Bikes=Socialism

[ridethecliche]

Or so a letter to the editor alleges.

Goodness...

https://amp-tri--cityherald-com.cdn....sa=1#webview=1

[Onno]

Originally Posted by ridethecliche

Or so a letter to the editor alleges.

Goodness...

https://amp-tri--cityherald-com.cdn....sa=1#webview=1

That has got to be satire, doesn't it? On the other hand, so much of politics today is self-parody...

[Jad]

Yes, it's got to be satire, and a nice little piece of it. "Communist bicycle lanes" and well-placed exclamation points give it away. ... I think.

I like when they worry what the bike lanes "foretell." Maybe in their next letter to the editor they'll make a modest proposal.

[saab2000]

I don’t think that is satire. There are people who actually feel this way and talk this way. How do I know? I’ve worked with some.

[Jad]

Yes, it's totally possible this writer is serious.

But the sign-off is just so tempting to read as joke: "The enemy is at the gates, wearing cycling shorts..."

Of course, I've learned it's easy to be sure and wrong about what I think must be irony.

[verticaldoug]

https://macropolo.org/analysis/the-r...m-of-bicycles/

I remember the great morning bike commute to work in Beijing in the early 90's. It was one of those things you needed to see and experience.

A few years ago, about the time the above article was written pre pandemic in London, I would go for a morning ride in central London, and end up returning to my flat during the beginning of morning rush across Putney Bridge. Biking to work was becoming quite popular, and the cyclists all lined up at the lights in front of the cars, always reminded me of Beijing from the early 1990s. I laughed how we had changed places with them and devolved. It still brings a smile to my face.

[Fat Cat]

Socialism has become a catchall term identifying anything enjoyable. Having fun of any kind has been the hallmark of evil for a couple thousand years now. A fact well known by a variety of organized religions and right-wing political parties

[benb]

Most people stuck in horrible traffic in cars haven't figured out yet that they're not actually having fun.

They know it at a subconscious level and it makes them mad at cyclists moving through, but it hasn't consciously broken through the marketing/brainwashing from the car industry that makes them think everything is great. It's the same thing that makes so many people realize that having that new car on a 72 month loan is not actually "winning".

They think the cyclists must be miserable cause they don't have cars, and communism/socialism makes people miserable, so they somehow link the two ideas?

[ridethecliche]

The idea that this was possibly satire never crossed my mind. I think it's scary that it's hard to tell in situations where we're not just talking about modestly proposing that one should just eat babies to solve both world hunger and overpopulation.

I think what led me to not even entertain the satire element was all the quotes included. I guess that could just be really good satire but man... sometimes...
I guess the loss of the roadway thing being included also puts it into the 'not satire' column for me.

What a world.

[dgauthier]

I think the letter is tongue-in-cheek, but the writer does have an axe to grind. This part gives away what the writer is actually ticked off about:

"Wellsian Way was a four-lane road. Now it’s one lane each way, a center turning lane, and communist bicycle lanes down each side! Do I ever see a cyclist on these lanes when I drive down Wellsian (in the new resulting traffic congestion!)? You’re more likely to see a moose than a cyclist in this town."

Poor urban planning can increase traffic congestion while providing little benefit. An isolated bicycle path that can't be reached safely may be under-utilized, and short-tempered drivers blame cyclists (or non-existent cyclists) rather than the city planners. The best designed bicycle infrastructure is a network, but planning such a thing is more difficult and expensive.

[unterhausen]

Public opinion defeated some bike lanes near here on the main road through town. It was a road diet, the bike lanes were just being used as traffic calming, they disappeared many times over the stretch of a half mile. The real problem is we have a 4 lane road with no turn lanes and people weave through it trying to make time when there is no time to be made. It's never a surprise when there's a crash on that road. Lifeflight crews are here so often they have reserved parking spaces.

I have often thought that the project would have moved forward if they just made the road nicer and left off the bike lanes. They didn't go anywhere anyway. If there were left and right turn lanes traffic would move a lot faster on that road. I'm willing to sacrifice some worthless bike lanes to cut down on the carnage. Cyclists have ways around that road now, we'll survive.

There is an issue with people's perception of bike lanes that cyclists don't pay for them. It's very unusual for a road to be built that isn't totally funded by general funds. So roads dedicated to motor vehicles are also paid for by people that don't use them. I.e., if bike lanes are socialism, then so are roads.

[merlinmurph]

Originally Posted by dgauthier

I think the letter is tongue-in-cheek, but the writer does have an axe to grind. This part gives away what the writer is actually ticked off about:

"Wellsian Way was a four-lane road. Now it’s one lane each way, a center turning lane, and communist bicycle lanes down each side! Do I ever see a cyclist on these lanes when I drive down Wellsian (in the new resulting traffic congestion!)? You’re more likely to see a moose than a cyclist in this town."

Poor urban planning can increase traffic congestion while providing little benefit. An isolated bicycle path that can't be reached safely may be under-utilized, and short-tempered drivers blame cyclists (or non-existent cyclists) rather than the city planners. The best designed bicycle infrastructure is a network, but planning such a thing is more difficult and expensive.

That quote could very easily have come from a Bostonian. Big bike lane battles going on.

In addition, "socialism" has become a popular word to use by the Fox news set, even though they have no idea what socialism is. They just know it's bad.

[mhespenheide]

Originally Posted by Fat Cat

Socialism has become a catchall term identifying anything enjoyable. Having fun of any kind has been the hallmark of evil for a couple thousand years now. A fact well known by a variety of organized religions and right-wing political parties

I would say, "socialism" has become a catchall term for "anything I don't like" when you're starting from a certain outlook. And since "socialism" is supposedly inherently evil, by correlation anything I don't like is inherently evil.

I wish this were satire, but it probably isn't.

[Elefantino]

I have relatives that feel the same way. They are not satirical.

And what's scarier is ... they vote.

[donevwil]

Originally Posted by saab2000

I don’t think that is satire. There are people who actually feel this way and talk this way. How do I know? I’ve worked with some.

Agreed!

This is from the Tri-Cities, WA, any of you been there? This perfectly fits the (albeit minority) old school, get-off-my-lawn, what's happened to my town attitude of the area.