Sometimes Discussions Make Us Uncomfortable - The Chainlink2024-03-29T12:16:48Zhttps://thechainlink.org/forum/topics/sometimes-discussions-make-us-uncomfortable?commentId=2211490%3AComment%3A1130246&xg_raw_resources=1&feed=yes&xn_auth=noI've been riding bicycles on…tag:thechainlink.org,2019-10-31:2211490:Comment:11310202019-10-31T23:18:30.421ZJim Rehohttps://thechainlink.org/profile/JimReho
<p>I've been riding bicycles on Chicago streets, north side and south side, for 40 years since I moved here. The greater part of what I actually know about cycling, I think I've learned since I joined The Chainlink a few years ago. For that I am indebted to you and the many intelligent people who post comments and links here. There's going to be some conflict, because civility is something generally in short supply in America right now. I hope you stick by your guns. All right, maybe not…</p>
<p>I've been riding bicycles on Chicago streets, north side and south side, for 40 years since I moved here. The greater part of what I actually know about cycling, I think I've learned since I joined The Chainlink a few years ago. For that I am indebted to you and the many intelligent people who post comments and links here. There's going to be some conflict, because civility is something generally in short supply in America right now. I hope you stick by your guns. All right, maybe not guns...you know what I mean! </p> I should add that I whole-hea…tag:thechainlink.org,2019-10-31:2211490:Comment:11307432019-10-31T15:43:57.941Zlft_rathttps://thechainlink.org/profile/lft_rat
<p>I should add that I whole-heartedly support your commitment to promoting equity in cycling. Admittedly 90% of my riding is on the LFT (south side), but I'm struck by how non-diverse the cyclists are. I am also struck that more people, especially elected officials, do not recognize how increasing the number of safe and reliable transit options is critically important for those who have fewer resources to begin with. I support making cycling more inclusive and safe, and less intimidating, for…</p>
<p>I should add that I whole-heartedly support your commitment to promoting equity in cycling. Admittedly 90% of my riding is on the LFT (south side), but I'm struck by how non-diverse the cyclists are. I am also struck that more people, especially elected officials, do not recognize how increasing the number of safe and reliable transit options is critically important for those who have fewer resources to begin with. I support making cycling more inclusive and safe, and less intimidating, for all.</p> I very rarely post. I am extr…tag:thechainlink.org,2019-10-31:2211490:Comment:11310102019-10-31T15:34:38.022Zlft_rathttps://thechainlink.org/profile/lft_rat
<p>I very rarely post. I am extremely grateful for the site. I don't read much local news, although I follow some Chicago transit folks on Twitter and read streetsblog. Some of the information here inspired me to communicate with my car-loving alderman. (It was kind of hilarious and sad. Among other things, she denied that her proposed annual registration fee for bikes functioned as a tax. She also implied supporting car2go would hurt car owners and prevent people from finding parking...…</p>
<p>I very rarely post. I am extremely grateful for the site. I don't read much local news, although I follow some Chicago transit folks on Twitter and read streetsblog. Some of the information here inspired me to communicate with my car-loving alderman. (It was kind of hilarious and sad. Among other things, she denied that her proposed annual registration fee for bikes functioned as a tax. She also implied supporting car2go would hurt car owners and prevent people from finding parking... sigh.)</p>
<p>I've cycled for most of my life to get to school/work (I'm nearly 40), but since moving to Chicago six years ago, I've had more trouble committing to cycling. Chainlink continues to motivate me. This city has one of the most anti-cycling cultures I have experienced, although I know it could be worse. The weather doesn't help either. I've appreciated the opportunity to discuss cycling norms here too: inspired by support here, every week I am asking some dude to stop drafting me on the LFT. It still creeps me out to have some stranger at my heel for miles.</p>
<p>Thank you for your work, Yasmeen.</p> Thanks David, your feedback a…tag:thechainlink.org,2019-10-24:2211490:Comment:11304802019-10-24T14:53:08.640ZYasmeenhttps://thechainlink.org/profile/YasmeenSchuller
<p>Thanks David, your feedback and posts are always appreciated. I've been thinking about what you wrote about feeling uncomfortable. It's powerful. Thank you for saying it.</p>
<p>Thanks David, your feedback and posts are always appreciated. I've been thinking about what you wrote about feeling uncomfortable. It's powerful. Thank you for saying it.</p> This is exactly the intent. T…tag:thechainlink.org,2019-10-24:2211490:Comment:11304782019-10-24T14:51:16.659ZYasmeenhttps://thechainlink.org/profile/YasmeenSchuller
<p>This is exactly the intent. Thank you for posting. Your wife deserves better than this. My last year in Chicago I did a pre-ride for the Ferris Bueller ride and as I was riding back, it was rush hour and I watched a man get into the oncoming bike lane to pass 5+ women to weasel his way to the front of the line at a light. When I caught up with him a few blocks down, he was respecting the (men) biking in front of him, not shoaling them. There's a reason we say "manshoaling". It's a…</p>
<p>This is exactly the intent. Thank you for posting. Your wife deserves better than this. My last year in Chicago I did a pre-ride for the Ferris Bueller ride and as I was riding back, it was rush hour and I watched a man get into the oncoming bike lane to pass 5+ women to weasel his way to the front of the line at a light. When I caught up with him a few blocks down, he was respecting the (men) biking in front of him, not shoaling them. There's a reason we say "manshoaling". It's a reality. </p> Thanks for sharing this artic…tag:thechainlink.org,2019-10-24:2211490:Comment:11304752019-10-24T14:48:07.688ZYasmeenhttps://thechainlink.org/profile/YasmeenSchuller
<p>Thanks for sharing this article. It's eye-opening but sadly part of the very same barriers. Frustrating to see Ald. King use her position recklessly by expressing a perception that is in no way based in data/fact. She thinks bikes aren't using it and because she's an alderman, we should all listen to her? She's used that very same bike lane to justify not providing other bike lanes and now she wants to get rid of it. </p>
<p>Thanks for sharing this article. It's eye-opening but sadly part of the very same barriers. Frustrating to see Ald. King use her position recklessly by expressing a perception that is in no way based in data/fact. She thinks bikes aren't using it and because she's an alderman, we should all listen to her? She's used that very same bike lane to justify not providing other bike lanes and now she wants to get rid of it. </p> Not to take away from the int…tag:thechainlink.org,2019-10-23:2211490:Comment:11302462019-10-23T18:40:49.442ZJaik S.https://thechainlink.org/profile/JSmith
<p>Not to take away from the intent, but my wife has a terrible problem with guys shoaling her and cutting her off. The funny thing? We commute together. We ride to and from work together. When people cut her off, they don't do the same to me. People don't shoal me(as much). It's annoying as fuck. I'm happy that it's getting cooler, because that scooter season was terrible, and (I say it every year) this year's new divvy crowd was worse than last year.</p>
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<p>Yes, my wife is a strong…</p>
<p>Not to take away from the intent, but my wife has a terrible problem with guys shoaling her and cutting her off. The funny thing? We commute together. We ride to and from work together. When people cut her off, they don't do the same to me. People don't shoal me(as much). It's annoying as fuck. I'm happy that it's getting cooler, because that scooter season was terrible, and (I say it every year) this year's new divvy crowd was worse than last year.</p>
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<p>Yes, my wife is a strong cyclist. She rode up the side of a volcano one time to camp out with me. Your Beats wearing, divvy swerving, nonsensical riding is going to get someone hurt or injured. This was the first year I feel cars were better than cyclists in paying attention. </p> https://hpherald.com/2019/10/…tag:thechainlink.org,2019-10-20:2211490:Comment:11301282019-10-20T06:55:44.813Zcurt(is) lockehttps://thechainlink.org/profile/curtismyers
<p><a href="https://hpherald.com/2019/10/17/ald-kings-meeting-spurs-debate-bike-lanes-vs-parking-on-drexel/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">https://hpherald.com/2019/10/17/ald-kings-meeting-spurs-debate-bike-lanes-vs-parking-on-drexel/</a></p>
<p>“Why are [motorists] more important than myself?” he asked. “How am I going to commute home late at night when it’s dark safely, and it doesn’t require me being in and out of cars?”</p>
<p>“There’s a big disparity in infrastructure when I see biking…</p>
<p><a href="https://hpherald.com/2019/10/17/ald-kings-meeting-spurs-debate-bike-lanes-vs-parking-on-drexel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://hpherald.com/2019/10/17/ald-kings-meeting-spurs-debate-bike-lanes-vs-parking-on-drexel/</a></p>
<p>“Why are [motorists] more important than myself?” he asked. “How am I going to commute home late at night when it’s dark safely, and it doesn’t require me being in and out of cars?”</p>
<p>“There’s a big disparity in infrastructure when I see biking north of where I live as opposed to when I’m biking south of where I live,” Quispe continued. He urged King to keep the status quo and to add concrete barriers for bikers’ additional protection.</p>
<p>Shari Runner spoke later, opposing any cyclist protection barriers but endorsing the status quo.</p>
<p>“I gather that you want to bike, and you want to have a safe place to bike, but I have an investment that I have to protect,” she said, recalling her home of 20 years. “I don’t know that having concrete barriers where there are bike lanes and having parking on the interior side of Drexel, either during the day or at night, adds to my property value.”</p>
<p>“The boulevards are a historic part of Chicago. They are very important to the way this city was built and the way this community was built, and I am very much opposed to changing it from where it is right now,” Runner concluded. “It allows for people to bike, and it allows for people to park.”</p>
<p></p> Those aren't crickets -- they…tag:thechainlink.org,2019-10-20:2211490:Comment:11301932019-10-20T06:19:11.219Zcurt(is) lockehttps://thechainlink.org/profile/curtismyers
<p>Those aren't crickets -- they're <strong>finger snaps</strong>. </p>
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<p>Those aren't crickets -- they're <strong>finger snaps</strong>. </p>
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<p></p> Yasmeen
Thank you for openi…tag:thechainlink.org,2019-10-18:2211490:Comment:11301122019-10-18T20:25:32.614ZDavid Barishhttps://thechainlink.org/profile/DavidBarish
<p>Yasmeen</p>
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<p>Thank you for opening this thread. I will say it didn't make me uncomfortable but in doing so have to admit that I am probably hiding something or ignoring something or failing to see something. I was recently at a discussion where I was told that it starts with being willing, as a white dude, to feel uncomfortable and to put myself into situations where I feel that way. So, thank you for this. What I do with it...we will see. Please …</p>
<p>Yasmeen</p>
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<p>Thank you for opening this thread. I will say it didn't make me uncomfortable but in doing so have to admit that I am probably hiding something or ignoring something or failing to see something. I was recently at a discussion where I was told that it starts with being willing, as a white dude, to feel uncomfortable and to put myself into situations where I feel that way. So, thank you for this. What I do with it...we will see. Please know that your efforts, your passion, and your advocacy are noticed back here in your old home town. </p>