Living Car Free - Carfree Pride

Today is Gay Pride Day here in Lansing. Well I am proud to be gay, but more to the point, all who are carfree have much to be proud about.

We carfree folk work a little harder, and in return we have a little more fun. We care about our planet and we care about our own neighborhoods. We also care enough about our own bodies to get off our butts and exercise. We can be proud that we're smart enough to have discovered a great tactic for making our paychecks go farther. And we're pioneers, we're pointing a new direction for our fellow citizens to take. Most of all, we can be proud of our self-reliant natures--something which used to be considered a part of American personality.

gotta go--I'm riding my bike in the parade, if they'll let me.

Damn, that's one HIGH horse. Hope you don't fall off.

lauren,
Deep breath. Let the man revel in that which is great.

Word,
Dave

Dayton had thier Gay Pride parade downtown the first Sat. of this month. I watched it from the bus. The city rerouted the busses to make room for the parade but the bus I was on was an electric trolley with those overhead wires so those couldn't be rerouted and we just had to sit there until the parade was over.

Interestingly enough although there was some grousing by some other passengers for having to wait, I did not hear one single negative comment about the parade itself or about gays. I think a "Carfree Pride Parade" may have been more shocking to them!

You are right, Roody. Carfree is something to be proud about. Now if we can get more gays (and straights!) to get out of thier gas guzzling SUV's, Beemers ...(We need to get Will of "Will and Grace" out of his gas guzzling Range Rover!).

...discovered a great tactic for making our paychecks go farther. And we're pioneers, we're pointing a new direction for our fellow citizens to take...

Good for you Roody.

I'm pretty darn excited about being able to bike to work and around town to run errands to stretch my earned dollar this way and conserve resources (and burn some calories!).

I'm delighted to tell folks who ask (cuz I don't push it on anyone) about my adventures in communting and if I'm really really lucky, can inspire others who may be inclined... and I have... people have told me that I have inspired them to commute to work as often as possible... that makes me feel pretty good... not in a snotty way, but in an excited to get someone else perhaps thinking about things in a bigger picture sort of way

I hope you got to ride in the parade :)

Today is Gay Pride Day here in Lansing. Well I am proud to be gay, but more to the point, all who are carfree have much to be proud about.

We carfree folk work a little harder, and in return we have a little more fun. We care about our planet and we care about our own neighborhoods. We also care enough about our own bodies to get off our butts and exercise. We can be proud that we're smart enough to have discovered a great tactic for making our paychecks go farther. And we're pioneers, we're pointing a new direction for our fellow citizens to take. Most of all, we can be proud of our self-reliant natures--something which used to be considered a part of American personality.

gotta go--I'm riding my bike in the parade, if they'll let me.

http://www.omba.org/forum/images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif

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On second thought, do your thing and enjoy! Shake dat booty with pride!

http://www.omba.org/forum/images/smiles/bootyshake.gif

Don't forget your spandex and safety helmet.

We carfree folk work a little harder, and in return we have a little more fun.

I don't know if we work harder, but we definately work smarter!

I rode in the parade--wearing pink spandex bike kit with a rhinestone helmets and a big sign that said "I Ride With Pride" on one side and "I Love Stanley" on the other side.

:D I did get to ride (with pride)--but I just wore baggy green shorts and a light blue wicking Tee. A few people took my picture though! It was fun, but I couldn't stay long because I had to go to work.

I rode in the parade--wearing pink spandex bike kit with a rhinestone helmets and a big sign that said "I Ride With Pride" on one side and "I Love Stanley" on the other side.

:D I did get to ride (with pride)--but I just wore baggy green shorts and a light blue wicking Tee. A few people took my picture though! It was fun, but I couldn't stay long because I had to go to work.
http://deephousepage.com/smilies/yawn.gif http://deephousepage.com/smilies/yawn.gif http://deephousepage.com/smilies/yawn.gif http://deephousepage.com/smilies/yawn.gif http://deephousepage.com/smilies/yawn.gifhttp://deephousepage.com/smilies/yawn.gif

http://deephousepage.com/smilies/yawn.gif http://deephousepage.com/smilies/yawn.gif http://deephousepage.com/smilies/yawn.gif http://deephousepage.com/smilies/yawn.gif http://deephousepage.com/smilies/yawn.gifhttp://deephousepage.com/smilies/yawn.gif

Hey, knock it off. One of the things I like about this forum is that it's generally pretty positive, and #%%^ like that is not very helpful. You go, Roody!

Today is Gay Pride Day here in Lansing. Well I am proud to be gay, but more to the point, all who are carfree have much to be proud about.

Hope you enjoyed it... looks like there will be no Pride Festival in Ottawa this year :mad: . At best we'll have an informal march.

Are you saying that anyone riding a bike is a kind of a pervert?

No. I think you're being overly sensitive for no reason.

Calm down.

Koffee Brown

Moderator

Thanks for intervening early Koffee, I guess that this thread would be ripe for disruption. :)

I don't even understand what ILTB means with those ?singing? ?yawning? faces.

Anyway, I'm proud to be carfree, though I don't go around bragging about it. I'd like to set a silent example for people but if they decide to follow it, or find it valuable, that is up to them.

I've never tried to ride in a parade of any kind. How fast was the parade? Did you have to keep putting your foot down?

Are you saying that anyone riding a bike is a kind of a pervert?
We do talk about underwear, pain and discomfort in some areas, trying to impress chics, and there have been ass pictures on the forum :eek:

Thanks for intervening early Koffee, I guess that this thread would be ripe for disruption. :)

I don't even understand what ILTB means with those ?singing? ?yawning? faces.
For clarification, take a look at Roody's recent posts on this forum in response to others discussing a subject that he feels no PC cyclist interested in the subject of living car free dare discuss without his blessing.

BTW the icons are big dang big yawns, appropriate to the Roodster's gratuitous declarations of OT pride on this forum.

BTW the icons are big dang big yawns, appropriate to the Roodster's gratuitous declarations of OT pride on this forum.

I still cannot figure out why you think Roody's threads (the Forum threads not the baggy shorts) are offtopic. Suggesting that people take pride in being carfree and discussing it in the context another group demonstrating pride in their existence seems on-topic to me.

I thought we had a car-free pride day too, but I remembered that it was two separate events that I attended last year. Both had the same exact venue. Gay pride and then the Earth day thing where car-free/car-lite people had a sort of a parade.

Pride is a month after the major ones here. I don't know why they do that.

all who are carfree have much to be proud about.


Agreed.

I still cannot figure out why you think Roody's threads (the Forum threads not the baggy shorts) are offtopic. Suggesting that people take pride in being carfree and discussing it in the context another group demonstrating pride in their existence seems on-topic to me.
Car free pride is one thing, Roody's pride in his sexual preference for men is another; no one asked, so a big fat yawn goes for his telling everybody on the BF, again, his personal beeswax. Yawns are especially appropriate for the Roodster who has no tolerance for topics that don't meet his standards/preferences for discussion.

BTW the icons are big dang big yawns, appropriate to the Roodster's gratuitous declarations of OT pride on this forum.

? You should post this in the pride-free forum.

I rode in the parade--wearing pink spandex bike kit with a rhinestone helmets and a big sign that said "I Ride With Pride" on one side and "I Love Stanley" on the other side.

:D I did get to ride (with pride)--but I just wore baggy green shorts and a light blue wicking Tee. A few people took my picture though! It was fun, but I couldn't stay long because I had to go to work.

Next year bring the digital camera ! :)

Car free pride is one thing, Roody's pride in his sexual preference for men is another; no one asked, so a big fat yawn goes for his telling everybody on the BF, again, his personal beeswax. Yawns are especially appropriate for the Roodster who has no tolerance for topics that don't meet his standards/preferences for discussion.


You should be yawning all over the "How to get Girls" thread. It's all about sex. And if you are going to be holding other people to that standard, don't go mentioning your wife or children or any of that beeswax.

Anyway, Roody is a thoughtful poster as far as I'm concerned.

I still want to know how fast parades go. Do you have to swerve back and forth to stay up or is it fast enough to just ride slowly?

? You should post this in the pride-free forum.

LOL

You should be yawning all over the "How to get Girls" thread. It's all about sex. And if you are going to be holding other people to that standard, don't go mentioning your wife or children or any of that beeswax.
1. Probably would if those posters made a big dang obnoxious show of posting their displeasure like Roody with big fat remarks of "YAWN" on discussions of subjects that don't meet his personal standards of suitability.

2. Haven't you noticed that discussion of wife, children and/or caring for the welfare of dependents is seldom an item of concern to the proselytizers of the car-free life on this forum?

gotta go--I'm riding my bike in the parade, if they'll let me.

Don't forget your helmet Roody. I think it's good to ride in the parade. Some of the best PR possible.

I got out Bicycle Advocacy Group to ride in last winter's Holiday parade, and everyone had fun. It also sent a strong positive message about bicycling and the desirability of bicycling. Other cyclists should explore it. Don't be surprised when they can't figure out whether your group should be classified as a motor vehicle or a marching band.

Take back the Parades!

Thanks for the remarks everybody. :) I tried to post yesterday but the server was acting up. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned the Pride Parade. I didn't mean to bore anybody. It's just that the general theme of "pride" made me think about being carfree and proud. If this kind of righteous pride in a job well done is alien to some of you, I guess I can't explain it. But I think most people know what I'm talking about.

So I'll say it again, If you're carfree, you should be proud of it. And if you're struggling to be less car dependent, you should be proud of that. If you just don't give a damn about what cars are doing to our planet and our human society, then I don't think you should be proud at all.

Riding in the parade, to answer Loooty's question, was pretty easy. I just put in my lowest gear and rode at the same speed as the crowd. There were a few other bikes there too. It was nice having the bike as a little seat during the rally on the capitol steps.

My new idea is for a carfree parade. I'd love to see thousands of bikes plus pedicabs, horses, mobile sculptures, dogcarts, and any other type of human powered vehicles, all parading down the main street of every city. What fun that would be!!

My new idea is for a carfree parade. I'd love to see thousands of bikes plus pedicabs, horses, mobile sculptures, dogcarts, and any other type of human powered vehicles, all parading down the main street of every city. What fun that would be!!

I'll try and get some photos of the thousands of bikes that are used to get to the 4th of july parade this year. It's amazing. It takes 3-4 hours by car. I would have to leave at 6:00 am. to get a spot.
On the bike it takes about one hour and I can start late about 10:00 am and get close. It drives the bike shops nuts, everyone brings the bikes that have been in the cellar all year to the shops on july 2nd or 3rd for a tune up. It's not car free but it is a sight to see. Bikes with Red White and Blue crepe paper ribbons in the spokes. Riders in all sorts of costumes etc. Flags on bikes etc. Sometimes I take my 1952 Schwinn with the five little flags (from the 1950's) on the front. The bike is already red and white.

I WILL take photos. :)

Pride goes before the fall (or something like that). I agree we should all act in ways that we feel are correct. It's the constant denigration of those who don't agree with you that puts people off. We all have faults and we all make mistakes. When the source of your pride is derived by comparing facets of your life with other people who practice less desirable habits in those particular areas, you aren't winning any hearts or minds. Evangelicals, whether they are preaching Environmentalism (you're angering mother earth and she's going to warm you to death!) or Christianity (your life style is angering God and fire will rain down upon all of our heads!), aren't very effective. If your goal is to delude yourself into thinking you're perfect, and to simultaneously be dismissed as an ass and a hypocrite by those who you compare yourself favorably to, then this is the sort of pride that gets the job done.

If you are happy being carfree and gay, then good. If you derive pleasure out of volunteering and attending church 3 times a week, fine with me. You should be happy with your choices, but you shouldn't assume that those choices work for everyone and that your choices make you better than someone else.

To me, pride isn't about being better than somebody else. It's mainly about being better than I myself used to be.

As far as being a rider, I'm proud that I can ride twice as fast and 100 times as far as I could four years ago. And in the case of being gay, it's pride in being associated with the many brave brothers and sisters who came out and won what little acceptance and protection we LGBT people now have. In the case of being an environmentalist, I'm proud that many of us do not take the easy way out, we mindfully consider how our actions affect our neighbors and our planet, and we remain open-minded enough to try "new" behaviors--such as riding a bike instead of driving a car.

I don't apologize for my pride, but I do apologize if I expressed it in a way that made anybody feel that I was putting them down. Jimmuter in particular, I'm sorry. Again, I did try to make it clear in my OP and a subsequent post that I was not writing about my "gayness," I was writing about my sense of pride in being carfree and riding a bike, but clearly I failed with a few people.

There is nothing wrong with being gay. On the other hand, being a close minded fool.........

Wife/children natural, gay is a defect. The species is supposed to propogate itself not be a dead end.

Well, it's pretty well documented that it's a natural occurance. And our species is showing no problems propagating anyway. In fact it may be the problem that leads us to a dead end. (Unless of course we colonize space.)

"Can't we all just get along?"

My new idea is for a carfree parade. I'd love to see thousands of bikes plus pedicabs, horses, mobile sculptures, dogcarts, and any other type of human powered vehicles, all parading down the main street of every city. What fun that would be!!

Last Friday of every month, possibly already happening near you.

http://www.critical-mass.org/

http://critical-mass.info/

The one in my town starts at 5:30. Unfortunately, I work until 6:00. :(

Last Friday of every month, possibly already happening near you.

Possibly, but a parade has people lined up on the sides of the street who WANT to see you. (without arresting you)

Are you joking me? Jeez I thought all the housebound nuts who thought this way didn't stray far from raptureready.com What are you doing on a board full of alternative ideas and free thinkers?

It's been scientifically and psycologically proven being gay is not an abnormality. The factions who disagree don't believe in science, logic, or any sort of reason. The "experts" who disagree have been discredited, or are obviously taking a position for financial, religious, or political gain. (Usually all three combined)

By the way having kids is not always "natural" either. Plenty of families, including mine, choose to be childfree, and focus on educating themselves, giving to their community, and having intelligent conversation with other adults. Many gay couples I know HAVE children, and are raised in better homes than many unfortunate situations my social worker friends tell me about. Gay people, and gay pride, and Roody's post is not going to make your kids gay. The worst they might do is instill them to think for themselves, which is probably even scarier.

By the way my BOYFRIEND/PARTNER and I have been together for six years, own a home, pay bills, have fun, travel, (see my website), and live a life not too different than yours. (With exception to your lack of culture and adaptation to the real world).

Here's a last thought: If gay people are a "defect" than you naturally support sexual behavior therapy. Would you rather me change my sexuality to be straight, marry your daughter, have a family, then years later after struggling and suppression realize I am gay, than have a broken family, with children in the mix? I don't think so, but that story has happened, is happening, and will happen because of attitudes like yours. A "live and let live" policy is MUCH smarter for ME, and for YOU (and your precious kids).

If you truly believe that a lifestyle, (NOT CHOICE), you don't approve of should be "kept to one's self", than you need to pack up and move to a place where the consequences of "pride" would be dealt with appropriately...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_rights_in_Iran
http://ec.gayalliance.org/articles/001387.shtml

Seriously: read some books.


Wife/children natural, gay is a defect. The species is supposed to propogate itself not be a dead end.

Keep your gayness to yourself.

Pride goes before the fall (or something like that). I agree we should all act in ways that we feel are correct. It's the constant denigration of those who don't agree with you that puts people off. We all have faults and we all make mistakes. When the source of your pride is derived by comparing facets of your life with other people who practice less desirable habits in those particular areas, you aren't winning any hearts or minds. Evangelicals, whether they are preaching Environmentalism (you're angering mother earth and she's going to warm you to death!) or Christianity (your life style is angering God and fire will rain down upon all of our heads!), aren't very effective. If your goal is to delude yourself into thinking you're perfect, and to simultaneously be dismissed as an ass and a hypocrite by those who you compare yourself favorably to, then this is the sort of pride that gets the job done.

If you are happy being carfree and gay, then good. If you derive pleasure out of volunteering and attending church 3 times a week, fine with me. You should be happy with your choices, but you shouldn't assume that those choices work for everyone and that your choices make you better than someone else.
The internet's best feature is thoughtful exchange, and creating new communities with shared interests. Trekkies are mystifying, but they have a forum, same for knitting, stamp collectors, etc. This tiny sub-forum is about people without/sorta/wanna quit cars. You virtually live here with gays, blacks, unabomber revisionists, deadbeat dads, famous authors, maybe a mullet, in short- everybody who is interested in the idea listed where you clicked. They are your virtual neighbors, so have a little respect or just pass on the reply.

Can I be the only one to have reported that disgusting World Tour comment to the mods?

Wife/children natural, gay is a defect. The species is supposed to propogate itself not be a dead end.

Keep your gayness to yourself.

Oh no you didnae! bit.ch please, sistah!

Jimuter, people like World Tour more than justifies why we have gay prides. In fact, people like him inspired the first gay prides ;-)

For the record, wife+husband is not natural. Husband+wife+wife+wife+extended family is. Also, reproducing is worthless in evolution if you cannot ensure that your children repoduce themselves. That's where gay people comes in. Since they don't have any kids of thier own, they are free to help in rearing the young of thier immediate family, ensuring better survival rates than those who do not have any help at all.

Nothing is unnatural. Nature doesn't need to justify herself to small-minded humans. Or even to big-minded humans for that matter.

There are gay animals after all... Whats more natural than nature itself? :)

Gay plants exist even :)

And wait... Amoeba's reproduce asexually... some amphibs can change sex :o and so really... everything is pretty much covered in the whole "natural" thing.

Wouldnt really be for a big parade like critical mass, you just get idiots in there, you ride 5 mtrs and stop for an hour, then ride 5 more metres, take the wrong turning, then stop for another half an hour, its like simulating a traffic jam on a bike.

I'd be an advocate for a monthly RACE style thing, like a huge club ride. Planned routes, and organised road closures or similar.

You virtually live here with gays, blacks, unabomber revisionists, deadbeat dads, famous authors, maybe a mullet, in short- everybody who is interested in the idea listed where you clicked.
Do you mean the stereotype of the typical cycling voluntary car free lifestyle proselytizer is true?

Do you mean the stereotype of the typical cycling voluntary car free lifestyle proselytizer is true?


Given that you're philosophically opposed to a car-free lifestyle REGARDLESS of politics, why waste your time trolling in here?

Last Friday of every month, possibly already happening near you.

http://www.critical-mass.org/

http://critical-mass.info/

The one in my town starts at 5:30. Unfortunately, I work until 6:00. :(

I can almost guarantee that if it is scheduled for 5:30, it won't start at 5:30. lol

To me, pride isn't about being better than somebody else. It's mainly about being better than I myself used to be.

As far as being a rider, I'm proud that I can ride twice as fast and 100 times as far as I could four years ago. And in the case of being gay, it's pride in being associated with the many brave brothers and sisters who came out and won what little acceptance and protection we LGBT people now have. In the case of being an environmentalist, I'm proud that many of us do not take the easy way out, we mindfully consider how our actions affect our neighbors and our planet, and we remain open-minded enough to try "new" behaviors--such as riding a bike instead of driving a car.

I don't apologize for my pride, but I do apologize if I expressed it in a way that made anybody feel that I was putting them down. Jimmuter in particular, I'm sorry. Again, I did try to make it clear in my OP and a subsequent post that I was not writing about my "gayness," I was writing about my sense of pride in being carfree and riding a bike, but clearly I failed with a few people.

Pride in being car free, pride in being gay, and a celebration that actually has the word "Pride" in the title. It's about pride, it fits the subject. Plus you rode a bicycle in the parade. It's about a bicycle in a parade too. Roody is a cyclist that rode in a parade, that's great! That's worth mentioning in a Bicycle Forum !!!!!

You should be yawning all over the "How to get Girls" thread. It's all about sex. And if you are going to be holding other people to that standard, don't go mentioning your wife or children or any of that beeswax.

Anyway, Roody is a thoughtful poster as far as I'm concerned.

I still want to know how fast parades go. Do you have to swerve back and forth to stay up or is it fast enough to just ride slowly?


Exactly. Heterosexual chauvinism is so annoying!

and another piece of the puzzle falls into place...

Given that you're philosophically opposed to a car-free lifestyle REGARDLESS of politics, why waste your time trolling in here?
My crystal ball is not on the same wavelength as yours and doesn't convert philosophical conjuring into answers. Is that a yes or is it a no? Is the stereotype accurate?

I guess I'm more naive than I realized. I really didn't think that this thread would attract this kind of attention. I thought i was making a point about being carfree and cycling, not about sexual politics. Oh well.

I am very grateful to those kind souls who confronted the few bigots that write on this board. I don't believe in stereotypes, but I do believe that the vast majority of carfree folk are compassionate and progressive, regardless of their political or religious beliefs.


THANK YOU, WONDERFUL PEOPLE!!

I don't believe in stereotypes...
That's good to know. I'll keep it in mind next time you pontificate about the activities and habits of "cagers," or owners of SUVs, or people who live in larger homes than your own.

Since World Tour was kind enough to bring up my defective genetics, allow me to question World Tour on your plan should you have a gay child?

Unfortunately WITHIN the gay community it's NOT all rainbows and acceptance. Older gay people DO take advantage younger gay people. Most don't. But drug use, self destructive behavior, and suicide rates are higher in gay teens and in their 20s.

But before thinking, "Well huzzah I'm correct about the gay image", question what causes those higher stats? Could it be the byproduct of social ostracisation by family and friends? Being called ****** throughout high school, (while school administrators ignore it because the perpetrators bring recognition to their star football team?)" Could it be the expectation of fulfilling predefined role in life, rather than being supported and educated based on THEIR needs?

The moronic, self absorbed, selfish parents who cut off their gay kids, are embarrassed by them, send them to therapy, and call them "defective", are the parents who's kids end up doing meth and having unsafe sex in the back room of a club at 20 years old. Think about it: If all you've heard through your teens is how f**cked up you are, would you have any incentive to live a healthy and productive life?

The parents who are supportive, and provide them with support and resources are the ones who continue solid and healthy relationships with their kids, (gay or not), when their kids are older and making decisions for themselves. And by the way "supportive and accepting" doesn't mean you have to march in a gay pride parade with leather clad nuns. It simply means recognizing it's THEIR life, not YOURS, and your kids future may depend on whether you choose option A or B (above).

What happens when your child moves to a big city? And moves to a big city without the knowledge and education of those who can HELP them, and equally as important a knowledge of situations to AVOID, or handle with caution and suspicion.

World Tour you may think you're steering your kids, (or strangers in this case), the "right" way, but I guarantee you are not. So what's your response? Do I make any sense at all?





Oh no you didnae! bit.ch please, sistah!

Jimuter, people like World Tour more than justifies why we have gay prides. In fact, people like him inspired the first gay prides ;-)

For the record, wife+husband is not natural. Husband+wife+wife+wife+extended family is. Also, reproducing is worthless in evolution if you cannot ensure that your children repoduce themselves. That's where gay people comes in. Since they don't have any kids of thier own, they are free to help in rearing the young of thier immediate family, ensuring better survival rates than those who do not have any help at all.