[This weekend on the Reader Advisor: Should you wear a helmet when biking? Probably. Should you “share the road”? Sure. Should we be paying more attention to other issues? Matt says definitely, yes. — the Artblog editors]
Biker Yeah Rights
As someone who relies on a bike for their primary form of transportation, cyclist rights is the social issue that most directly affects me–it is also the issue I care the least about. My personal safety on a bike is only going to improve when people in cars (i.e. EVERYONE IN AMERICA) slow down and begin to consider the conditions of humans other than their immediate selves. And if we are going to be working towards a considerate empathetic American population, I would hope to God the first stop would be #blacklivesmatter or #fightfor15 and not #sharetheroad.
That said, I have found that like most cyclists, riding my bike in Philadelphia has afforded me a collection of unbelievable and unnerving stories and a healthy dose of RAGE. So for one brief Sunday, I pay tribute to all the Pedal Pushers, Fixie Fanatics, and Trolley Track Terminators.
In case anyone else has noticed, a large majority of people utilizing the city’s new Indego bike-sharing program seem to to have little or no experience with urban biking. Some also apparently mistake their rented boardwalk cruisers for cars.
[ via NBC Philadelphia ]
For cyclists in Delaware (and elsewhere), “Share The Road” had long been interpreted as a sign primarily directed at motorists. Cyclists thought it meant something like “Motorists: be cool.” But for many motorists, “Share The Road” is often interpreted as a sign primarily directed at cyclists and meant something more like “Bicyclists: don’t slow me down.” But we finally realized (after years of pointless yelling back and forth between cyclists and motorists, both yelling “Share The Road” at each other!), that “Share The Road” not only doesn’t help, it actually contributes to conflict and confusion.
[ via bikede.org ]
To helmet or not to helmet? You can decide for yourself, but all I will say is WEAR A HELMET. I have never heard an argument against head protection that isn’t a veiled whine of, “But helmets make me look like a nerddddd!!!!!”
[ via bikehelmetblog.com ]
ANNIHILATE ALL TROLLEY TRACKS
[ via planphilly.com ]
Philly Naked Bike Ride makes one lame wedding somehow much lamer:
[ via Philadelphia Magazine ]
