A Threefold 'Thank You' to Los Angeles
Dear Los Angeles: I'm Thankful For...
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A Photo Gallery of the Things I am Grateful for This Year
I LOVE L.A.! My Thanksgiving Thanks
10 Random Albums To Be Thankful For
One of many photographs to be featured at tomorrow's Midnight Ridazz 'Pics or It Didn't Happen'. Photos by Jon Anderson, used with permission.
For a city where the uninformed would quickly say "...but no one bikes in LA", a lot has happened over the past year. Cyclists took over the 10 and the 405. Crank Mob got a little crazier than usual. And on the less upbeat side, lives were lost, inevitably sparking rallies demanding safer streets for cyclists.
Tomorrow night, Team Midnight Ridazz will host Pics or It Didn't Happen, a fund raiser for June's AIDS Lifecycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Team Captain Ben Hardy says, "The LA bike community is extremely diverse and is host to a large number of very creative and talented individuals. Their art is frequently showcased online but we feel that it demands real-life exposure. Pics Or It Didn't Happen is here to bring the art of Midnight Ridazz to the masses."
Pics Or It Didn't Happen takes place downtown at the Flying Pigeon shop/Bike Oven and will include photographs by some of the bike community's well-known photographers, including frequent LAist photo pool contributors garyse7en and alexbcthompson. The much missed Doomie's will be cooking up their famous vegan comfort food. (NOTE: this isn't your typical vegan...expect some mac n' cheese, fried chicken and jalapeno poppers).
Photographs will be available for purchase (at very affordable prices) as well as the Midnight Ridazz "I bike LA" t-shirts. All funds raised throughout the evening go directly to AIDS Lifecycle to support the LA Gay and Lesbian Center and their efforts to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic and provide treatment and services to those infected with the disease.
Pics or It Didn't Happen
Saturday, May 9//7:30pm - 11:30pm
The Bike Oven / Flying Pigeon L.A.
3706-3714 N. Figueroa
For cyclists, the event is the culimation of the Spoke(n) Art Ride. Westsiders can also join a crew riding over from the Santa Monica Pier at 7pm.
Disclosure: Emily Lerman is a member of the AIDS Lifecycle Midnight Ridazz Team. She originally learned about the Midnight Ridazz from reading LAist.
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what is with this site's love affair for bike dorks? you are romanticizing a group of dipshits that block traffic, make a horrible scene and push bicylce rights back like some fringe terrorist group is to islam.
Five words for these assholes: USE THE F'ING BIKE LANE
Why don't you show the same appreciation/fascination far a group of wasted drunk homeless guys blocking traffic in Venice with their shopping carts - same difference.
OH SNAP!!!
You will now incur the wrath (i.e. lame double talking excuse reply) of Gary Se7ven or whatever his username is...the unofficial (or mebbe even offishal) King of the Bike Blocc (at least on this site...)
Common sense will get you NOWHERE with the bike crowd, especially around here.
Problem with common sense is that it's not very common, as you two demonstrate. Common sense dictates that we all drive/ride safely and courteously, and accept that each group has every bit as much right to the road as the other.
When I ride, I only block traffic as long as I need to, then move aside so drivers can pass — and usually give them a wave to thank them for following safely. When I drive, I follow cyclists at a reasonable distance until I can pass safely, then give them a wide clearance when I do. And in over 30 years of driving in all kinds of conditions, I have never been delayed more than a few seconds by any bike rider.
If you can't handle that, maybe you don't belong behind the wheel.
Hmmmmm...my comment didn't end up where I thought it would. I was responding to the comments from ven_nm and kifbox; apologies if anyone else took offense.
If there were enough bike lanes, then yeah, problem solved. That's partially the point of these events. The streets need to be safer for cyclists.
But if there aren't any bike lanes, as a vehicle, a bike gets to use the regular lane. And in fact, two bikes across can use the lane! Considering most streets in LA are at least 2 lanes in each direction, there shouldn't be a problem there.
Some cyclists DO cause problems and cause drivers not to respect them, such as those who ride on the sidewalk, don't use the proper lights and hand signals, don't stop at stop signs or lights, ride the wrong way down the street, ride through cross walks, and don't obey traffic laws in general. There's some work to do on both ends. But, just like cars who run over pedestrians while they're turning right and looking to the left, the onus is probably on the people with a few tons of glass and metal to protect them.
where the bike lanes at? oh there aren't any. until there are, I'm all up in yo traffic BITCH.
"USE THE F'ING BIKE LANE"
Actually, according to state law, if a bicyclist or driver is injured or their bike/car is damaged in a bike lane by... let's a say, the city's lack of maintenance on pot holes, they have no recourse against the city. But if a bicycle or driver is in the main part of the street, then the city is liable. Why would anyone want to ride in a bicycle lane with that kind of law on the books?
i don't really care about bikes or anything, but i'd go here just to eat doomie's food!
Ven,
As with everything, you're talking about a fringe portion of a larger, more docile whole. In that sense the radical Islam thought is somewhat apt, but you're trying to draw a correlation that is pretty thin thereafter. And as a side note, when was the last time you saw a bike post on LAist? Is every LA-related semi-frequent post automatically a love affair? If you want to be taken seriously, don't start with such a biased and flawed intro.
You're also talking about a group that has common sense on their side in terms of cost, environmental impact, and physical fitness. And this group, for better or for worse, has been largely marginalized for years. Sure, there are bike lanes on Santa Monica and portions of other streets, but these came at a heavy price and with much debate. The truth is, most of LA is bike lane-less, meaning bikers have to ride just like regular traffic. But you don't get shit thrown at you or run off the road commonly when you're in your car, do you?
I agree that there is a needed level of policing that should go on with extreme members of any group, bikers included. But this mentality of 'bikers are idiot scum' is not only incorrect, it's hateful and unintelligent.
If you want to talk about people propagating stereotypes, Ven, check yourself first.
@ven_nm and @kifbox, are you that pissed off that somewhere someone is having fun riding a bike on the streets that belong to all of us?
You guys are making a big stink out of something really marginal. It's a weekend late at night, the world is not going to end if a handful of people have to wait a minute or two to cross a street.
By the way, there aren't many useful bike lanes in this city. And it doesn't matter, really, because cyclists have the right to use the right lane on any street. Just treat them like slower cars and pass them carefully, that's what I do.
Um, no I am not pissed off, just agreeing with his sentiments about the wierd love affair this site has with cretins on bicycles. No, I am not making a big deal with anything. I am not even certain my first post was 2 complete sentences...so therefore it cannot be a big stink.
Hopefully Team Midnight Ridazz used the year between LifeCycle Rides to work on their sober biking skills. Heard from more than a few people the weren't exactly the most courteous bunch on the roads.
All cyclists are dipshits
All cyclists block traffic
All cyclists make horrible scene
All cyclists at suicidal jihadists
Therefore, if you ride a bike, then you're a dipshit, traffic blocking, horrible scenster + suicide bomber.
Even though that logic is pretty f-ing dumb, I can live with that ignorant stereotype.
I love riding my bike, definitely more than I care what one think of me.
All sarcasm aside, you all realize that we're not all the same cyclists, right? I hope you accept the fact that I might not be the guy that blocked your car last week. So don't treat me like I was that guy, because.... because...
I think you got my point by now.
@ven_nm and @kifbox Bike riders legally have the right to use a full lane. Out of courtesy and safety concerns for ourselves we often ride far to the right, but it is not a legal requirement on 95% of Los Angeles streets.
I have, as a rider, experienced each of the following multiple times: (1) a driver gunning his or her engine behind me in a threatening manner, (2) a driver or passenger yelling at me to get a job (I'm a lawyer), (3) a driver following behind me in a lane, yelling obscenities about how I should get off the road, when there is a second lane the driver could easily use to pass me, (4) a driver yelling at me to use the bike lane, when there is none within miles of where we are located, (5) being passed by a driver who is too close and too fast, causing me to nearly crash...
...among multiple other frustrations that sometimes rise to the level of potentially physically harmful to me.
Because I experience such situations with such regularity, I have no sympathy for whiny a-holes like yourselves. If you, as drivers, are going to push me, I am going to push you back.
You threaten me on a daily basis, occassionally running me off the road, I will applaud cyclists (yes, myself included) who force you to reckon with them/us occassionally.
F-in deal with it.
I have the right to walk around South Los Angeles in a Klan outfit. Personal rights vs. stupidity. Riding bicycles in heavy LA traffic is stupidity.
I am not sure I would've identified myself as a lawyer because they are even lower than militant bicyclist...so you are like "double-trash" to me. Obviously with your riding habits, you don't chase the ambulance, you let the ambulance come to you.
I have said it once before and I will say it again:
Militant Bicyclists are no better than taggers.
I don't threaten anyone in this town, you never know who is going to go off the deep end and kill you over something as minor as "sharing lanes".
So take your hostile post and wrap it in your derailluer.
Some of you commenters sound pretty stupid.
Note: If you thought for even a second that I am talking about you I probably am. If possible, hold your thoughts and think about what I'm implying here.
@Ms. Stephanie - I have the right to blast hip hop at 8AM in the morning and wake up the neighborhood, but I don't cause I am courteous like that. Your experiences indicate that you ride in the middle of a lane and are as pissed off as the people that are pissed off at you - deal with the repercussions your actions cause.
@jhvu74 - I have a hell of a fun time riding my beach cruiser. I can even ride shit wasted without incident - but I don't ride in the middle of the damned street with a sense of entitlement that the mutha f'ing pavement is mine and my right to ride like a dickhead and hold up traffic is only a concern for those behind me.
@Farley Elliott - There seems to be a disproportionate amount of articles on bicycle rights - and a particular focus on these midnight rider numskulls. I haven't seen much about skateboards and how harassed those guys get.. I live in Venice and although there are bike lanes on many many streets (not to mention a freaking bike path on the sand) I am confronted with your "fringe" on a daily basis. This is not all bike riders - as the ones on beach cruisers seem mighty chill and content to ride in bike lanes - only those bike dorks affiliated with their Friday midnight mass tricycle rides.
fact of the matter is this - if you ride your bike considerately on the shoulder and don't block traffic like a self-entitled prick, you won't have any reason to go on a protest ride.
I'm not sure where you're getting all this "all cyclists are scofflaws who take delight in slowing you down" stuff, it runs contrary to what I see. Most cyclists seem keenly aware that they are vulnerable out there and aren't out there to piss you off, they just want to get from Point A to Point B.
As far as riding in the middle of the lane, this is exactly how they are supposed to ride if there's no bike lane. They are more visible there and stay out of reach of opening car doors. When I drive I'd much rather see the cyclist take the lane and not leave any ambiguity about how much room I should give them. It's really not that hard to just pass them as you would any traffic that moves slower than you.
As a motorist I recognize that it's too many cars that cause congestion, not cyclists. I have yet to be in a traffic jam because of cyclists, it's always because too many cars are out in the road.
It seems there are a small minority of people who hate bicyclists... I mean they really hate them. Calling them "bike dorks"? As many bicyclists (or bicyclist activists) know, we have all experienced this hate and intolerance on the roads by a small group of motorists who have a sense of entitlement to the road or maybe they just have really bad marital problems. Regardless of the reason the law is clear. California law states a bicyclists has the same rights and privileges as a car.
A bicyclist can take up the whole lane, and there is not a damn thing you can do about it.
For those who hate, please seek counseling...before your hate turns into a crime.
Soooo you are saying this is better?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9kis4qI4KY
You're comparing population densities that are nothing alike. Now Imagine if every one of the people in that video on a bike were driving instead, who many miles of gridlock that would create.
Here is a picture of 50 people in single occupancy cars, 50 people by bus, and 50 people by bike.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/03/space-required-cars-bus-bicycles-image-poster-photos.php
Say what ever you will about cycling, or Midnight Ridazz rides gone bad, think they rock, what ever, this event, which this post is about, is first and foremost a photography show as a fundraiser for a very good cause. The team of AIDS Life Cycle riders who came together from Midnight Ridazz last year to raise money and ride from SF to LA, raised $56,000 for charity. Hopefully this year they can even surpass that.
It never ceases to amaze me how much people get their feathers ruffled over bicycles on the street, but how few seem to care that in most years automobile drivers are responsible for more American fatalities per year than 13 9/11 tragedies. Every person who rides a bike instead of driving is one less person who could make you into a statistic. This years drop in automobile miles traveled is already contributing to the lowest road fatalities rates in decades.
Yes, as GarySe7en said, let's remember the cause here, which is to raise money for AIDS Lifecycle. As with all organizations, their funding has been cut and they must do more now with less. Argue about biking as much as you want, but the fact of matter is that many people rely on the services the LA Gay and Lesbian Center provides. With some patients coming onto the 20th "anniversary" of their diagnosis, it's fair to consider them "survival" cases, illustrating just how important and effective the work of such organizations has been and, with our support, will continue to be.
I've reconciled there are always going to be myopic righteous bike haters. While I manage to stay away from them 99.84% of the time I'm out cycling on the streets, I can't ever seem to avoid them on the internet, but at least here their hit-and-run arguments and attacks are meaningless and ignorable.