3 ms·
People who agitate for change are more likely to get change. Wealthy residents advocated for bike lanes. The previous residents didn't. How else could the world
by dionidium 9y ago
People who agitate for change are more likely to get change. Wealthy residents advocated for bike lanes. The previous residents didn't. How else could the world possibly work?
- ncallaway 9y agoAre you sure the previous residents didn't advocate for change? You don't think there's a small chance the previous residents _did_ advocate for change, but their advocacy wasn't effective because it wasn't backed by wealth?
- mc32 9y agoIt's not that simple. For many poor and middle class people bikes were a sign you were poor and could not afford a car. So some people in the middle would avoid biking so as not to look poor. Upper middle class, having some security and wealth didn't care about "looking poor". They could ride $5000 bikes to display wealth or could ride $50 used bikes, interchangeably. They already had status so bikes were neutral or even positive (I'm active, I'm pro environment, etc.)
- dionidium 9y agoAnecdote: I come from a working-class neighborhood. Adults on bikes were roundly ridiculed when I was growing up. There is absolutely no chance (or evidence) that the adults of my childhood had any interest in bike lanes (for exactly the reasons you describe).
- dionidium 9y agoYes. I am extremely confident that newcomer wealthy residents were asking for bike lanes in a way that previous less wealthy residents weren't. You might ask yourself why so many people have an interest in avoiding this explanation. It's just politics.