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Another example of slanted journalism re bicyclists



 
 
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  #11  
Old April 28th 09, 09:16 PM posted to rec.bicycles.rides
Papa Tom
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Default Another example of slanted journalism re bicyclists

Do you suppose that car drivers have a negative view of cyclists because
there are so many children who ride bicycles and do "unusual" things?

Yes. And I also think that there is a generally negative attitude about
bicyclists (which may be accurate) that is perpetuated by the press. (Stop
egging me on, or I'll subject you all to another rambling lecture!!!!!)


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  #12  
Old April 29th 09, 12:15 AM posted to rec.bicycles.rides
PatTX[_3_]
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Default Another example of slanted journalism re bicyclists

Papa Tom wrote:
:::::: Do you suppose that car drivers have a negative view of cyclists
:::::: because
:: there are so many children who ride bicycles and do "unusual"
:: things?
::
:: Yes. And I also think that there is a generally negative attitude
:: about bicyclists (which may be accurate) that is perpetuated by the
:: press. (Stop egging me on, or I'll subject you all to another
:: rambling lecture!!!!!)

Well, I think that attitude is a holdover from the "bicycles are just toys!"
idea that a lot of people have.
Of course, the toy idea isn't helped when kids do silly things in
traffic....To get over this attitude, we simply need MORE cyclists on the
roads. Car drivers MUST get used to seeing us out there in order to get over
their prejudices that we are "playing games" when we're on the streets
riding our bikes.

Pat


  #13  
Old April 29th 09, 06:35 AM posted to rec.bicycles.rides
sergio
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Default Another example of slanted journalism re bicyclists

On 29 Apr, 01:15, "PatTX" wrote:

Well, I think that attitude is a holdover from the "bicycles are just toys!"
idea that a lot of people have.
Of course, the toy idea isn't helped when kids do silly things in
traffic....To get over this attitude, we simply need MORE cyclists on the
roads. Car drivers MUST get used to seeing us out there in order to get over
their prejudices that we are "playing games" when we're on the streets
riding our bikes.


Agreed on, 100%.

Sergio
Pisa
(I have never seen a Cop give a ticket to a motorist for wrong doing
with a cyclist)
  #14  
Old April 29th 09, 04:13 PM posted to rec.bicycles.rides
Papa Tom
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Posts: 369
Default Another example of slanted journalism re bicyclists

Well, I think that attitude is a holdover from the "bicycles are just
toys!" idea that a lot of people have.


You seem to want to steer this conversation in another direction, so I will
bite.

I wrote an article about this exact subject a few years back. As long as you
can buy a bicycle in a toy store, a bicycle will be a toy. And as long as
the only pre-requisite for purchasing one is to know which color you want,
most people won't take riding one very seriously.

Bicycle licensing, anybody?

My bicycle recycling group ran a bike safety night at a local elementary
school a few years back. The event attracted about 100 kids and their
parents by promising a mini "Safety Town" for kids to negotiate on their
bicycles. As the kids arrived, they had to stop by a safety check at which
mechanics from our group and from a local bike shop tested their brakes,
properly inflated their tires, checked their helmets, etc. This caused
quite a stir among the parents, most of whom were already ****ed for having
to transport their kids' bicycles to the school in the back seats of their
immaculate new BMW's and Porches. As our mechanics rushed to repair brake
cables, replace brake pads, patch flat tires, and pad helmets (all free of
charge) the parents ranted and raved about how we were keeping their kids
from enjoying the Safety Town ride. (I think many of them were mostly
embarassed that we had identified so many safety issues with the bikes their
kids were riding, but that's another story.)

Once the kids passed their safety checks, they proceeded to a
fully-functional mock traffic light where they were greeted by an actual
uniformed policeman. The officer gave a short safety presentation to a
small group of kids, then let them enter Safety Town. As they rode around
the Safety Town course, additional traffic police pointed out STOP signs,
showed them proper hand signals, etc. When a kid failed to operate his bike
lawfully, he received a summons (attached to the bike), which required him
to return to the beginning of the course and go around again to correct the
mistake. Once a rider got around the course without any summonses, she
received a "Bicycle License."

In theory, this was an incredible idea (not mine originally, by the way).
However, the overall effect on the kids was completely squashed by the
comments coming from the mouths of the eye-rolling parents as their kids
flew through STOP signs, rode the wrong side of the street, and made all
kinds of bad judgment calls that could easily get them killed on the open
road. "Oh, just let him have fun already!" "It's just a bicycle!"
"Jake...look over this way and smile!" And when it came time to issue
licenses, you've probably already guessed that parents were demanding them
for kids who had two and three summonses hanging from their handlebars. One
even implied that her husband would sue us for causing emotional trauma to
her son by not issuing him a license while all his friends were getting
them. A few parents insisted on additional licenses for the children they
had left at home.

Now, if you're like me, you probably have some reservation in your head
about whether we were being unreasonably tough on the kids or whether our
volunteers were acting like jerks. To that, I can only hope that you will
trust when I insist that this was not the case at all. My mechanics and
Safety Town volunteers - as well as the local police officers who helped us
out - had all been coached as to how to handle themselves at the event and I
must say that they made it a ton of fun for the kids. There was no
scolding, no humiliation, and no stigma attached to receiving a summons. In
fact, most kids gratefully accepted a summons because it provided an
opportunity to ride the course again.

The parents, on the other hand, were the problem. If their attitudes
accounted for the largest part of how these children benefitted from our
event, then it was a huge waste of time. Chances are, when most of these
kids got home, instead of having safe riding skills reinforced by their
parents, they listened to their Moms and Dads arrogantly demeaning the
people who had just volunteered several hours of their time to try to
prevent some unnecessary injuries and deaths. We never attempted Bike
Safety Night again.

So...to respond to your statements: YES, YES, YES. I think the attitude
about bicycles as "toys" is a very dangerous one, both for the riders and
for the automobile operators who often have to make sudden decisions to
counteract cyclists' irresponsible actions. But I still reject the
widespread attitude that EVERY incident involving a car and a bicycle is
automatically the result of something the cyclist did wrong.


  #15  
Old April 29th 09, 07:32 PM posted to rec.bicycles.rides
sergio
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Default Another example of slanted journalism re bicyclists

On 29 Apr, 17:13, "Papa Tom" wrote:
is
automatically the result of something the cyclist did wrong.


Most times people would propose that the cyclist had swerved as his/
her last silly action before collision.... .

Sergio
Pisa
  #16  
Old April 30th 09, 01:07 AM posted to rec.bicycles.rides
PatTX[_3_]
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Posts: 156
Default Another example of slanted journalism re bicyclists

I was serving in Germany when both of my boys had to go to a bicycle
licensing class during 5th grade. The city of Frankfurt am Main has a course
set up in a park---a miniature town with streets, lights, etc. The kids
studied during class time and then went to the park to take the exam.
Bicycles were supplied by the city. It was a serious class and all of the
kids took it that way. My younger son is in his 30's now and still has his
Frankfurt Bicycle LIcense! It proved to him that he was responsible and
ready and "not a little kid any more."

So, you're talking to the choir telling me about such efforts. I applaud you
for trying them. It should be a class just like they have in Germany. When
you're 10 years old, you just take the class. No ifs ands or buts.

Pat in TX


  #17  
Old April 30th 09, 01:15 AM posted to rec.bicycles.rides
Papa Tom
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Posts: 369
Default Another example of slanted journalism re bicyclists

So, you're talking to the choir telling me about such efforts.

The problem is, EVERYBODY here in this discussion group is "the choir." How
do we get the word out to the congregation?


  #18  
Old April 30th 09, 11:19 AM posted to rec.bicycles.rides
sergio
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Posts: 504
Default Another example of slanted journalism re bicyclists

On 30 Apr, 02:15, "Papa Tom" wrote:
So, you're talking to the choir telling me about such efforts.

The problem is, EVERYBODY here in this discussion group is "the choir." *How
do we get the word out to the congregation?


Spread the Gospel, Papa!
Since your schools give Driving Classes press some Officials so that
they should first starrt with Rrding Classes.

In Italy we have none of the like, though.

Sergio
Pisa
  #19  
Old April 30th 09, 12:28 PM posted to rec.bicycles.rides
Papa Tom
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Posts: 369
Default Another example of slanted journalism re bicyclists

Since your schools give Driving Classes press some Officials so that they
should first starrt with Rrding Classes.


Great idea. But as long as there is no licensing requirement for bicycles,
what would be the basis for such a class? My non-school group already tried
doing that for the schools and the parents found it silly and a waste of
their kids' limited fun time.


  #20  
Old April 30th 09, 02:51 PM posted to rec.bicycles.rides
PatTX[_3_]
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Posts: 156
Default Another example of slanted journalism re bicyclists

Papa Tom wrote:
::::: Since your schools give Driving Classes press some Officials so
::::: that they should first starrt with Rrding Classes.
::
:: Great idea. But as long as there is no licensing requirement for
:: bicycles, what would be the basis for such a class? My non-school
:: group already tried doing that for the schools and the parents found
:: it silly and a waste of their kids' limited fun time.

Safety?


 




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