Monday, June 2, 2008

Cycling is a not a religion...but maybe it should be?

So Saturday night I went to the YBP(Yellow Bike Project) birthday party. There was a five dollar suggested donation at the door, to help raise money for their new building off of 12th and Webberville. It was the second time I have gotten out and about and mingled with friends and fellow cyclist. I had a few beers talked to some of the bike messengers, told people who didn't know exactly what happened how the wreck happened and what was broken. Overall I was having a great time.

Jenn and I went outside to watch some tall bike jousting. Which is always fun to watch people purposely hurt each other, especially when they are on bikes. As we were watching, a girl was wanting to leave, because people were standing on her car (taking pictures) and folks sitting on it. I would want to move my car as well, I mean I don't want someone standing on it just to get some pictures, especially if I didn't know them. As she was trying to leave (keep in mind this is the back alley way behind spiderhouse and i luv video) people were not moving and getting pissed off at her because she is driving a car. So she gets out of the parking space and proceeds to drive off, only to have one of the tall bikes thrown in front of her car as she was leaving. This in turn pisses off a few of the people there and they start kicking and hitting her car.

I see all of this happen and I said "that is gay and stupid for people to do that" and some chick and dude start to say they are "gay" and I shouldn't say that. I said again that it was gay and stupid for people to get pissed off when they are causing the situation of angry and animosity. I didn't say that those people were fagot's and retarded. I could see someone getting upset about that. I said what I said and I stick to it. Gay and stupid. I keep going back and forth with these two and Jenn gets in the middle because it is starting to get heated. Me with my broken back arguing with two people about something that I said. Some of my closest friends are gay and lesbians. I am not homophobic and I don't condone hurting someone in anyway. Jenn calmed everyone down, along with some of the other people and we went back to watching the tall bikes joust. What really started to aggravate me, is the two that were giving me so much shit started making out, so they obviously were not gay, maybe bi, but not gay. Jason won the tall bike jousting just in case you wanted to know.


So with that being said, it now brings me to my point of this blog. Some people out there think cycling is a religion and they try and force it on others. This has never worked. Just because you are into something you should not try and force it one someone else. I am all for more and more people getting on bikes and riding them. I am also for local bike projects, like YBP. I am not however for people who try and push something on someone else. Getting pissed off because someone was leaving in a car from a bike benefit doesn't justify throwing a bike in front of their car. I fucking came in a car because I have a broken back because of a motorist. Do I blame all motorist? No. I blame the old man that ran me off the road. I drive and ride just like most everyone I know. I also know people who just ride and just drive. Do I force riding on people who just drive? No. They are adults and can make their own decisions.

Recently Critical Mass has started coming under a lot of scrutiny. Some from local forums and some from a other countries. This happened a few days ago. I am not against CM, but this is fucking stupid. Riding with your kids on a freeway? Gay and stupid.



Again not against Mass, I ride in them almost every month. I haven't the most recent one, but the doctors won't let me ride right now. My point is that we cyclist need to be more active in the community, and not turn drivers against us even more by being jackasses when we ride in a mass group. We don't need to take every single lane, we don't need to throw things at the drivers, we need to be respectful of them, if we want to get respect from them. If you want to help change things then pay more attention to whats going on at city council. Start being more pro active and not just going to mass to try and prove a point.

You don't have to force what you believe in on people. Be more active. Enjoy your bike riding. Don't be a jackass about it.



til next time

your "gay and stupid" blogger

OLC

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

i think that girl was leaving spiderhouse. they got mad because she backed up further than she needed to and actually almost squeezed a few people between the brick wall and her bumber. there was inches between the wall and her bumper. someone put a tire on her roof at that moment and she said something to that person. she got mad and drove away and there was a tall bike on the ground. she tried to run it over but the bike just slid under her bumper for about 10feet and then she stopped.

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