.

Old guy.

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