Auto crashes kill an airplane full of people every other day. For the last decade, planes have dropped from the sky and the media has stayed silent. At the same time anger has built; driving is the worst part of the day. But moving fast and covered in steel and glass, the anger stayed relatively contained, only carnage reigned.
In Portland today we are moving slower. We are less exposed with only bikes or clothes around us. At more human speeds we are realizing and practicing respect, actually having fun. I personally experience it daily, riding to work and with my family and baby in tow.
Respect is the bottom line that will facilitate the coexistence and optimization as we travel. Unfortunately, I fear that if I opened a time capsule in 30 years, I would say that respect is the one thing it appeared we lacked.
I must clearly say that reading the paper today kills me. It’s predictable. The past few years this annual bikes vs. cars theme has surfaced as headline stories. I rebuke creating this division of society.
The portrayal of a sheer lack of respect and dignity in this community is false. In my 12 years working on transportation issues I can tell you of no other time that people have been so open to change and to humans moving at human speeds.
The BTA is working to create a campaign with a respect theme – Eye to Eye. The campaign will be targeted at all roadway users focusing on motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians. I am sorry that we were not able to launch it before this past week.
Oh yes. I saw that headline (or a pixelated photo and large text taking up the entire top fold of the front page) today at a transit center. It made me want to scream.
I thought of purchasing a paper, and then I realized: to whom is my 50¢ really going? Do I want to fund this madness? No thank you.
Normally, I would stay silent and keep a respectful distance due to my association with the BTA as a wife, but I am also a 16 year urban cycling veteran here in Portland.
The instances of conflict or negative REACTIONS when I am cycling are far fewer than the INTERACTIONS of respect and “eye to eye” communication with other riders, drivers & pedestrians.
I have stayed away from the newspapers & channels who heat up these conflictive situations. I do not support them. They are not fueling the need for more equitability for our road-users. They are self-serving, profit-driven & ultimately the losers because they choose to fuel the negative.
I challenge road users out there to make themselves heard regarding these situations. “Us vs. Them” is intolerable, unjustified and makes us more of a target on the road.
To the young driverette on the phone who crossed the street in front of MY right- of-way left turn yesterday and felt the need to put me in my place, “Baby, my high horse is FUNNER than yours!”
But let’s not fuel the fire…keep the respect, or keep silent. In fact, that might make a good cycling T-shirt…