Paige
08-29-01, 08:42 PM
This was in today's St. Petersburg paper;
http://www.sptimes.com/News/082901/SouthPinellas/Leaving_the_car_and_g.shtml
http://www.sptimes.com/News/082901/SouthPinellas/Leaving_the_car_and_g.shtml
Commuting - Commuter story
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thbirks
08-29-01, 08:48 PM
Nice to see bike commuters getting some press. I always find the word carless annoying though. I prefer carfree but the press always seems to use carless whenever they talk about these wacky people who choose not to own a car. Hopefully the article got some people thinking.
Steele-Bike
08-29-01, 08:57 PM
It is good to see that bike commuting is getting good press. It can only help the general (driving) public understand the cycling lifestyle by reading such articles. It is amazing to find that one can do the things that need to get done without a car. Grocery store, laundramat, library, friends house...one really doesn't need a car for such things.
Today my brother and I were building a cage for his rodents when we realized we didn't have enough chicken wire. A trip to Menards was in order for the purchase. I took one look at my GF's car, and said "let's take the bikes". Menards is 3 miles straight down the highway from my house and it took 15 minutes to get there (busy highway--had to use the gravel shoulder). A total of 45 minutes later we were back at home, working on the cage. I don't imagine I could have drove there any quicker.
Today my brother and I were building a cage for his rodents when we realized we didn't have enough chicken wire. A trip to Menards was in order for the purchase. I took one look at my GF's car, and said "let's take the bikes". Menards is 3 miles straight down the highway from my house and it took 15 minutes to get there (busy highway--had to use the gravel shoulder). A total of 45 minutes later we were back at home, working on the cage. I don't imagine I could have drove there any quicker.
Chris L
08-30-01, 12:03 AM
Yeah, it's nice to see someone out there making a bit of sense. It remains to see how many people will understand, however.
Chris
Chris
aliensporebomb
09-10-01, 02:54 PM
Interestingly, the following stores are available exactly one
mile from my house:
Video store, CD store, Grocery Store, Pharmacy, Donut Shop,
Laundromat, Barber, Restaurant (2), Hardware Store, Veterinarian, Caterer, Furniture Store,
etc.
Within three miles of my house:
Mountain bike trail, paved bike trail, public swimming, etc.
I've been known to ride up to the grocery store on my bike
with a backpack and buy stuff and ride home.
Makes sense, eh?
mile from my house:
Video store, CD store, Grocery Store, Pharmacy, Donut Shop,
Laundromat, Barber, Restaurant (2), Hardware Store, Veterinarian, Caterer, Furniture Store,
etc.
Within three miles of my house:
Mountain bike trail, paved bike trail, public swimming, etc.
I've been known to ride up to the grocery store on my bike
with a backpack and buy stuff and ride home.
Makes sense, eh?
RonH
09-10-01, 04:01 PM
It would be nice to see more positive stories like this. :thumbup:
It seems that cyclists get too much negative press. :thumbdn:
It seems that cyclists get too much negative press. :thumbdn:
Chris L
09-10-01, 04:13 PM
Originally posted by RonH
It seems that cyclists get too much negative press. :thumbdn:
That's because oil companies have a lot of money, and many people in the media can be bought.
It seems that cyclists get too much negative press. :thumbdn:
That's because oil companies have a lot of money, and many people in the media can be bought.
Palafo
09-10-01, 04:16 PM
The oil companies! That's ridiculous.
Chris L
09-10-01, 05:25 PM
Originally posted by Palafo
The oil companies! That's ridiculous.
It's been a well known fact in this country that mainstream media organisations have been taking bribes from the corporate sector for years. Indeed, the highest rating talkback radio host, John Laws, has openly admitted to getting money from banks to say nice things about them on air, and I'm sure he's not the only one.
What makes you think oil and car companies are above the same thing?
The oil companies! That's ridiculous.
It's been a well known fact in this country that mainstream media organisations have been taking bribes from the corporate sector for years. Indeed, the highest rating talkback radio host, John Laws, has openly admitted to getting money from banks to say nice things about them on air, and I'm sure he's not the only one.
What makes you think oil and car companies are above the same thing?
Palafo
09-10-01, 05:42 PM
Well, I work in the news business, so I wish people would draw some distinctions between print/broadcast, celebrity interviewers and real journalists. But I also understand that Australian media is crazy indeed. I work for a newspaper, and no one here takes corporate payments to flack for anyone. And many of us are cyclists.
Furthermore, even in cases of outright corruption, it seems unlikely that the oil companies would bother to spend money to fight bicycles. It's not a major threat. Sorry.
Furthermore, even in cases of outright corruption, it seems unlikely that the oil companies would bother to spend money to fight bicycles. It's not a major threat. Sorry.
Chris L
09-10-01, 06:27 PM
You're probably right. To be honest it's difficult to tell the difference between outright corruption and just plain old sensationalism, which is taken to a ridiculous extent in this country. This is the land where "current affairs" shows recycle stories every few weeks or so. I think a few anti-bike ones have cropped up from time to time, but I don't pay a great deal of attention.
The Australian population has a big thing about finding someone else to blame for their problems, and a lot of stuff we get out here is based on that. Sometimes it's just difficult to spot the difference between bribes or just trying to attract readers/viewers.
The Australian population has a big thing about finding someone else to blame for their problems, and a lot of stuff we get out here is based on that. Sometimes it's just difficult to spot the difference between bribes or just trying to attract readers/viewers.
Allister
09-10-01, 07:34 PM
Originally posted by Chris L
The Australian population has a big thing about finding someone else to blame for their problems,
I don't think Australia has a monopoly on that. In fact going on the level of litigation, we're rank amateurs compared to the States. No offence to our N. American brothers and sisters on this forum, who I'm sure are right alonside of the idea of personal accountablilty, but there's some pretty crazy stuff going on over there, and it's infectious.
On that note, consider this. Commersial television is beholden to one thing; advertising dollars. The advertisers are interested in one thing; people watching their ads. People will only watch the ads if the programming is to their liking. So, the ultimate responsibility for what is shown on television rests squarely on the viewers. It's scary when you realise how much the state of television reflects the values of the society.
Allister
The Australian population has a big thing about finding someone else to blame for their problems,
I don't think Australia has a monopoly on that. In fact going on the level of litigation, we're rank amateurs compared to the States. No offence to our N. American brothers and sisters on this forum, who I'm sure are right alonside of the idea of personal accountablilty, but there's some pretty crazy stuff going on over there, and it's infectious.
On that note, consider this. Commersial television is beholden to one thing; advertising dollars. The advertisers are interested in one thing; people watching their ads. People will only watch the ads if the programming is to their liking. So, the ultimate responsibility for what is shown on television rests squarely on the viewers. It's scary when you realise how much the state of television reflects the values of the society.
Allister
LittleBigMan
09-10-01, 08:43 PM
Maybe we cyclists are just a misunderstood minority.