What American Cities are Missing: Bikes by the Thousands

On Mon, 21 May 2007 11:06:53 GMT, george conklin wrote:

In the third world they view the entire industry as exploiting. We
should
be ashamed of ourselves bringing the pedicab back. It shows how morally
bankrupt the New Urbanism is.

Do you consider all manual labor morally inferior

Pedicabs are not manual labor.

That would be news to pedicab drivers, I think.

It is considered to be abusive labor.

Any kind of labor can be abused, from road building through ship scrapping
to MMORPG gold farming. Your point is?

Tarhimdugurth
--
[S1 - za sygnaturkê]

On May 20, 5:55 pm, "george conklin" wrote:
"Anymouse" none wrote in message

...





"george conklin" wrote in message
news

"John Mara" wrote in message
. ..
george conklin wrote:

As Calcutta outlaws pedicabs, they are now fashionable with the New
Urbanist crowd. You can take home some stuff on one, if you agree to
walk next to it. That ought to please those who want to go back in
time.

Pedicabs are popular enough in New York that the city council has
enacted regulations for them.

http://www.newsday.com/search/sns-ap...,2759553.story

--
John Mara

Yes, just as the third world is getting rid of such exploitation of
workers, NYC is starting up with its hazy visions of great the past used
to be.

"exploitation of workers"? Ridiculous! It's called capitalism and it's not
exploitative. I sometimes agree with you but your wrong this time.

But the reason I posted is why major cities in the third world are
getting rid of pedicabs. That is the reason given there. I think it
applies here too.

However it may well not be true. It may be that the Western educated
elites think that pedicabs are 'third-world' and make the place look
shabby AND get in the way of their cars.

IIRC a pedicab owner/operator in Dhaka Bangladesh makes quite a bit
above the standard labour's wage while apparently providing a very
valuable service. Of course this may or may not apply in Calcutta.

One also wonders what would replace them in Calcutta? Pesumabley
motor taxis are too expensive or otherwise unsuitable or they would
have drive the pedicabs out of business.

John Kane, Kingston ON Canada


John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

On May 20, 9:01 pm, wrote:
In article k.net,
says...

In the third world they view the entire industry as exploiting. We should
be ashamed of ourselves bringing the pedicab back. It shows how morally
bankrupt the New Urbanism is.

Do you consider all manual labor morally inferior, or is there something
specific about bicycling that you dislike?

I've seen this reaction before. It is okay to have a person (taxi
driver) take you around town but is is somehow degrading if he or she
has to put any real physical effort into it. However there is nothing
wrong with structuring the taxi business that a driver needs to work
12 hour days 6-7 days a week to make living



In India, the carpet-weaving industry is also often condemned, in this
case for exploiting child labor. That doesn't mean that we should also
condemn carpet manufacturing in countries that enforce reasonable labor
standards.

We all should convert to hardwood flooring

John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

On May 19, 11:02 am, "george conklin" wrote:
"John Mara" wrote in message

...





george conklin wrote:

As Calcutta outlaws pedicabs, they are now fashionable with the New
Urbanist crowd. You can take home some stuff on one, if you agree to
walk next to it. That ought to please those who want to go back in time.

Pedicabs are popular enough in New York that the city council has enacted
regulations for them.

http://www.newsday.com/search/sns-ap...,2759553.story

--
John Mara

Yes, just as the third world is getting rid of such exploitation of
workers, NYC is starting up with its hazy visions of great the past used to
be.-

You know what you "oil addiction" is forcing the Nigereans into?
Untold exploitation and misery. That's why they came up with a Niger
Liberation Front, or something to the effect.

On May 19, 11:04 am, "george conklin" wrote:
"donquijote1954" wrote in message

oups.com...



On May 19, 7:23 am, "george conklin" wrote:

Get a trailer. A basic Google search will give you many brands and
models.

As Calcutta outlaws pedicabs, they are now fashionable with the New
Urbanist crowd. You can take home some stuff on one, if you agree to
walk
next to it. That ought to please those who want to go back in time.

Well, you seem to rejoice in going back in time, because as far as me
goes SUVs are dinosaurs. Unwilling to evolve, unwilling to listen (due
to their pea-sized brain) and causing a lot of trouble, like the war
over oil we are currently fighting --and losing.

Those of you who worship the past are in for a rude shock when the time
arrives when the human animal once again becomes a beast of burden. You are
betting that you will be able to hire someone else to do your work for you.-

Have you heard about Sweatshops??? That's been happening for the
longest time.

--eco-terrorists are aptly named. Its not that things aren't changing,
they are, albiet slowly, the "eco-terrorist" have been very lucky in
that they haven't killed anyone that we know of yet. Destroying new
housing, SUV's or burning down ski lodges may not be the same as Osama
bin Goathumper planning the destruction of the WTC but if you read
some of the blogs these nuts and thier supporters put out there, it is
very clear that they don't consider anyone who disagrees with them in
the slightest to have any right to be heard. It is literally thier way
or the highway. Anything they do to stop those they disagree with is
just a-okay. Scaring folks is just alright with them.--


If you use and abuse the term you may have to include some other folks
out there, namely ROAD TERRORISM...

"Road rage (also road violence, road terrorism) is the common name for
deliberately dangerous and/or violent behaviour under the influence of
heightened anger, by any motor vehicle operator, affecting the safety
of one or more other operators or bystanders."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_rage

Oh, by the way, I really feel TERRORIZED while riding my bike. SUV
terrorists and cell phone terrorists terrorize me the most.

On May 20, 6:36 pm, wrote:
In article .net,
says...

Yes, just as the third world is getting rid of such exploitation of
workers, NYC is starting up with its hazy visions of great the past used to
be.

Having ridden pedicabs in New Delhi and in Vancouver, B.C., among other
cities, I wouldn't compare the two labor environments.

If a country doesn't have effective enforcement of worker's rights, and
even still has pockets of indentured servitude and slavery, it could be
that banning a particular occupation might be the only way to eliminate
a particular form of exploitation.

I'd have no qualms about "exploiting" a U.S. or Canadian pedicab
operator.

I think George is all for the Pedicab Liberation Front!?

On May 20, 8:42 pm, "george conklin" wrote:
wrote in message

.net...





In article .net,
says...

Yes, just as the third world is getting rid of such exploitation of
workers, NYC is starting up with its hazy visions of great the past used
to
be.

Having ridden pedicabs in New Delhi and in Vancouver, B.C., among other
cities, I wouldn't compare the two labor environments.

If a country doesn't have effective enforcement of worker's rights, and
even still has pockets of indentured servitude and slavery, it could be
that banning a particular occupation might be the only way to eliminate
a particular form of exploitation.

I'd have no qualms about "exploiting" a U.S. or Canadian pedicab
operator.

In the third world they view the entire industry as exploiting. We should
be ashamed of ourselves bringing the pedicab back. It shows how morally
bankrupt the New Urbanism is.-

Are you also concerned about the "Made in China" label? I guess we got
to drop the dollar store then. By the way, some union representative
was in Asia recently trying to organize labor in China. Free unions in
a communist country? I believe it when I see it.

He said something that makes sense: "If capitals are globalized, why
not labor?"

On May 21, 7:06 am, "george conklin" wrote:
wrote in message

.net...

In article k.net,
says...

In the third world they view the entire industry as exploiting. We
should
be ashamed of ourselves bringing the pedicab back. It shows how morally
bankrupt the New Urbanism is.

Do you consider all manual labor morally inferior

Pedicabs are not manual labor. It is considered to be abusive labor.

For whom, the operator or the horse???

"donquijote1954" wrote in message
ups.com...
On May 20, 8:42 pm, "george conklin" wrote:
wrote in message

.net...





In article .net,
says...

Yes, just as the third world is getting rid of such exploitation of
workers, NYC is starting up with its hazy visions of great the past
used
to
be.

Having ridden pedicabs in New Delhi and in Vancouver, B.C., among other
cities, I wouldn't compare the two labor environments.

If a country doesn't have effective enforcement of worker's rights, and
even still has pockets of indentured servitude and slavery, it could be
that banning a particular occupation might be the only way to eliminate
a particular form of exploitation.

I'd have no qualms about "exploiting" a U.S. or Canadian pedicab
operator.

In the third world they view the entire industry as exploiting. We
should
be ashamed of ourselves bringing the pedicab back. It shows how morally
bankrupt the New Urbanism is.-

Are you also concerned about the "Made in China" label? I guess we got
to drop the dollar store then. By the way, some union representative
was in Asia recently trying to organize labor in China. Free unions in
a communist country? I believe it when I see it.

He said something that makes sense: "If capitals are globalized, why
not labor?"

He loves Wal-Mart's low prices. Of _course_ no one is ever exploited so we
can have those low prices ;-).