I-Like-To-Bike

Maybe he was also wearing a helmet while doing the bicycle cleat trot inside the store. Now THAT would be weird, doncha think?

kickstart

When stereotypes of cyclists come up, "frightening" and "intimidating" don't enter the picture.

People struggling to not laugh out loud might look distressed, but its a fear of not soiling themselves that's their concern.

Stucky

Yeah, maybe @Johnny Mullet could pull it off....but to the great un[STRIKE]washed[/STRIKE]lycra-ed masses, most cyclists arew more like "That kook who always rides a bicycle".

ModeratedUser

Or I could "lay low" and feel my way around. Look for a soft spot for a move. Being that there was talk of Walgreens taking over, or merging with RiteAid, I could also wait to see how that develops too.

ModeratedUser

Well that was just an example of me not being "intimidated" by having to walk to pick up my prescription. I wanted to intimidate them by using those shoes instead of regular shoes. I was just describing the shoes I was wearing. Hell I'm thinking I could probably even go with my house sleepers!

ModeratedUser

Machka 

If you wore high heeled dress shoes, they might make more noise and be more noticeable. You'd have a small chance of standing out if you trotted up to the counter in 5" spikes.


You do realise that many cyclists walk into shops of all sorts in their cycling attire ... and no one cares. No one is intimidated. Hardly anyone even notices. Rowan and I go grocery shopping in our cycling attire just about every week ... I don't think anyone has run and hid in fear yet. It is completely normal to do a bit of shopping, inside shopping establishments, while wearing cycling attire.

And if you've got mtn bike shoes, chances are no one would have identified them as cycling shoes at all. Most of the mtn bike shoes I've seen (mine included) looking sort of like hiking shoes.

gregf83 

We (10 - 20 cyclists) routinely descend on various coffee shops in the middle and/or end of a ride and I've never noticed anyone being intimidated by a bunch of sweaty, cleat clompers

kickstart

Oh my, a bicycle gang.........spokes of anarchy?

Roody

We have nothing to lube but our chains!

Ekdog

I'm pleased to report that the protest ride/march (some pedestrians took part) was a big success. Over 500 people turned up.

Unas 500 personas marchan en bici para reclamar la pasarela ciclista

Ekdog

Here's a video of the event. My wife and I went on our tandem, accompanied by our French bulldog, Lula, who can be seen at 2:06.

This is the case of a nearby village whose people had been walking and cycling to Seville for centuries before a motorway was built, cutting off the village and leaving them with two options: either go several kms. out of your way or risk your life by mixing it up with 120 kph traffic. We've been fighting for this for years and we won't give up until we have our bridge for cyclists and pedestrians.

https://youtu.be/HrFIMmjUJnQ

Miele Man

I asked m y sister and my niece who both used to work a Tim Horton's (different locations) and they said it was a liability issue and insurance problems.

The neighbourhood McDonald's advertises 24/7 as being their hours of operation but in store dining closes at 11 PM. I tried to use the drive throught at 2 AM when there wasn't another vehicle in the parking lot or in the drivethru lanes. I got to where you place your order and was told they don't serve bicyclists. I no longer buy anything at McDonald's and emailed MacDonald's. Again it's liability and insurance related.

Cheers

CrippledKonaBoy

I tried addressing this few years ago. There were two branches of my bank that would gladly accommodate me; no one else. I contacted over half a dozen corporate offices, and got variations on a theme....insurance/liability, sorry, you can't.

Their business, their call. The 2-3 I boycotted didn't seem to miss me, either.

Roody

Oo La la!

This small band of dedicated and persistent activists are inspirational to me. I'm sure that eventually you'll be successful in getting the bridge. At the same time, you're getting people fired up about human powered transportation. I noticed all ages of people and styles of bikes and clothing in the video.

Roody

I think it's great that you tried that. How did you let them know you were boycotting, and who in the organization did you tell?

Also, it's usually much more effective if you can get some friends or a group of people involved in your boycott. One voice isn't very loud, but a crowd makes lots of noise.

CrippledKonaBoy

I used the corporate "contact us" link, then e-mail. Whatever designated drone answered it got the message.

It's tough to gather a group where I live, as ridership is a fraction of the national average. (This town is so car-centric, it's legal to ride your bike on sidewalks here because hardly anybody WALKS more than a block! I can ride 3-4 miles easily without encountering a pedestrian!)

ModeratedUser

Thanks for following up with this! I admire hearing about people that are fighting for what is rightfully their culture and are fighting to preserve it. I admire them and wish them the best. It's the only way to affect change nowadays.

Seeing many kids is enlightening too. They'll remember this!

ModeratedUser

Well there's finally some good news! I guess I'll discribe how today transpired. I went to my current pharmacy, Rite Aid, after going to my doctor's office and a little food shopping at the supermarket. I tried going through the service window since I was just dropping off a prescription and there were no cars in line, but I was told to come in. I asked to speak to the manager there and was pretty much told the spiel, too dangerous, for cars, lada lada lada... I was told to call the 1 800 Rite Aid if I wanted to take it up with corporate. So I ended up calling after I got home. I figured I was pretty much at my end with CVS without getting anywhere and I could take up another fight. I was somewhat sharpened with dealing with others on the phone and had my argument down. Well I left my info and was told I'd get a call back. Ended up someone called me back in about 3 hours! He started with the same argument that it was dangerous and for cars and have you. I basically gave him one of my arguments that I am perfectly legal on the roads and use my helmet and lights at night all the time. Before I had a chance to finish my own spiel, the district manager that called back stated that he'll adjust the policy and allow me to use my bike through the service window! Wait, what?!?!?!? I looked at my history with CVS and there were 18 entries with dates and who I talked to regarding this issue and all I had with Rite Aid was one entry! One entry and I'm good! Not sure if anyone from Walgreen's had anything to do with this or not. I did ask them if they could write a statement regarding all the years I went through the service window with their store. They declined on doing that and I understood. Anyways I'll see how this goes soon.

And for the curious, I could easily get to this pharmacy in my house slippers if I had to. This was more of fighting for the right to do this and try to open it up to other bicyclists.

Ekdog

Bravo! It just goes to show that the posters here who've been mocking you and saying that you were wasting your time by speaking up were wrong. We need more people like you in the carfree community.

Roody

@Ekdog can answer to this, but I believe the cycling rate in Seville was similarly low when the movement to get that bridge first began. You have to start where you are, not where you'd like to be. I'm not saying that drive-thru discrimination is ncessarily the best issue to base a movement on, but other accessibility/walkability/bikeability might be compelling enough to get people involved. In my city, a lot of progress has been made on issues because of a loose coalition made up of bike clubs, senior groups, handicapped people, and even business leaders--all of whom have an interest in making the city more amenable to walkers, cyclists, and wheelchairs.

But I'm not trying to take away from what you have accomplished. I think it's fantastic that you went to the trouble of representing to the businesses as you did. If you can get even one friend or colleague to do the same, the results will be much greater.

Roody

That's fantastic! If there are no car-bike accidents at RiteAid, that will be a data point in the ongoing battle to make cyclists welcome in other drive-thrus.

Not only have you helped other cyclists in your community, but you've given this forum a shot in the arm with your example of positive activism winning out against the negative naysayers of the world. Congratulations!

prathmann

Congratulations to both you and Ekdog for your work in improving accessibility for bicyclists.

jfowler85

Now that's a drive through.

fietsbob

Argue all you want here .. its still a private business and the owner can set what rules and instruction to their employees they want
12+ pages of this hamster-wheel going on and on wont matter..

I just get off my bike and go inside, where its warm, now, and wait for my stuff , sitting there..