[*BCM*] reconsider routes to prevent public safety threat

[s j]

Hello and happy Labor Day to all you CMers.

Karen's message has led to an interesting conversation about various points 
that are good to keep in mind about cycling in any city.  I'd like to take a 
step back, though, and address a few things that haven't yet been brought up 
about how Karen's message was received by the CM list.

When I read Karen's message I had a lot of the same counterpoints that have 
been voiced.  However, I had a very strong reaction to how those 
counterpoints were raised - the initial responses to Karen were tinged with 
sarcastic generalizations about her character and her behaviors which has no 
evidence behind them, and patronizing tones as well.  None of this sits well 
with me.

If dialogue is one of the great byproducts of CM, and someone actually 
engages us here, but our first reactions do nothing to make alternative 
voices and opinions feel welcome, that feels like a problem.  Yes, it would 
be great if Karen, and anyone else who may be lurking here, was able to come 
join the rides.  In the absence of that, she's actually taking the time to 
be a part of the CM community.  If I had received the responses she did, I 
would not take kindly to it, and probably decide to disengage.  Definitely 
not the kind of action I like to think CM can inspire.

A point about last Friday...

I rode along this past Friday and had a great time.  There was a big 
turnout, some lovely weather, and a whole lot of people enjoying the city 
from the seats of their bikes.  People were mindful of one another, and good 
about staying together as a mass.  One thing about how the group moved 
through the city felt a little funny, though...  I noticed a couple of times 
that the people in front chose to begin moving across an intersection 
against a red light.  I'm all for making sure we get through the lights 
together, if they turn against us once we are underway.  But that was 
antagonism for its own sake, and I hope that there's less of that going 
forward.  CM is such a idea, but this is a great example of how CM flouts 
some really easy rules that don't actually endanger riders.  Behavior like 
that is how we get less respect.  I'd say much more so than some of the 
reasons Karen had in her message.

Happy, safe, and fun biking to all of you out there enjoying this lovely 
day!

.sj

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