[*BCM*] Longfellow/Cambridge Bike Police, Systemic Change, Courteous Mass...

[Eric Mearns]

People yell things from their cars and drive in an intimidating manner
because they think their car is an anonymous platform (pretty amazing
considering the size and variety of motor vehicles) and they think
that they'll never have to see you again once they pass.  When you
inevitably catch up to them at the light, they are never in the mood
to have a discussion or to repeat themselves.  Not because they are
shocked that you were somehow able to recall that they were driving
the neon yellow Pontiac Aztec with the "I heart klezmer" bumper
sticker, but because it suddenly dawns on them that they actually
don't know as much about traffic laws as the person whose life
actually depends on it, and that they were merely vocalizing their
frustration at having to do something other than drive straight and
fast.  Once you take away the anonymity and open up a dialogue, I find
that most yellers turn into sheepish introverts.  One particularly
manic motorist who I greeted at a red light after he had yelled
something out his window at me responded with "I don't gotta talk to
you."  Wow!  That's quite a change from your position a quarter mile
ago!

On Thu, Jul 31, 2008 at 11:44 AM, Jon Ramos <jontramos at yahoo.com> wrote:
> try biking in the Malden, Everett areas... they honk and yell "Get on the
> sidewalk!", and much much worse.   I lived there for 6 years, and I decided
> to move to a more bike friendly area.
>
>
>
> Areas like that really NEED a Critical Mass... they dont deserve a Courteous
> Mass yet  ;)
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: "TSmith4918 at aol.com" <TSmith4918 at aol.com>
> To: list at bostoncriticalmass.org
> Sent: Thursday, July 31, 2008 11:38:28 AM
> Subject: Re: [*BCM*] Longfellow/Cambridge Bike Police, Systemic Change,
> Courteous Mass...
>
>
> <<making mental note not to honk or yell at any female bikers on Huntington
> Avenue>>
> yer a saint, Kate!    I usually kindly offer the same instruction about
> traffic laws but not nearly so calmly and collectedly...
> ----------------------------
>
> In a message dated 7/31/2008 11:25:23 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> ziegler.kate at gmail.com writes:
>
> I just want to say, firstly, that I've really enjoyed all of the discussion
> that's been going on the past few days. There have been a lot of interesting
> perspectives brought forward, and though I don't necessarily subscribe to
> all of them personally, I think sharing and seeing all sides is essential.
>
> That being said, I was really struck by someone else bringing forward the
> idea of systemic change - this really is the heart of the issue, as I see
> it, and I think between all of our individual road rage and buggaboos on a
> daily commuting basis, the larger systemic picture gets lost too often.
> Still, this is the argument I tend to take on when challenged - the problem
> is not specifically motorists or cyclists, but the system in which we all
> operate. The basic system and culture needs to be changed to alleviate the
> tensions of biking in a city as unfriendly to bikes as Boston. Yes, I run
> red lights - I slow down first, and look, but I would much sooner keep
> moving that have traffic honking and swerving around me when the light turns
> green. Yes, I move between lines of traffic, because I've been rear-ended
> when stopped in a lane. Yes, I ride more than three feet away from the curb,
> often taking a lane, even in moderate traffic, but if I'm moving at a
> reasonable speed I will always do so, to avoid dooring and debris. Would I
> opt to ride differently and follow the rules if it were safe for me to do
> so? Of course.
>
> On a study abroad experience in Geneva, Switzerland, I biked everywhere.
> Geneva has raised bike paths, bike traffic signals and bike turning lanes.
> You can rent bikes for free with a 10 franc, refundable deposit. Women bike
> in their heels and men bike in their suits. While certainly this is a
> European-style ideal, it makes a world of difference - and running a red
> light from your bike lane most often would mean collision with other
> cyclists, not collision with cars.
>
> Another city that has made some radical changes to promote cycling and human
> friendly spaces in general is Bogota (I'm dying to go!) - this video with
> the former mayor highlights a lot of the changes made, and explains the
> challenges and obstacles in doing so.
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGycx75mqRk
>
> On a slight tangent, I had an interesting altercation on my ride to work
> this morning - On the underpass on Huntington, going under Mass Ave, a woman
> pulled next to me, rolled down her window, honked and yelled that the road
> is not a bike lane. As is my standard reaction, especially in the morning
> commute downtown, I kept my eye on her car and of course caught up to her a
> few lights down. I got off my bike, crossed in the crosswalk and stopped at
> her car window, and began to explain (calmly, I'd like to emphasize - I
> always try to be polite and calm, as people are usually so startled at being
> recognized from inside their rolling castles that being angry would only
> escalate) that traffic law both allows and requires me to ride in traffic,
> not on the sidewalk, and that I'd like to apologize for any inconvenience to
> her. Mid-speech, she rolled up her window, locked her door and RAN A RED
> LIGHT to get away from me. I've never seen such a thing, in all the people
> I've stopped and all the biking I've done. And really, I can think I'm that
> intimidating. Any similar experiences, anyone?
>
> Back to my argument for systemic change (and I think Courteous Mass is a
> great addition to Critical Mass in awareness-raising!), this is also and
> interesting video on bike-friendly cities:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rwwxrWHBB8
>
> Peace and safe riding,
> Kate
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> Get fantasy football with free live scoring. Sign up for FanHouse Fantasy
> Football today.
>
> _______________________________________________
> Boston Critical Mass mailing list
> list at bostoncriticalmass.org
> http://bostoncriticalmass.org/list
> To unsubscribe email list-unsubscribe at bostoncriticalmass.org
>