Friday, January 16, 2009

Share the f***ing road, America!

It happened for the third time today and I am pissed now. While riding my bike on the road to my college, some driver of an automobile scared me on purpose. It's third time within the past 4 weeks something like this happened. Some guy acted as if they'd yield at first and when I accelerate, they'd too.

Bike Punks Vinyl Sticker fifties girl in short shorts being daring on a bicycle, picture done in black and whi

A few other times some stupid moron passed me with his windows open just to scream into my ears. Obviously, that scared the living bejesus out of me. I don't need to explain how dangerous that can be.

While it is perfectly normal to ride a bike where I come from, it seems that a bicycler's merely a bum, who can't afford a real vehicle. The reason why folks just spill their lack of social skills and appropriate
behavior and celebrate their lack of cerebral capacity out onto those that are "the treehuggers" on a bike still remains a mystery to me.

Of course, I don't need to mention all the benefits that come from riding a bike. Such as the deduction of one's carbon footprint and the daily work out.

Occasionally, back in the 90's during my "Hardcore/Punk hey-hey" I was briefly introduced to the idea of the Bike Punks through socio-political hardcore fanzines, such as HeartattaCk. Never paying much thought to this idea I usually just wondered why this is even necessary to merge the rebellious, antagonist, fight-social-injustice-and-bigotry with riding a bike. It seemed a little bit over the top, a little bit too staged for me. As I understood riding a bike to be a quite trivial thing.
I mean, back in central Europe you find all kinds of folks, from all kinds of different ethnic backgrounds and different social classes use bikes on a regular basis. It's not uncommon to find a top salary manager commute to work with his/her bike.

However, now living in the USA I realize why a bunch of socially aware people that happen to be bicyclers might feel the urge to form a somewhat losely organized group such as the Bike Punks or the more hands-on organized ShareTheRoad.Org (which, by the way, makes these beautiful license plates for Floridian cars.
http://www.sharetheroad.org/images/IBIKE_300.jpg

3 comments:

Kristin said...

Its true that 'bicyclists=poor ass' to a lot of people, unless you're in full-on cycle gear and then it magically becomes a sport.

Mopeds FOR SURE equal 'I drove drunk, lost my license and now ride this' in the US.

Much like taking the bus for a long distance trip equals 'i am a pimp, come closer i want to hurt you.'

haha.

but for real, drivers not giving right of way to people on bikes is so dangerous and absurd.

John said...

This happens to runners, too. I have no idea why. People like to yell and throw stuff at them. Idiots.

Dom. said...

http://funcreativeinnovative.wordpress.com/2009/01/16/light-lane/

that might help :)

Dominik.