The CONTINUED Undermining of the SF Bike Advocacy Movement
I've previously blogged about how the SFBC undermines it's own bicycle-advocacy stance, and here they are at it again -- sponsoring another free screening for yet another movie about how trendy it is to ride your fixy like a wanna-be rebellious ass through our city streets.
The SFBC's Bylaws state
Promoting films which portray reckless stunt-riding in traffic, running stop signs, riding the wrong way down one-way streets, etc. does not promote the bicycle as a means of everyday transportation.
and their Strategic Plan includes goals such as
Promoting films which idolize reckless stunt-riding in traffic, running stop signs, riding the wrong way down one-way streets, etc. does not educate bicyclists about safe urban riding.
Promoting films which celebrate bicyclists recklessly breaking traffic laws does not send a positive message about bicyclists.
Shame on you SFBC!
The SFBC's Bylaws state
...[to] promote a healthy environment and community including specifically the promotion of the bicycle for everyday transportation.
Promoting films which portray reckless stunt-riding in traffic, running stop signs, riding the wrong way down one-way streets, etc. does not promote the bicycle as a means of everyday transportation.
and their Strategic Plan includes goals such as
* Educate bicyclists about safe urban cycling
Promoting films which idolize reckless stunt-riding in traffic, running stop signs, riding the wrong way down one-way streets, etc. does not educate bicyclists about safe urban riding.
* Promote positive, diverse images of bicyclists
Promoting films which celebrate bicyclists recklessly breaking traffic laws does not send a positive message about bicyclists.
Shame on you SFBC!
posted by jim g at 10:04 AM
5 Comments:
I am with you, Jim. Where do we send emails to let SFBC know of our displeasure? is there a petition in the works?
Send letters of concern to Leah Shahum, Executive Director, 415/431-BIKE x306, leah@sfbike.org
For additional contacts, refer to http://www.sfbike.org/?contact
Jim,
I think you are tilting at the wrong target here. SFBC is probably the most successful urban advocacy organization in the US, their strength comes from large membership, which was built through the reaction to the crappy bike situation in the mid nineties and by the populist wave started through critical mass. Like it or not, it is a fairly inclusive organization that draws its strength from membership. SF is an undeniably better place to bike due to the efforts of SFBC.
Getting outlaw fixie kids involved in a bike advocacy group early helps build future membership when they finally cave in, have kids and become lawyers who ride touring bike, or become, god forbid, randonneurs.
I have no problem with you disagreeing with any of their actions, but I think you are blowing this way out of proportion. By all means send an email expressing your concern, but I think you are way overreacting to the efforts of the SFBC to be inclusive. Undermining is pretty harsh.
Tarik, you are of course correct about the SFBC. I haven't lived in SF long enough to know what bike-tolerance was like before the SFBC existed. I'm sure it's better now that then.
However, I see the SFBC promoting/sponsoring movies like MashSF and Macaframa akin to the AAA sponsoring sideshow street-racing films. Which of course doesn't happen -- which is exactly my point.
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