John Kass Chicago Tribune Article - Email Him and Show Him Some Cyclist Love!!!!

I emailed John Kass (as I've done before, with no reply ever received, of course) this morning and asked that he set up a time to meet with me and discuss cyclists and cycling. Regardless of his less than friendly view of cycling and cyclists, I would love to see him be better informed an perhaps change his tune a bit.  I also invited him to go for a ride with me, as I've done before.

Maybe if many of us dropped him a line and invited him to have a discussion and go for a bike ride with us he'd eventually give in and understand better who we are and our community.  Don't slam him, don't insult him, don't denigrate him -- show him some cyclist love and get him to support us.

Grazie, Bill

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-met-kass-0509-2013...

jskass@tribune.com

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Because he is an average American?

Paul Gnarlo said:

why does this man hate both exercise and efficiency so much?

It's always helpful to remember that he is a (social) dinosaur. And like all (social) dinosaurs, he will eventually die, his kind will go extinct, and the rest of the world can continue.

Cameron 7.5 mi said:

Engaging Kass is like engaging a toddler throwing a fit. There's no reasoning with him, but as long as you keep trying to reason with him he'll keep screaming. Ignore him and he'll cry himself out and move on to a new topic where he can get a rise out of people. I'd wager that if he wrote a column about bikes that didn't get a single letter, tweet, or noticeable rise in page views it would be the last column he ever wrote about bikes. The silent treatment is the worst thing that can happen to a guy like Kass.

I've met Kass on several occasions and read his column regularly.  I do think his latest was over the top. Rather than worry about what he said, I think the discussion should be on what he is talking about.  My guess is that he is correct about the new administration's bike friendly Chicago will come at a cost.

Ugh... his columns about cyclists are only as bad as his columns about pretty much everything else.  His is a reactionary, anger based world view-- yes its very profitable, and yes he knows that.  And so does the Tribune.  I would never try to discourage anyone from trying to discuss anything with anyone else, but it seems like the possibilities of a meet up with him are 1) you don't change his mind or 2) he does what he can to use you as an example of why he was right to begin with.  

Kass is just a troll. Don't feed him, even with logic. We win when people stop reading his garbage. Linking to it here just makes the matter worse. This is one problem that actually will go away if ignored.

+1

just ignore Kass

Cameron 7.5 mi said:

Engaging Kass is like engaging a toddler throwing a fit. There's no reasoning with him, but as long as you keep trying to reason with him he'll keep screaming. Ignore him and he'll cry himself out and move on to a new topic where he can get a rise out of people. I'd wager that if he wrote a column about bikes that didn't get a single letter, tweet, or noticeable rise in page views it would be the last column he ever wrote about bikes. The silent treatment is the worst thing that can happen to a guy like Kass.

Kass brings the clicks to the paper, do not read or engage with. It's not even some matter of "this person will not listen to reason," this person is commodified trolling and is paid, specifically, to do this thing, in order to bring in revenue. 

Why the hell would anyone who rides a bike want to do that??  Every sentence he writes is designed to get you to flame him, which he then takes to his editor and says, "see, I'm worth every penny you pay me."  Your righteous indignation is his lifeforce.  Along with nicotine and aspartame.  Do Chicago cycling a favor and ignore John Kass.

Wow, where do you get my "righteous indignation"?  I simply asked him to have a discussion and invited him to ride a bike.    

Don't take it personally.  I didn't see anywhere in your original post about just wanting to have discussion with him.  Haven't read any of the other posts.  But if the past reaction from many to his columns is an indication...

The thing about Kass is, he probably is a decent person (Ha!) but he doesn't give a rat's ass about common sense when it comes to his paycheck.  

I love John Kass! Ive done a few writing analysis projects on his articles; love his writing!

But I think he can get very sarcastic with serious topics. He could potentially spin the wrong thread.

Kass and the Trib have a staff watching where hits on that article come from and searching the 'net to see where he gets mentioned in discussions.  A multiple page thread all about John Kass and what he says is the desired result of his style of writing.  Everyone who participated in this thread, and to a even higher degree those who commented on his article or e-mailed him, you are a part of the problem.  Without a reaction to his work for him to fight against he has no story.  If he does not have two sides; one to rally against and one to support he has no subject matter. 

If you stop arguing with him in for bikes and stop commenting on his articles about bike laws he will stop writing them because they will not generate the strife gain the attention he needs to get paid for his words.

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