The other day, Emily Kaiser of the Minneapolis City Pages blog forwarded an article she wrote as a response to an Anti-Strib blog article that infers that more bike commuters may mean a victory for Sen. John McCain’s campaign. Why, you might ask? Because more bike commuters on the streets mean more injuries and deaths, reducing the number of hardcore cyclists and potential Democratic voters who back Obama. Yeah, they’re serious. Oh, and they take a vicious stab at low-income cyclists, too. Classy folks over there…
(screenshot of the City Pages blog article, courtesy of City Pages)
Read the rest of Emily’s entry by clicking over to the City Pages blog, and from there follow the links to the original Anti-Strib article. Emily summed things up beautifully by stating:
We know blogging often hits pretty low, but this is really disheartening. In a week when many people across the Twin Cities are mourning the deaths of loved ones due to bike accidents, this isn’t the best time to turn their grief into a tirade against Democrats.
One ironic fact that really sticks out for me is that there are a number of studies that suggest the more bicyclists there are on the roads, the SAFER we’ll all be…safety in numbers, motorists more familiar with how to react when confronted with slower-moving two-wheeled vehicles, etc. But, as you may have realized, many conservatives rarely have time or patience for science.
What do you think about this?
Popularity: 7% [?]
The Anti-Strib article talks about the law of averages…that means more motorists will perish because fatality is more for motorists than bicyclists. Such apathy.
People don’t grasp the concept of safety in numbers and they keep promoting helmets and the three foot law. Even cyclists.
umm… I am a conservative, environmentalist, and commute on a bike. Where do I fit in this picture. I find articles like this to be rather amusing. Not in the sense the author was trying, but in the sense that it shows just how stupid some people can be when they try to stereotype people.
I know this is election year but come on give me a break.
Yeah, I’m with that ^^^ guy.
Just your typical shrill, over-the-top drivel that will come from both sides until after the election. It’s just this writer’s attempt to ruffle feathers and garner links from other sites.
Tim, probably…but I still don’t find the humor in it, if it was meant to be humorous. It’s certainly inciteful and has an underlying flavor of contempt for bicyclists that I certainly don’t appreciate.
I don’t get why the blogger would label all bike commuters like that. I am a commuter, but support McCain, so if i get nailed by a car doesn’t that lose support for McCain? Don’t get why people feel the need to wish harm on others.
I knew my bike leaned left, but I just thought that was due to it’s steep head angle.
Badoom Tishhhh!
“Iron Man will be here ’til Friday…try the veal!”
Clicking to the web page, resonding with comments, or posting info about the site will only encourage these guys. Ignore them and let them stew in their own stink.
OK, let me get this straight. This blog post is complaining about a blog post that unfairly stereotypes cyclists…and then it ends by unfairly stereotyping people.
Jack, I was totally with you until you put that little jab in at the end.
Cycling has nothing to do with politics. Anyone can ride a bike. Stuff like this (including Jack’s little comment) only discourages people from riding their bikes. Keep politics out of it. You don’t need to be a democrat (or a republican, or anything else) to be interested in your health.
You’ll note that I used the word “many”…not “most” or “all”. My comment was based purely on my own life experiences (15 professional years in the marine science and public health fields), that’s all — “many” captures my experiences without over-generalization or stereotyping.
As a cyclist who has moved from the midwest to Boston, I can vouch for the safety in numbers idea. Both the drivers and cyclists here are a bit crazier on average, but at least we expect one another to be there.
It begins in grade school, maybe even earlier. People want to label you and put you in a box so they can quickly and easily make sweeping judgments about you. Me, I try to live outside the box. : )
OK, as a fella (yes I used fella for effect) who leans quite a bit to the right, I have A LOT OF ISSUES with both of these F**K UPs!! Just what does cycling have to do with politics. I enjoy my ride, but anyone trying to put me in a demographic will be quite a bit off the mark. I think that we should all jump over to BsNY and send the green tire with black lettering to both of these bloggers.