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Unbridled Hostility



 
 
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  #1  
Old July 26th 03, 03:30 AM
one of the six billion
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Default Unbridled Hostility

Blessings to you and your strength. Blessings to cyclists everywhere that
face those same selfish claims to the road replete with hostility and life
threatening behavior on almost every ride. Blessings to all those people
who don't cycle because of their experience with that mentality. Most of
all blessings to those all over the world who have the "I me mine get out
of my way" mentality so prevalent these days.


"Claire Petersky" wrote in message
m...
Dear friends,

I'm going to lay it all out here -- skip the next few paragraphs if
you don't want all the background information, and realize this is
going to be a long post.

Recently I attended a barbecue and picnic that our city hosted to
float out its proposed improvements to West Lake Sammamish Parkway
(aka, the lake road)(http://www.ci.bellevue.wa.us/press.asp?view=20904).
The lake road is a relatively flat road that connects the end of the
Sammamish River Trail, a popular multi-use trail, with the I-90 Trail,
another multi-use trail that is primarily used by cyclists and is one
of the primary bike commuter corridors of the region. The lake road is
shady, has lots of trees, and peak-a-boo views of Lake Sammamish and
the Cascade mountains.

When I was a kid, Lake Sammamish was a location for little summer
cabins. Now, there are multi-million dollar chateaux on the lake.
Lakeside slopes on the other side of the Parkway, originally thought
too steep to build on, now have fancy homes with views of the lake.

The existing roadway was installed about 50 years ago. Since this
time, the road bed has been patched here and there. About 20 or 25
years ago, a bike lane was added on the west side of the street, and
the idea has been ever since that this lane was to accommodate bike
traffic going both north and south. The east side of the roadway is a
mess for cyclists -- deterioriating and patched concrete; uneven and
cracked pavement, especially near the fog line; illegally parked cars,
boats, and trailers on the public right-of-way; shoulders that
suddenly disappear with no warning; a roadway that crumbles at the fog
line at times, with an immediate gutter and grass (and therefore no
bail-out room).

Traffic volumes on the road have skyrocketed over the years, as the
road helps connect suburban homes with the Microsoft Corporate Campus.
Speeding is endemic. If you are headed north and choose the road over
wrong-way cycling on the bike lane, you will have people passing you
on a narrow roadway at 40+ mph. The high motor traffic volumes and
speeds are potentially deadly to pedestrians. One of my child's
classmates, an 8 year old boy named Billy, was struck by an SUV this
last school year while attempting to cross the road to catch a school
bus. He survived, but still struggles with brain injury-related
disabilities.

The north end of the lake road runs through the City of Redmond, and I
assisted in the successful political effort to repave the roadway, and
create a pedestrian and bicycle facility on the east side of the road.
These improvements will stop dead now at the City line.

From my perspective, West Lake Sammamish improvements are a
no-brainer. Right now it looks like the side road to Bubba's Moonshine
Shack, not a proud boulevard running by multi-million dollar homes. Of
course the roadway needs to be resurfaced. Of course we need a safer
environment for cyclists and pedestrians. More traffic means more we
need to improve the road, not keep it in a deteriorated condition,
hoping that all those cars, bikes, and pedestrians will just go away.

The bbq was not widely publicized -- it was mainly aimed at people who
live along the Lake Road, as opposed to spandex-clad activists. I
found out about it surreptiously. Respecting the City's wishes not to
rile up the residents attending, generally I did not reveal myself to
be the chair of the city's Bike-Ped Advisory Group. Instead, I came up
to people and said things like, "Oh -- do you live on the lake road?
What are your concerns?"

I was stunned by the unbridled hostility from the lake side residents.
They hate bicycles. Cyclists don't care about property values.
Cyclists don't have to ride bikes. They certainly could choose to ride
somewhere else. Who cares about safety. Safety is not important. No
children are ever going to want to walk on West Lake Sammamish anyway.
(Since Billy was struck, that might be true -- how many parents are
going to have their child catch the school bus on that road these
days? Hm? They're going to drive that kid in the SUV to school
instead, doncha think?) Repaving the road will just encourage more
speeders. Adding a shoulder or bike lane will just encourage more
speeders. We will hire lawyers. We will fight these improvements tooth
and nail, and we have the money to be able to do that. The City had
better watch out.

In sum: we hate bicyclists. We hate pedestrians. We hate anyone using
the road for any other purpose other than to drive to their lakeside
or lake view home. And the operative word here is *hate* -- the level
of emotional venom was bracing.

After the bbq, I felt I needed a decontamination room from absorbing
so much bad feeling. And this without saying, "hi, I'm a cyclist who
was an activist regarding the Redmond effort", or "I chair the city's
bicycle/pedestrian advisory group". This was without stirring up their
hornets' nest of hostility. When people voiced their feelings, I did
not do any defense of the proposed improvements, the needs of
non-motorized transportation, etc. I just listened.

The day and lord knows, the hour will come, when I will not be just
sitting there politely listening. I will be actively organizing,
testifying, writing, facilitating. There may have been only a few
bicycling and pedestrian activists at the bbq, and we kept our profile
pretty low. There will be scores of them at other fora, just like we
had in Redmond, and we will speak out.

The prospect of this level of negative emotional energy that I am
going to provoke is scary for me. I will need to draw on my meditation
training to keep myself logical, focused, and at the same time,
compassionate and open-hearted.

Pray for me, friends, pray for me.

Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky )
Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm
Singing with you at: http://www.tiferet.net/
Books just wanna be FREE! See what I mean at:
http://bookcrossing.com/friend/Cpetersky



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  #2  
Old July 26th 03, 04:59 AM
Eric S. Sande
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Default Unbridled Hostility

I'm going to lay it all out here --

snip

OK, how was the food?

--

_______________________ALL AMIGA IN MY MIND_______________________
------------------"Buddy Holly, the Texas Elvis"------------------
in.edu__________
  #3  
Old July 26th 03, 06:26 AM
Tom Keats
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Default Unbridled Hostility

In article ,
(Claire Petersky) writes:

Adding a shoulder or bike lane will just encourage more
speeders. We will hire lawyers. We will fight these improvements tooth
and nail, and we have the money to be able to do that. The City had
better watch out.


If they can afford lawyers for all that, they surely could afford
to put up for some traffic calming measures, which can be quite
decorative (double-duty as planters, etc). Such beautifications
can actually enhance property values. Better than a shabby,
decrepit old road, anyways.

In sum: we hate bicyclists. We hate pedestrians. We hate anyone using
the road for any other purpose other than to drive to their lakeside
or lake view home. And the operative word here is *hate* -- the level
of emotional venom was bracing.


Sounds like the old gated community/seige mentality thing, and
hate springing from fear of the "different" people (viz: cyclists
and pedestrians).

The City of Vancouver has addressed such fears as increased speeds,
increased crime and decreased property values along our bike routes,
with an online FAQ for residents along such bike routes. Here's
an excerpt:

(
http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/engs...residents.htm_
---
"4.How will a bicycle route affect my street or neighbourhood? Will
crime increase? Will property values decrease?

You likely will not notice much change on your street. For example, we have
observed over 60 cyclists per hour during rush hour on many existing routes
in Vancouver. In comparison, a typical local street may have 100 automobiles
during that same time. Traffic calming measures (such as medians, diverters
and traffic circles) are proposed to reduce non-local car traffic on the
bikeway and are often viewed by residents as positive additions to a
neighbourhood.

Previous studies indicate that property values and crime rates are not
affected by bike routes. Cyclists on bike routes, like commuters in cars,
are generally headed to a specific destination and are not interested in
lingering in neighbourhoods. Unlike automobile commuters, cyclists travel
at slower speeds and may provide an 'eyes on the street' presence in the
neighbourhood."
---

So, maybe these Lake Road residents can be sold on the idea of the
road improvements, with a little, gentle, marketing approach.
Gotta be gentle with scaredy-cats.


cheers,
Tom

--
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  #4  
Old July 26th 03, 09:51 AM
Steve McDonald
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Default Unbridled Hostility


The resistance of the mansion-dwellers to bikes near their homes
is due to simple, primitive thinking. They feel that if people on lowly,
cheap vehicles can pass nearby, then their most substantial display of
conspicuous consumption will be degraded. In their minds, their million
dollar plus houses are there to put them at a status level untouchable
by common folk. They're mostly Nouveau Riche-----lots of newly-acquired
money and few of the redeeming qualities of the better types of
humanity.

Don't bother confronting or trying to reason with them, but find
ways to ignore or bypass them. They contribute little to bettering
society outside of their own elitist interests. Figure out how to avoid
pulling their chains too hard and you won't likely hear much from them.

However, if the current bill in Congress to abolish bikepath
funding and rail-conversions passes into law, this type of fat-cat will
score a big one over us and much of what I've said will be moot. There
must be a few hardcore right-wingers out there who are also serious
bicyclists. Can you imagine how confused and frustrated their thinking
processes must be these days?

Steve McDonald

  #5  
Old July 26th 03, 10:55 AM
Dennis P. Harris
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Default Unbridled Hostility

On 2003-07-25 at 17:23:04 PST Claire Petersky
) wrote:

The prospect of this level of negative emotional energy that I am
going to provoke is scary for me.


the answer is easy: seek strength in numbers. organize NOW to
turn out riders from all over the seattle area at the hearing(s).
get the cascade bike clubs advocacy folks working with you to
turn out as many riders as possible.

recruit other cyclists who ride the route to carry flyers with
them and hand them out to all the other cyclists.

finally, do some advance legwork to find out how the city council
and county council members involved stand on the issue. if
necessary, find cyclists close to them (in business, as
acquaintances, or politically) to speak to them personally.

if you can determine the undecided council members, make sure
they get a LOT of mail on the topic (in my past organizing
efforts around community planning issues, i've found that
check-the-box pre-addressed postcards work VERY well, and they
are easy to hand out).

now that you've heard all the bogus arguments, prepare logical
statements to counter the emotional arguments. talk about
fairness. talk about the fact that there's no way to eliminate
the road, so it should be fixed to be safe.


  #6  
Old July 26th 03, 02:49 PM
Jym Dyer
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Default Unbridled Hostility

In sum: we hate bicyclists. We hate pedestrians. We hate
anyone using the road for any other purpose other than to
drive to their lakeside or lake view home.


=v= The word "impede" derives from putting shackles on feet.
Similarly, the word "expedite" derives from freeing the feet.
Those driving that road are shackled to their polluting beasts
and all that entails, and are insane with rage over those who
are free.
_Jym_
  #7  
Old July 26th 03, 03:02 PM
Trudi Marrapodi
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Default Unbridled Hostility

I think what Claire has run into is your typical people who think, now
that they're wealthy (or maybe because they've always been wealthy), they
can throw money at anything they personally don't like, for whatever
reason, and make it go away.

Sounds like the spoiled brats need to learn a lesson.
--
Trudi
"And, with that cryptic comment, I'm going to bed."
--Mike, Mystery Science Theater 3000
____
Say NO to secret judging and corruption in skating --
support SkateFAIR!
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  #8  
Old July 26th 03, 03:11 PM
Claire Petersky
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Default Unbridled Hostility

"Eric S. Sande" wrote in message ...
I'm going to lay it all out here --


snip

OK, how was the food?


Grilled weinies, buns, condiments and the usual collection of what our
family terms "hot dog vegetables" (sauerkraut, relish, pickles,
onions); chips; sodas and water. I think watermelon would have been a
nice touch, would have complemented the summertime feel of the event,
would not have significantly added to the expense, and would have
balanced out the junk food on offer. But this is the City paying for
all this free food (and for people who could well afford to pay for
it), so you can't demand too much.

I noticed it was the few cyclists there who were trying to get more
than their allotted share of one weinie.

Warm Regards,


Claire Petersky )
Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm
Singing with you at: http://www.tiferet.net/
Books just wanna be FREE! See what I mean at:
http://bookcrossing.com/friend/Cpetersky
  #9  
Old July 26th 03, 03:50 PM
Corvus Corvax
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Default Unbridled Hostility

(Claire Petersky) wrote

In sum: we hate bicyclists. We hate pedestrians. We hate anyone using
the road for any other purpose other than to drive to their lakeside
or lake view home. And the operative word here is *hate* -- the level
of emotional venom was bracing.


Ah, the sound of cognitive dissonance.

If those people you were talking to were thinking at all clearly, they
would realize that bicycles are not the cause of the anger and
frustration that is boiling up here. But to face the real cause would
require them to question their own choices. This only serves to
increase the venom leveled at the chosen scapegoat. The hostility
toward cyclists and peds, the SUV craze, the gated community thing,
all of these are signs of an embattled, terrified society. The more
frightened they become, the more irrational and hostile their denial
becomes. Look at that nitwit from California on the "Share the Road"
thread who's convinced that cycling will cause billions of dollars in
economic damage. Or suburban homeowners who band together to angrily
protest when the city wants to install sidewalks on their streets.

It's an unfortunate fact, but every time you throw your leg over a
bicycle it's a political act. Simply by being there, you challenge the
structure of illusion by which such people justify their entire
lives. It's a measure of how ****ed up our culture is that simply
riding a bicycle is a subversive act.

The day and lord knows, the hour will come, when I will not be just
sitting there politely listening. I will be actively organizing,
testifying, writing, facilitating.


Give 'em hell.

CC
  #10  
Old July 26th 03, 03:53 PM
Claire Petersky
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Posts: n/a
Default Unbridled Hostility

(Dennis P. Harris) wrote in message . ..
On 2003-07-25 at 17:23:04 PST Claire Petersky
) wrote:

The prospect of this level of negative emotional energy that I am
going to provoke is scary for me.


the answer is easy: seek strength in numbers.


Actually, we have strength in numbers. We got 500+ people to join
Friends of Lake Sammamish (
http://www.lakesammfriends.org/) as a part
of the Redmond effort. We had dozens of people for every Redmond City
Council meeting ready to testify. The Redmond City Council requested
us to please, please, please *stop* all the damn letters and emails
because they were being snowed under by all the people (primarily
bicyclists, some pedestrians) contacting them in support of the
project.

One of the things that was very helpful was having *local* residents
speak on the behalf of the project. As a Bellevue resident, I mostly
kept my mouth shut publicly, and having a Seattle person speak would
have been at best neutral.

One thing that will help is that out of my forty-ahem years of life,
all but ten of them have been spent as a Bellevue resident. You know
about the popsicle index? It's a measure of the quality of life for a
community, and it works like this: it's the percentage of people who
would feel comfortable sending their kid to the local convenience
store to buy a popsicle. When I was a kid, my best friend lived on the
lake (when normal people could afford to live on the lake), and we'd
walk from her house to the Little Store to buy popsicles. I can tell
that story, and ask, what's the popsicle index for that road today?
Outside agitators, especially spandex clad and from Seattle, are
highly, highly suspicious. If you say you are a local resident, when
you come in with your kids, when you talk about safety for your
children, not just yourself -- these are winners.

What would be great would be to find a lakeside resident willing to
speak on the behalf of the project, but peer pressure is very great.
On the Redmond project we had lakeside residents tell us privately
that they supported the City's improvements, but didn't dare say
anything because they have to live next door to all these people for
the rest of their lives, and don't want to stick their necks out.

I am fairly confident about having the numbers, but that doesn't mean
that I won't be a target for all this hostility. In fact, the more
numbers, the more we'll of course rile them all up.

These improvements were floated about 8 or 10 years ago, and there was
a huge firestorm, and the whole thing was abandoned. The city planner
associated with the project quit. The advocates on our bike-ped group
who lived through it back then all say they want nothing to do with it
this time.

finally, do some advance legwork to find out how the city council
and county council members involved stand on the issue. if
necessary, find cyclists close to them (in business, as
acquaintances, or politically) to speak to them personally.


The mayor does a little recreational riding herself, which is more
than you could usually hope for.

now that you've heard all the bogus arguments, prepare logical
statements to counter the emotional arguments. talk about
fairness. talk about the fact that there's no way to eliminate
the road, so it should be fixed to be safe.


They wouldn't want to *eliminate* the road, just put gates on either
end of it, and keep the non-residents out.

As for the arguments, they're pretty clear: enhance property values,
increase safety for everyone (bicycles and peds, sure, but also
motorists too), support cycling to *reduce* the numbers of cars that
are commuting (the residents on the road consider car commuters to be
close to agents of the Dark Lord).

Yes, we don't have to ride our bikes past their homes. If rb*'s own
Dane didn't ride his bike past their houses on his way to work, he
might be driving his car. If I didn't take my kids on our tandem on
the bike lane on that road on the weekend, maybe I'd be driving past
their house, driving ourselves to a different location to ride bikes.
Who makes a smaller impact -- more cars or our bikes?

The argument I don't have is that widening the roadway for the bike
lane will steepen already very steep driveways. Basically, people have
built homes on slopes that are nearly clifflike. If you make a larger
flat area where the road is, some people's driveways will get even
steeper. It's physically the only way it can work. Already,
firefighters can't get their trucks up and down these driveways. They
have to connect hoses from the road to be able to reach the homes,
either up from the road or down from the road. They can connect hoses
very fast -- that's their job -- but considering how long these
driveways are, it may not be fast enough. One family's fancy house
burnt to the ground because the driveway was too steep for the fire
trucks.

My gut feeling is, it's your own damn fault for buying a house on a
slope that shouldn't have been built on in the first place. Erosion
and its results have damaged the ecology of the whole area. Your
trade-off for your great view may be an increased risk of having the
thing burn to a cinder -- live with it. But I can't say that, now can
I? After all, the counter is: you enjoy riding your bike, you have the
increased risk of being whacked by cars -- live with it.

Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky )
Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm
Singing with you at: http://www.tiferet.net/
Books just wanna be FREE! See what I mean at:
http://bookcrossing.com/friend/Cpetersky
 




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