[*BCM*] Boston Bikers

[Ian Thistle]

It's B over any other reason, I'd say.

On 8/17/06, TSmith4918 at aol.com <TSmith4918 at aol.com> wrote:
>
>
> 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.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Boston Critical Mass mailing list
> list at bostoncriticalmass.org
> http://bostoncriticalmass.org/list
> To unsubscribe email
> list-unsubscribe at bostoncriticalmass.org
>
>