Why Didn't You Attend Naked Ride?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jack on June 22, 2010 at 9:41am

I skipped the ride for a couple reasons. First off, I have no intention of riding around chicago naked. Not self conscious about my body at all. I just don't want to do it. Secondly, I use oil in my truck and don't care that I do. I pay the high prices and taxes on it. So if someone wants to protest oil, have at it, just don't expect me to follow along like a sheep when its not a cause I get behind.

Just because I ride a bike doesn't make me a protester and against oil. Also, just because I didn't support the naked ride doesn't make me a bad cyclist. If you disagree with that, I don't have a lot in common with you so further "discussion" isn't necessary.

the reason other protests/rallys are more successful and have more support is because more people believe in the cause strongly and can participate at a level they are comfortable with. Calling people out isn't the correct way to drum up more support. It won't get me "off my duff" for a cause you are trying to support. It just makes you sound angry that others don't share your views.

Permalink Reply by Spencer "Thunderball" Thayer! on June 22, 2010 at 9:41am

Yeah Gabe, you're a little off on this one. The WNBR may have been an expression of anger for many people but it doesn't really doing anything to solve our dependence on oil. Nor did circling the BP stations yelling "FUCK BP" cause any worry to Tony Hayward forcing him to come up with some solution to the spill. WNBR is awesome, don't get me wrong, but it's not a great form of protest. It may awareness but I question even that. I talked to a lot of people during the ride and almost all of them were not exactly sure what the ride was about. Or that WNBR was a historically anti-oil dependence ride.

Gabe, if you want to attempt a bike ride that will challenge oil consumption in this city I have some ideas email me at me@spencerthayer.com.

heather stratton said:

“Nice spin Heather. So your answer is "not that important to you." Interesting. Why is it not important to you? The Oil spill isn't important to you either? Car usage? Bike safety?”

Oh sorry, I didn't realize that you guys were solving the oil spill crisis! Silly me.

I don't care about this particular bike ride. Doesn't mean I don't care about the oil spill, or about car usage, or bike safety. Don't put words into my mouth.

Permalink Reply by Aaron Bussey on June 22, 2010 at 9:47am

Portland is like the 'crusty' capital of America - what do you expect? Chicago has enough Mid West working stiffs still here to prevent us from falling into the downward spiral of 'The Left Coast'.......

Permalink Reply by Aaron Bussey on June 22, 2010 at 9:47am

and peace man.....peace

Permalink Reply by Spencer "Thunderball" Thayer! on June 22, 2010 at 9:55am

Aaron, good point. Portland is a anarcho-crust-punk-primitivism-insurrectionist mecca. So many anarchists I have known through the years have moved to Portland. And where there are lazy crusty jobless anarchist there are others of similar like mindedness, like hippies and people in the arts. There is a community for that scene that just doesn't exist in Chicago. It's too fragmented here. Portland has a small town feel where everybody knows your name and everyone does the same stuff. It's rather unique and a nice experience. I've thought about moving there a couple of times but I just cant stand those Zerzan reading cultish bastards. I would never claim that all Anarchists are lazy - but the good for nothing crusties are.

Aaron Bussey said:

Portland is like the 'crusty' capital of America - what do you expect? Chicago has enough Mid West working stiffs still here to prevent us from falling into the downward spiral of 'The Left Coast'.......

Permalink Reply by BalloonBiker on June 22, 2010 at 10:11am

I just wanted to back up Heather's point about not really caring about the ride....and the conversation here makes me care even less and dislike the ride.

I was out of town for both this ride and last years, but even if I were in town, I wouldn't have gone. I have no desire to protest in this way. As it is, I'm on the fence about "message" of Critical Mass and similar rides.

Glad you had fun, but there's no point in competing with other cities...and being so confrontational to other bikers just makes you look bad and kind of like a jerk.

Permalink Reply by Aaron Bussey on June 22, 2010 at 10:19am

I think we should go for the largest civil war reenactment done by naked people - that'll show up them Portland crusties....boo yaaa

Gettysburg a la naked

Can I be Grant? I heard he had a massive johnson and chest hair ;)

Permalink Reply by cutifly on June 22, 2010 at 10:40am

Been there twice, tired, kinda cold, don't care ever to see anyones naked belly hanging over there penis again, although I have seen some sea monsters at the rides that simply should be put in the zoo. I could give a crap about oil dependency cause 9/10 of anyone who complains about it does not live it anyway. Many liberal crap talkers out there, I know who is for real and who is not about 30 seconds into a conversation. Thanks Andrew for letting me help behind the scenes this year ....

Permalink Reply by Gort 12-mile Pinklegneep on June 22, 2010 at 11:06am

Wanted to. Was busy, couldn't get out of Obligations. Is that okay.

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on June 22, 2010 at 11:56am

I know that this is going to surprise some of you but I have an opinion on this...

First off I hate to disagree with you Gabe but the naked ride is less about protest then it is about taking off your pants for most people who participate; if it really where about the environment we would not have left the park looking like a haz-mat zone when we left. I'm sure some of the people on the ride are there as a legitimate protest action but I think a solid percentage of them are just there because it's a chance to party naked in the street and/or to skulk about and be scope the boobies. In fact when you read the ride instructions it does make it seem like the protest aspect of it is just a way to work the law into allowing you to be naked in the streets.

Personally I will never ride the naked ride nude (lets not even get into my issue with it being called the 'naked' ride and the use of naked vs. nude...) because I think that the second you drop your pants and head out into the streets, as a group or alone, a huge percentage of the people who see you are going to write you, and your cause, off as a crackpots. We can debate all day long if it is right or wrong for them to judge but it does not change the facts regarding many peoples judgment.

As to why Portland gets such a large ride? Because Portland has a higher concentration of full on hippies, simple as that. We may be a much larger urban area but we are made up of a much more conservative demographic.

Permalink Reply by Davo on June 22, 2010 at 11:58am

I'm not sure that I would want a naked ride with those numbers either. As it was, there were people drinking from glass bottles on the ride and one broke about 20' ahead of me. I understand that people would be drinking (amongst other things) on the ride. Hell I woul'd have but I had to carry my friends bag full of crap that he didn't need. That will be the last time for that. Anyway I can only imagine the number of douche bags that would show up with numbers that large. I like the fact that people are surprised when the naked ride comes. So many people on the sidelines I hear on their phone saying "OMG your not going to believe this, about 1000 people just rode by naked!"

Seriously people though next year a little more ass and absolutly no glass. Thats dangerous.

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on June 22, 2010 at 11:59am

Peenworm Grubologist said:

Is that okay.

We have a team of trained counselors standing by to provide advice and reassurance, but unfortunately they're all at lunch right now.

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• …
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• …
• 10
• Next ›
• Page