Washington Post is on an Anti-Bike Roll

[Subby]

@jrenaut 89841 wrote:

That bike elevator thing is absurd. As someone who frequently uses the hill in question, and frequently goes on a long detour to avoid it when pulling the kids, I absolutely do not want one public penny spent on a bike elevator. There are literally thousands of better ways to spend money.

That’s just it – I don’t think it was ever put forth as a viable infra upgrade. Milloy made it sound like it was practically in the works.

[PotomacCyclist]

The WashCycle had a couple posts about the bike elevator. More as a fun story than as anything serious.

Milloy is off his rocker.

[dasgeh]

@jrenaut 89841 wrote:

That bike elevator thing is absurd. As someone who frequently uses the hill in question, and frequently goes on a long detour to avoid it when pulling the kids, I absolutely do not want one public penny spent on a bike elevator. There are literally thousands of better ways to spend money.

For 15th St, where there’s an alternative, I agree with you. For the Custis in Rosslyn, where there’s no alternative and it’s a critical connector, I think it deserves another look.

[jrenaut]

I could see a bike elevator working as a tourist attraction, where operating it at a loss could be a net positive. But as a piece of transportation infrastructure, it’s kind of absurd.

[jrenaut]

@dasgeh 89847 wrote:

For 15th St, where there’s an alternative, I agree with you. For the Custis in Rosslyn, where there’s no alternative and it’s a critical connector, I think it deserves another look.

A look, sure, but I’m pretty skeptical that the cost/benefit is there.

[Greenbelt]

@sjclaeys 89800 wrote:

Wouldn’t it be more effective to write to the Washington Post?

Nah, the Post prints reckless articles like this just to get more clicks. They get clicks on the original sin and on the apology.

Only the owner can make them realize that this stuff has to go — it’s alienates a whole generation of potential readers.

[Fauquier nutjob]

Carbon fiber fumes must have gone to you alls brains. Malloy and Kelley are right about DC area cyclists. Walking around downtown is dangerous on any given day because folks on two wheels only care about themselves since they are saving the planet by not contributing to climate change. I have been brushed back and hit over the years. If I see cyclists coming towards me I don’t move out the way I defend and stand my ground in DC. Yeah I have put a few of you down and filed charges and got convictions. You don’t ride on sidewalks and yeah sorry traffic laws apply to you all too. If you don’t like it go whine to your leftist liberal commie friends. The big problem with DC these days is white liberal overeducated and overpaid punks who have chosen to live in DC now that it is safe and secure. You all despite your holier than sh*t tudes are the racists.

And dont get me started about what happens when you all come out to Fauquier County for your rides and to play Tour D Stupid. Stopping around blind corners in groups of 6 to 8 all across the rode to check route instructions just pisses off those of us who live out here. Riding three wide across a lane to get up a hill at 5mph when the speed limit is 50mph is not cool and playing nice Playing Lance Armstrong on your $10k carbon fiber Trek with your buds and admiring your spandex encased packages is why good ole boys have issues with you all. We don’t mind sharing the road we do it all the time for tractors, combines and stock and dogs. But there is this concept called courtesy and it goes both ways. Try a little courtesy.

Do they make your little spandex outfits all in white with a white hood for your rides in DC because it sure would be appropriate for you rich boys and girls who look down their snot covered noses at old time DC residents. I know Bell makes white helmets and you can make crosses out of broken carbon fiber frames, seat posts and handlebars. Yeah carbon fiber burns. Maybe you all can form a bike club with the initials KKK since it would be appropriate for your attitudes downtown. You all arent God’s gift to the planet. Get over yourselves and get a mountain bike.

fred

[dkel]

^^^ Wait–what?

[jrenaut]

@dkel 89859 wrote:

^^^ Wait–what?

Don’t feed the trolls.

[jabberwocky]

@dkel 89859 wrote:

^^^ Wait–what?

Apparently carbon fiber makes you racist or something?

[DanB]

I think what gets lost in the “us vs. them” debate is that we’re talking about a person who is usually just getting from point A to point B. One happens to be in a car, and one happens to be on a bike. It’s the bad eggs that are most memorable, so everyone of a certain mode (as in transportation) gets painted with the same brush. (Stop me if I’m stating the obvious here.)

We all meet up in public spaces where a little empathy goes a long way. Without it, you’ll probably succumb to road rage. So do yourself a favor, and next time think about the person in the car or on the bike who just cut you off or whatever. I usually feel sorry for them, because they’re probably having a bad day. *stepping off soap box*

[peterw_diy]

“Overeducated” — nice! You go, nutjob!

[rcannon100]

@dkel 89859 wrote:

^^^ Wait–what?

I would like to take this opportunity to remind the gentlemen and ladies of the jury that you can IGNORE anyone on the forum. Simply go to their profile and hit IGNORE over on the left column and you wills never see posts from that person again.

Just saying.

[dkel]

@rcannon100 89865 wrote:

@dkel 89859 wrote:

^^^ Wait–what?

I would like to take this opportunity to remind the gentlemen and ladies of the jury that you can IGNORE anyone on the forum. Simply go to their profile and hit IGNORE over on the left column and you wills never see posts from that person again.

Was my post that bad??

Seriously, though, when my kids give me the “wait–what” line, I always find it aggravating and often somewhat insulting; seemed an appropriate response in this case.

[Drewdane]

@Greenbelt 89781 wrote:

Re Courtland Milloy, resident of Ft. Washington MD

Here’s WABA’s response: http://www.waba.org/blog/2014/07/setting-the-record-straight-re-milloys-bullies/.

It would be a very, very good idea to submit that letter-perfect rebuttal to the Post for publication, where the people who really need to see it (as opposed to us choir members), will.

[Author]

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