View Full Version : just a local newspaper - having "fun" with bike accidents
The "Vacaville Reporter" brings us a new way of anti-cyclist propaganda (an unbelievably stupid piece btw.).
(Please see: http://www.thereporter.com/dannybernardini/ci_8650162 )
The cycling related paragraph starts with:
"Thou shalt not dress in florescent spandex and bogart the road....."
and ends with:
"I hear they are remaking Sly Stalone's '70s picture "Death Race 2000." Here's hoping they film on the back roads of Solano and Yolo counties."
Apparently, in this movie cyclists get killed.
More info in this NorCal thread: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=400201
qmsdc15
03-23-08, 03:17 PM
May his next pet peeve be "Why do cyclist think it's OK to smash my teeth in with their 'u-locks'?". Haha, that would make a humorous piece!
KrisPistofferson
03-23-08, 03:26 PM
Oh my god, let's all freak out about it as if we've never even heard of a "Sense of Humor" or an "Op-Ed" for 7 or so pages.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=120745&highlight=dunkin <- threads like these are one of the reasons A&S is a laughing stock for the rest of the forum. Helmet Head is the other.
christina.h
03-23-08, 03:31 PM
His real pet peeve is probably "people who are more fit than me and don't have 3 chins like I do."
Why? Because he has the same BMI that he had when he was last on a bike, when he was the fat kid on the block left behind by his neighbor kids. Oh bitter, bitter man.
twobikes
03-23-08, 03:33 PM
The columnist is an equal opportunity offender who insults several groups in one short piece. He is a troll, and probably dead from the neck up. I would be inclined to send copies of his column to the paper's advertisers and ask if the reckless opinions in the article are consistent with their corporate policy.
irabidfish
03-23-08, 03:44 PM
As cyclists we do often wear some of the most ridiculous outfits imaginable, tight fitting neon clothes that a normal person could never get away with. Obviously its for a reason, but c'mon, lets have a sense of humor about it.
UmneyDurak
03-23-08, 03:52 PM
Personally I don't care, seems like he is offending bunch of people equally. So he is not targeting cyclists specifically. Although if anyone cares enough...
I just found the following info on the email list of our bike club.
I believe bike clubs and similar organizations should write the editor and demand an official statement.
>>>>>>>>>>
.......Here's some relevant information from http://www.thereporter.com/staff:
The author of the offensive article is Danny Bernardini. He covers
county government for a newspaper called The Reporter in Vacaville,
California. His email address is dbernardini@thereporter.com.
The article, titled "Speaking of deadly sins ...", appeared on the
Opinion page. The Opinion page editor is Karen Nolan. Her email
address is opinion@thereporter.com.
The editor of The Reporter is Diane Barney. Her email address is
dbarney@thereporter.com.
The Circulation Manager of The Reporter is Jerry Schoenberg. E-mail
him at jschoenberg@thereporter.com.
The Advertising Director is Debi Tavey. E-mail her at
director@thereporter.com.
The Publisher of The Reporter is Gregg McConnell. His e-mail is
gmcconnell@thereporter.com
As cyclists we do often wear some of the most ridiculous outfits imaginable, tight fitting neon clothes that a normal person could never get away with. Obviously its for a reason, but c'mon, lets have a sense of humor about it.
It is easy to agree with your statement and with this part of the op-ed (yes, most cycling jerseys are ugly) - but this is not the questionable part. The ( in jest) wish for accidents to clean the roads from cyclists is a bit disturbing ( but it is just a joke!, ha ha ha , funny).
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=120745&highlight=dunkin <- threads like these are one of the reasons A&S is a laughing stock for the rest of the forum. Helmet Head is the other.
but Kris, that thread is in commuting, not A&S
wHoops!
;)
qmsdc15
03-23-08, 04:42 PM
For the record, I was just kidding about smashing his teeth in. Haha. Get a sense of humor, Krispy.
maddyfish
03-23-08, 05:11 PM
Always funny how car taxes for roads comes up. As if car taxes actually can pay for roads. And as if most cyclists don't also have cars.
KrisPistofferson
03-23-08, 05:26 PM
Quick rule of thumb for finding your way around Adult-Land, guys:
Op-Ed columns are the opinion of whoever took the time to e-mail or send a letter, not the newspaper. This means that every Rush Limbaugh fan, person who claims Obama is an "Islamofascist," person who claims Global Warming is a religion for atheist abortion doctors, and person who think fluoridated water is a Jewish conspiracy is given equal time. If you decide to get offended at all of this, you are wasting valuable time that could be better spent breathing, reproducing, watching American Idol or reading Harry Potter books. The most dismaying thing about the article in the OP is that it is not funny, not that it advocates the murder of cyclists, (perhaps that's a bit of a hyperbole-laden stretch?)
Every week some whiner in A&S posts a thread about how the Bush administration is oppressing them because the guy at Burger King didn't let them take their bicycle inside during lunch rush, or some stupid cager-hate thread. It gets old. I certainly don't want any of you sandy vaginas representing me to the non-cycling public at large.
irabidfish
03-23-08, 06:20 PM
Actually in adult land, the things that people send in are called letters to the editor, opinions written by staff writers are op-ed's, or just opinions, and if its a regular one its called a "column". The newspaper does state its opinion, thats called an editorial and is signed off on by the ed-board. An editorial looks very different from a op-ed, and an op-ed is very different from letters to the editor.
This op-ed was written by a staff reporter and not just some yacko. I didn't find it offensive, but it really wasn't funny either. But then, we are talking about the vacaville reporter not the NYT here.
I am with you that its supposed to be a humorous piece here, but honestly the way you are approaching this is not something I would advise in "adult land". When you take a condescending tone, make sure you are actually right.
Actually, Kris is right, op-ed pieces are really just longer letters to the editor written by someone with some supposed credibility regarding the topic under discussion, which are granted special status by the editors.
irabidfish
03-23-08, 07:24 PM
It depends. It is correct that what you call a piece has more to do with what section it falls in rather than the content. However there are some things that won't happen. Extremist positions are almost never printed anywhere besides letters to the editor.
"This means that every Rush Limbaugh fan, person who claims Obama is an "Islamofascist," person who claims Global Warming is a religion for atheist abortion doctors, and person who think fluoridated water is a Jewish conspiracy is given equal time."
That clearly describes something no responsible newspaper would pay for. Op-ed pieces, those done by experts usually don't take such a radical stance because the newspaper actually pays for them and they usually want something that readers will find enlightening or funny, or somehow worthy of space on the page. This is not to say all letters to the editor are worthless either, because many are very interesting as well.
Thats splitting hairs though. The point is this article was written as a column by a staff reporter. Not someone who just took the time to mail it in. You can call it whatever you like, but the spirit of what Kris was saying was absolutely wrong.
Actually, Kris seems to be not right whatsoever. At least his statements are curiously inconsistent.
He tells us to not mind and not care if a staff writer for a newspaper implicitly threatens us cyclists with accident and worse (although it is supposed to be funny) and then gets strangely outraged and personally offended if other people voicing concern on his (?) forum (and are neither representing a newspaper nor claim to represent him).
Although Kris is clearly a better and funnier writer than the genius from the vacaville reporter, this does not make his statements on the implication newspaper opinion pieces (in his adult world) correct. This nonsense would usually not even appear in letter from a reader. It is not marked as an Op-Ed, it seems to be part of his work as a regular "columnist". Thanks irabidfish.
buzzman
03-23-08, 08:46 PM
Quick rule of thumb for finding your way around Adult-Land, guys:
Op-Ed columns are the opinion of whoever took the time to e-mail or send a letter, not the newspaper. This means that every Rush Limbaugh fan, person who claims Obama is an "Islamofascist," person who claims Global Warming is a religion for atheist abortion doctors, and person who think fluoridated water is a Jewish conspiracy is given equal time. If you decide to get offended at all of this, you are wasting valuable time that could be better spent breathing, reproducing, watching American Idol or reading Harry Potter books. The most dismaying thing about the article in the OP is that it is not funny, not that it advocates the murder of cyclists, (perhaps that's a bit of a hyperbole-laden stretch?)
Every week some whiner in A&S posts a thread about how the Bush administration is oppressing them because the guy at Burger King didn't let them take their bicycle inside during lunch rush, or some stupid cager-hate thread. It gets old. I certainly don't want any of you sandy vaginas representing me to the non-cycling public at large.
I thought op-ed (opposite editorial) was an individual opinion expressed by a writer (sometimes on the staff of the paper or of some outside source but of some level of authority). These are far more controlled articles than a standard "letter to the editor"- they are often an opposite opinion solicited by the editorial staff.
What's with the "adult land" comment and patronizing attitude? How necessary is that? Especially when you're not quite so clear on the concept yourself.
Oh, I just saw your name and now I get it- you're a pistoff(p)erson- Didn't mean to cramp your style.
Carry on.;)
It depends. It is correct that what you call a piece has more to do with what section it falls in rather than the content. However there are some things that won't happen. Extremist positions are almost never printed anywhere besides letters to the editor.
"This means that every Rush Limbaugh fan, person who claims Obama is an "Islamofascist," person who claims Global Warming is a religion for atheist abortion doctors, and person who think fluoridated water is a Jewish conspiracy is given equal time."
That clearly describes something no responsible newspaper would pay for. Op-ed pieces, those done by experts usually don't take such a radical stance because the newspaper actually pays for them and they usually want something that readers will find enlightening or funny, or somehow worthy of space on the page. This is not to say all letters to the editor are worthless either, because many are very interesting as well.
Thats splitting hairs though. The point is this article was written as a column by a staff reporter. Not someone who just took the time to mail it in. You can call it whatever you like, but the spirit of what Kris was saying was absolutely wrong.
your analysis is good but fails when you understand that newspapers are under a lot of pressure from their advertisers and the pervasive car culture that exists both in the mass media and the general public, to actively advocate for motorists and against cyclists; then you do get extreme viewpoints on both the editorial and the op-ed page. staff reporters are of course influenced both by car culture and the senior editors at the rag they work for.
Sorry randya, but I fail to see that the "extreme viewpoints" of the vacaville reporter are anywhere in the range of extreme opinions normally voiced in the media (I am aware it is the standard for Limbaugh but only people who really need this are able to listen his stuff). I cannot imagine that pressure from advertisers would promote such nonsense nor would it excuse it. If you like the idea of newspapers publishing stuff like the VR and perhaps fold under pressure as described in your post than of course, just do nothing.
your analysis is good but fails when you understand that newspapers are under a lot of pressure from their advertisers and the pervasive car culture that exists both in the mass media and the general public, to actively advocate for motorists and against cyclists; then you do get extreme viewpoints on both the editorial and the op-ed page. staff reporters are of course influenced both by car culture and the senior editors at the rag they work for.
KrisPistofferson
03-24-08, 01:02 AM
This thread reminds me of when my brother used to start bawling and make us turn it from the 3 Stooges because "they're being mean to each other!"
That was when he was 5.
Perpetual-victimhood is perhaps psychologically gratifying in making us feel like we are part of some magical secret club, but it will ultimately run far more people off than swell our ranks. Countdown to someone comparing our "plight" to the Civil Rights movement in 3...2...1...
Kris,
do I understand you correctly, that your attitude will improve things for cyclists. Well, how do you suggest we can put your arrogance and condescending behavior to work successfully for new bike paths or cyclists rights on the road ???
You must have copied this "perpetual victim hood rhetoric" from another rant, it does not apply to this thread - it was just about an idiot advocating car racing to get rid of cyclists accidentally (in jest) and this idiot being a staff writer.
Don't get too worked up by "Danni Bernardini" of Vacaville in northern California. He writes like a typical stoner in small town. My guess is that his favorite foods are catfish and watermellon.
He lives with his parents and writes the articles on the computer in the basement of his parent's house. His mother checks his english before it is submitted to the local paper. His mother is a retired third grade teacher. She got the job for Danni. By coincidence, Danni's mother used to date the editor when they were in high school, and again temporarily when she was briefy separated from Danni's father.
Dannni gets paid $25 per article which he used to buy "some great bud" from one of his old high school friends who gets it sent to him from a guy in Oregon.
Don't worry about it! Danni doesn't own a car of his own.
KrisPistofferson
03-24-08, 05:23 AM
Kris,
do I understand you correctly, that your attitude will improve things for cyclists. Well, how do you suggest we can put your arrogance and condescending behavior to work successfully for new bike paths or cyclists rights on the road ???
You must have copied this "perpetual victim hood rhetoric" from another rant, it does not apply to this thread - it was just about an idiot advocating car racing to get rid of cyclists accidentally (in jest) and this idiot being a staff writer.
What I do for advocacy is ride my bike in traffic, follow the laws of the road, and respect motorists and other cyclists. Call me crazy.
When a small town newspaper gets inundated with e-mails from all over the country about a tongue-in-cheek article with an off-hand mention of a 70s b-movie, this makes the e-mail recipients think that somewhere on the internetz is a group of losers who consider it their job to get offended. What this does for cycling advocacy you'll probably have to explain to me.
The "Vacaville Reporter" brings us a new way of anti-cyclist propaganda ...
The funniest part is the name of the town. "Vaca" is Spanish for "cow". "Ville" is from French for "village". California puts them together to make "Vacaville", which sounds a bit more posh than "Cowtown".
Allister
03-24-08, 08:27 AM
What I do for advocacy is ride my bike in traffic, follow the laws of the road, and respect motorists and other cyclists. Call me crazy.
You're crazy. No-one here will believe that's even possible.
When a small town newspaper gets inundated with e-mails from all over the country about a tongue-in-cheek article with an off-hand mention of a 70s b-movie, this makes the e-mail recipients think that somewhere on the internetz is a group of losers who consider it their job to get offended. What this does for cycling advocacy you'll probably have to explain to me.
A squeaky wheel gathers no moss, as they say.
Allister
03-24-08, 08:28 AM
The funniest part is the name of the town.
Now I really don't want to read it, if that's the funniest part.
His real pet peeve is probably "people who are more fit than me and don't have 3 chins like I do."
Why? Because he has the same BMI that he had when he was last on a bike, when he was the fat kid on the block left behind by his neighbor kids. Oh bitter, bitter man.
Awesome - hit it right on the head!
If you like the idea of newspapers publishing stuff like the VR and perhaps fold under pressure as described in your post than of course, just do nothing.
do I understand you correctly, that your attitude will improve things for cyclists. Well, how do you suggest we can put your arrogance and condescending behavior to work successfully for new bike paths or cyclists rights on the road ???
You must have copied this "perpetual victim hood rhetoric" from another rant, it does not apply to this thread - it was just about an idiot advocating car racing to get rid of cyclists accidentally (in jest) and this idiot being a staff writer.
lutz, since you seem to disagree with everyone else's opinion here, instead of just criticizing, how about telling us your own opinion and how you would deal with (or not) this situation? 'specially since you posted the OP. Or were you just trolling?
Every week some whiner in A&S posts a thread about how the Bush administration is oppressing them because the guy at Burger King didn't let them take their bicycle inside during lunch rush, or some stupid cager-hate thread. It gets old. I certainly don't want any of you sandy vaginas representing me to the non-cycling public at large.
But Kris, we're being repressed.
Randya,
I am only disagreeing with Kris' position that any activism or voicing of opinions is completely worthless and also with the assessment that local newspapers are run by morons and that every comment makes everything only worse.
I would suggest sending a civilized and matter-of-fact email to the editors of the Vacaville Reporter and assume that there will be intelligent people there capable of recognizing the resentment stirring nonsense they have published. That is what I have attempted.
In general I seem to have better experiences with newspapers than Kris and you. If somebody advocates in a newspaper to run me off the road (albeit in jest) I somehow loose my indifference.
lutz, since you seem to disagree with everyone else's opinion here, instead of just criticizing, how about telling us your own opinion and how you would deal with (or not) this situation? 'specially since you posted the OP. Or were you just trolling?
As cyclists we do often wear some of the most ridiculous outfits imaginable, tight fitting neon clothes that a normal person could never get away with. Obviously its for a reason, but c'mon, lets have a sense of humor about it.REALLY, just how ridiculous are neck ties? So many absurd prints. No practical purpose. Cycling clothes are extremely functional and designed for the purpose they serve.
At least in Hawaii, the ridiculous wearers of neck ties are almost exclusively lawyers!:lol: That is what I call justice.:p
As cyclists we do often wear some of the most ridiculous outfits imaginable, tight fitting neon clothes that a normal person could never get away with. Obviously its for a reason, but c'mon, lets have a sense of humor about it.
and yet people look at NFL players in spandex and say they're "manly."
go figure!
and yet people look at NFL players in spandex and say they're "manly."
'Manly' in a Village People sort of way.
http://www.shanatinglipton.com/blog/uploads/village.jpg
Blue Order
03-26-08, 03:51 PM
REALLY, just how ridiculous are neck ties? So many absurd prints. No practical purpose. Cycling clothes are extremely functional and designed for the purpose they serve.
At least in Hawaii, the ridiculous wearers of neck ties are almost exclusively lawyers!:lol: That is what I call justice.:pAnd do you know why lawyers wear neckties?
To keep the foreskin from sliding back up. :D
irabidfish
03-26-08, 05:03 PM
because other people look ridiculous if not more than us doing other things , does not mean we also don't look ridiculous doing our thing. Yes of course, its functional, but to the outsider it looks very silly. I don't think we should feel bad or self conscious because we wear functional, but silly clothes. We do need to be able to laugh at it though. Not get so defensive.
Lake_Tom
03-27-08, 11:54 AM
Writing like this serves to reinforce bigotry and bias in the readers' minds. It is not harmless. Look at how successful the right wing has been at putting inane and incredibily improbable ideas into the minds of American simpletons.
[RW pablum deleted for the sake of comity in the forum]
irabidfish
03-27-08, 12:28 PM
I don't think what we are talking about here is part of an insidious conspiracy. Its a piece of bad writing by a writer who had probably run out of material, it does not mean hes a stoner or 300lbs. Ironically those kinds of comments reinforce stereotypes about the overweight and do nothing to break stereotypes about bicycling. It really upsets me to see the kinds of comments I have been reading here.
We expect understanding from police departments, and drivers, but so often we are not willing to offer understanding to other groups who struggle against a popular stereotype. We assume someone is a stoner because they write an article we don't like, and yet are surprised when people assume that bicycle commuters are all borderline homeless. If we don't challenge other stereotypes ourselves, how can we expect people to challenge the stereotypes about us!?
Bicycle Advocacy is not just about us making ourselves feel better and superior to others because we have chosen a healthy and sustainable cause. It's about getting others to break their conceptions about what bicycling is through our actions. Writing to this newspaper and asking them to defend those comments might be an example of that, I don't think so in this case, but its not absurd to think that.
My intent here is not just to criticize, but maybe for us to pause for a second and think, how does criticism of opposing points of view help cycling? is what we are doing in this thread in any way helping the cause of cycling? I think even if the answer is yes, we then need to ask if we could be doing something better with the energy we are using to condemn some reporter from Vacaville.
Thanks irabidfish,
this is all true. Certainly bigotry and obvious bias from our side will not help any further.
However, I believe reasonable letters to this newspaper are better than leaving this type of "journalism" uncommented. Anyhow, they have received a lot of letters and have actually printed them. The editor is glossing over the real problems of the "humor" and does not really admit them etc. but I would assume they have read the letters.
I don't think what we are talking about here is part of an insidious conspiracy. Its a piece of bad writing by a writer who had probably run out of material, it does not mean hes a stoner or 300lbs. Ironically those kinds of comments reinforce stereotypes about the overweight and do nothing to break stereotypes about bicycling. It really upsets me to see the kinds of comments I have been reading here.
We expect understanding from police departments, and drivers, but so often we are not willing to offer understanding to other groups who struggle against a popular stereotype. We assume someone is a stoner because they write an article we don't like, and yet are surprised when people assume that bicycle commuters are all borderline homeless. If we don't challenge other stereotypes ourselves, how can we expect people to challenge the stereotypes about us!?
Bicycle Advocacy is not just about us making ourselves feel better and superior to others because we have chosen a healthy and sustainable cause. It's about getting others to break their conceptions about what bicycling is through our actions. Writing to this newspaper and asking them to defend those comments might be an example of that, I don't think so in this case, but its not absurd to think that.
My intent here is not just to criticize, but maybe for us to pause for a second and think, how does criticism of opposing points of view help cycling? is what we are doing in this thread in any way helping the cause of cycling? I think even if the answer is yes, we then need to ask if we could be doing something better with the energy we are using to condemn some reporter from Vacaville.
Red Rider
03-27-08, 01:07 PM
The funniest part is the name of the town. "Vaca" is Spanish for "cow". "Ville" is from French for "village". California puts them together to make "Vacaville", which sounds a bit more posh than "Cowtown".
And the name of the town has what to do with the subject column?
Right, nothing.
Since we're off topic, let me tell you how to pronounce it: It's "Vacka"- ville, not "Vahka"-ville.
Now that's funny.
KrisPistofferson
03-27-08, 06:48 PM
As far as I can tell from the comments page, some of you from Billings, Montana, Knob Creek, Maryland and Badass, Texas, who took the time to respond to a regular opinion columnist, (one who tries his best to be a 3rd-rat Mancow, at a newspaper in a small town nobody's ever heard of,) who are also accusing said columnist of advocating the cold-blooded murder of cyclists, you guys are just rubbing everyone's nose in the "advocacy." Good job. When the people at that tiny paper are gathered round the water cooler, talking about the inundation of whiny e-mails from across the US, I'll bet the "advocacy" in the air is palpable.
Allister
03-27-08, 08:04 PM
When the people at that tiny paper are gathered round the water cooler, talking about the inundation of whiny e-mails from across the US, I'll bet the "advocacy" in the air is palpable.
I'm sure all the lulz will boost morale immeasurably, so at least they've achieved some good.
Lake_Tom
03-28-08, 07:36 AM
Good job. When the people at that tiny paper are gathered round the water cooler, talking about the inundation of whiny e-mails from across the US, I'll bet the "advocacy" in the air is palpable.
How do you know? Have you met any of them?
KrisPistofferson
03-28-08, 09:43 AM
How do you know? Have you met any of them?
There are literally thousands of wise-ass ways I could reply, none of them does your post any justice so I will simply-> :roflmao: :bday: :beer:
There are literally thousands of wise-ass ways I could reply, ....
Nobody who has read your posts will doubt this; probably very true. I am just wondering if you would have anything constructive to contribute for a change, one day?
Lake_Tom
03-28-08, 09:34 PM
Nobody who has read your posts will doubt this; probably very true. I am just wondering if you would have anything constructive to contribute for a change, one day?
That was tasteful, Lutz, congratulations. KrisPis is just a bag of hot air with nothing better to do.
KrisPistofferson
03-29-08, 10:51 AM
That was tasteful, Lutz, congratulations. KrisPis is just a bag of hot air with nothing better to do.
How can a bag of hot air post on the internet when it doesn't have any hands to type with? :rolleyes:
My only real point this whole thread has been that whiny humorlessness does not equal advocacy, it is sad that some of you feel that it is, and/or are so in love with victimhood. Real-life things like the decriminalization of hitting cyclists with a motor vehicle and lack of motorist education in sharing the road are troubling to me, shoot, I'm even one of the last knuckle-draggers who still support Critical Mass, but somebody writing a tongue-in-cheek opinion column in a podunk newspaper does not bother me in the least. I obviously find it far more troubling that so many on this forum want everyone to think of us as perpetually-offended blubbering momma's boys.
To be quite honest, people usually tell me they respect that I cycle to work and school, especially if the weather is less than ideal. So tell me, when someone who doesn't commute by bicycle starts thinking of greener, cheaper ways to live, which cyclist do you want him to think about, the guy who is in shape because he rides to work even when it's 20 degrees or the crybaby who wrote to a newspaper 1800 miles away because he doesn't get (an admittedly not-very-funny) joke?
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