The Kar Kulture Kraze (KKK)

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Cugel
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The Kar Kulture Kraze (KKK)

Post by Cugel »

The USA magazine Bicycling has some interesting essays about various aspects of cycling in the USA. This quote is from an article about a particularly lethal road called Hempstead Turnpike where large numbers of pedestrians, cyclists and, of course, drivers are maimed and killed primarily because of a combination of "car is king" attitudes with "car is king" road design:

"The auto industry likes to sell itself as the product of consumer choice and free markets, but in reality, it is also a product of propaganda. Today most Americans who own a car don’t dwell on the people that car culture has killed. But they did in the early years. Those deaths were news, and they were bad news for the auto industry. So in 1924, the industry trade group, the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce, launched a PR campaign. It told papers around the country that if they would provide the NACC with statistics about crashes in their cities, the NACC would write them stories about the traffic in their cities free of charge. The aim of this campaign was to shift the blame for the violence from their customers (the drivers of their cars) to the victims (the pedestrians and cyclists struck by those drivers).

And it worked, rapidly, says Peter Norton, author of Fighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City. “They shifted the dialogue,” he says. The same year the NACC launched its wire service, the pejorative term “jaywalker” entered the dictionary. It was a nasty word back then. Its crude roots are in “jay,” slang at the time for a country bumpkin, a peasant so ignorant, the auto industry told the public, they couldn’t even determine how to cross the street.

This early support for the automobile redefined our streets from public spaces for everyone into private spaces for drivers, Norton says. “This required changing laws, social norms, engineering standards, and perceptions of safety. By the 1930s,” he says, “motordom had mostly succeeded in this effort.”


From the beginning, drivers have killed, and there was a brief period where we, as a society, found that shocking. But then we just began to blame the victims".


https://www.bicycling.com/culture/a4111 ... n-america/

We've discussed this issue many times in these fora but the above illustrates the power of PR persuasion in forming and retaining attitudes and behaviours aimed primarily at the expansion of a big business and it's desire/willingness to do anything at all to increase the profits.

The corollary, though, is that PR of a different sort allied to motives oriented at preventing the immense damage done by KKK could change things just as easily as did the motor manufacturers all those decades ago. Perhaps what's needed is a PR effort funded by as much wherewithal as that provided in keeping up KKK?

Many will suggest that it's a task for government. But since "our" governments are bought and owned by big business, finance capital and the rest of the 1%, perhaps what's needed is a serious organisation funded by those of the 99% who are tired of being not just victim-fodder but also blame-fodder?

What might such an organisation, built to dismantle KKK, look like? Is it possible when the mass media is owned by and run for that same 1%?

Cugel
“Practical men who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence are usually the slaves of some defunct economist”.
John Maynard Keynes
cycle tramp
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Re: The Kar Kulture Kraze (KKK)

Post by cycle tramp »

Thank you for posting- it was an interesting read.

Ah, in answer to your question, it's probably going to be the Internet.
1 in 10 people now identify as being vegan. It's probably a much higher percentage than those who were vegetarian/vegan that I knew way back in the 1990's could have wished for. It is suspected that a large number of social influencers brought about this change, through the Internet. As it is, the food industry has moved to accommodate this change and its never been so easy to eat animal free as it has now (yes I still do, but I have reduced my animal product consumption).

Indeed the change is so dramatic that the national farmers Union is now fighting back with their campaign of 'eat balanced'.

I think the same is happening with the car. In many ways it was a victim of its own success and even local and central government have now admitted that they can't build themselves out of this mess - whilst new roads from a to b will still be built, the longest part of a journey will become driving part way through a to get to the new bypass which will then take you to b in ten minutes following another 40 minutes driving through b to the point of your destination.

Certainly, locally there are positive signs, in my village a new cycle path is being prepared which helps me avoid a narrow wriggling lane which is at the national speed limit, and a new section which avoided heavy industrial traffic was finished before Christmas, in Bridgwater.

I don't think we are at a stage whereby the car is replaced by the cycle, but we are closer to the cycle being viewed as a safe and convenient alternative.

However it's now time for 'boots on the ground' so to speak - it's fairly pointless to build cycleways into town if they aren't going to be used- the next challenge might only involve ourselves. To stop viewing cycling as a sport or pastime, but rather as a mode of legitimate transportation.
Motorhead: god was never on your sidehttps://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&client=m ... +your+side
cycle tramp
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Re: The Kar Kulture Kraze (KKK)

Post by cycle tramp »

Cugel wrote: 4 Feb 2023, 2:09pm
What might such an organisation, built to dismantle KKK, look like? Is it possible when the mass media is owned by and run for that same 1%?

Cugel
I'd thought I'd have another go at answering this - and hopefully be more concise.

We don't need an organisation, we just need to be seen riding our bikes, whether its to work, or shopping or to meet a friend or whatever...

Never underestimate the power you have, when you are seen doing something that you enjoy*.

The most famous case in point is Anne Mustoe, who, while travelling on a train in India, spotted a lone Indian person cycling across the plain. This single act (and probably one that the Indian did on a daily basis) was enough to inspire Ann Mustoe to cycle around the world even though she hadn't ridden a bike for decades and couldn't mend a puncture and was fifty years old.
And Anne did. In the time before the Internet, global delivery services, back up logistics teams and specialised bicycle touring equipment, she cycled around the world.. and enjoyed it so much she continued to cycle to far of places up to her untimely death 25 years later.
And no doubt by doing this she encouraged others to cycle as well, through her books and writing.

All of this due was due to one person cycling across the plain at that particular time and place. If that person had gone 'oh, it's windy today, I'll take the car** or walk..' Anne's life would have been totally different.

If we want others to ride we just have to show how well bicycle journeys can slot into our lifestyle.

(*but not that! That is not a spectator sport and should be kept for darken rooms in the night).
(** or donkey and cart or whatever...)
Motorhead: god was never on your sidehttps://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&client=m ... +your+side
Bonefishblues
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Re: The Kar Kulture Kraze (KKK)

Post by Bonefishblues »

I had no awareness of Anne Mustoe. I'll read her RTW book.
re_cycler
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Re: The Kar Kulture Kraze (KKK)

Post by re_cycler »

cycle tramp wrote: 5 Feb 2023, 5:27pm
1 in 10 people now identify as being vegan. It's probably a much higher percentage than those who were vegetarian/vegan that I knew way back in the 1990's could have wished for. It is suspected that a large number of social influencers brought about this change, through the Internet. As it is, the food industry has moved to accommodate this change and its never been so easy to eat animal free as it has now (yes I still do, but I have reduced my animal product consumption).
10% is a lot higher percentage than I've seen quoted recently, that seems normally to be in the range of 1 - 3%. Although if you were to ask the question in January I'm sure you'd get a greater response than the rest of the year.
Carlton green
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Re: The Kar Kulture Kraze (KKK)

Post by Carlton green »

cycle tramp wrote: 19 Feb 2023, 8:20am
We don't need an organisation, we just need to be seen riding our bikes, whether its to work, or shopping or to meet a friend or whatever...

Never underestimate the power you have, when you are seen doing something that you enjoy.

If we want others to ride we just have to show how well bicycle journeys can slot into our lifestyle.
^^ This. High and arguably highest in importance amongst the things we can do to change the car culture is for our bikes and for us to be seen going easily about our daily business using either a push of electric bike. Cycling should NOT be first associated with sporting activities but rather first associated as a form of everyday transport - have a bike with a large ‘basket’ on it for your shopping bag, work bag, or leisure bag. Obviously cycle in ordinary clothes rather than cycling specific clothes.

Arguably another influencing activity is to be seen using public transport - as and where it is still available - and our journey being recorded as a usage statistic.
Last edited by Carlton green on 19 Feb 2023, 9:15am, edited 1 time in total.
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
re_cycler
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Re: The Kar Kulture Kraze (KKK)

Post by re_cycler »

Carlton green wrote: 19 Feb 2023, 9:03am
cycle tramp wrote: 19 Feb 2023, 8:20am
We don't need an organisation, we just need to be seen riding our bikes, whether its to work, or shopping or to meet a friend or whatever...

Never underestimate the power you have, when you are seen doing something that you enjoy.

If we want others to ride we just have to show how well bicycle journeys can slot into our lifestyle.
^^ This. High and arguably highest in importance amongst the things we can do to change the car culture is for our bikes and for us to be seen going easily about our daily business using either a push of electric bike. Cycling should be first associated with sporting activities but rather first associated as a form of everyday transport - have a bike with a basket on it for your shopping bag, work bag, or leisure bag. Obviously cycle in ordinary clothes rather than cycling specific clothes.

Arguably another is to be seen using public transport - as and where it is still available - and our journey being recorded as a usage statistic.
Couldn't agree more, (apart from what I suspect was a typo).
Most cars are utility vehicles, trying to replace one regularly with a sport oriented cycle and a need to wear funny clothing seems to be the wrong approach.
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simonineaston
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Re: The Kar Kulture Kraze (KKK)

Post by simonineaston »

I had no awareness of Anne Mustoe. I'll read her RTW book.
When you've finsished that, you might enjoy Lone Rider by Elspeth Beard, as well, although she used a BMW motorbike.
S
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)
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