Bikes, e-bikes, e-scooters, e-skateboards, motor scooters, e-Citi Bikes, app-based meals supply, yadda yadda and so forth… Sure, vehicles stay essentially the most harmful factor on the market, because the advocates will incessantly remind you, however solely essentially the most obstinate New Yorkers refuse to acknowledge that the entire aforementioned issues have made strolling across the metropolis extra fraught in recent times. Advocates say it’s as a result of vehicles take up an excessive amount of house which leads to battle, cranks say it’s as a result of bikes needs to be registered and their riders licensed, however happily one metropolis councilmember has a surefire resolution that requires none of that–a brand new PSA:
The “Gradual Your Roll, Respect The Stroll” marketing campaign is already off to a implausible begin:
Not solely does it rhyme, however varied advocacy teams are behind it:
By the way in which, not like the “Gradual Your Roll…” marketing campaign, the supply employee minimal pay price hike he refers to above is definitely promising, as a result of the thought right here is that the extra the supply staff are paid the much less they’ll should hustle, which is able to in the end permit them to journey extra safely. It’s solely been a number of weeks or one thing, however true to kind Streetsblog is already calling it a hit:
I daresay it’s just a bit bit untimely to announce victory at this level, however maybe with sufficient incentives for meals supply folks within the type of monetary incentives and advantages we are able to ultimately remove all urgency from the career altogether and induce USPS-level lethargy and apathy, thereby fully neutralizing the menace. (And please don’t deliver up postal shootings, there hasn’t been a kind of since a minimum of 2022.)
As for PSAs, I’m far much less optimistic, and also you’d suppose no person in metropolis authorities remembers the Don’t Be A Jerk debacle of 2011:
Regardless of harnessing the star energy and comedy stylings of John Leguizamo, this marketing campaign didn’t succeed, and within the ensuing years there’s been a documented 468% improve in jerky bicycle owner habits.
Alas, town by no means learns, and in February 2020 they went all in on puns once they launched the “Billy By no means Idles” marketing campaign:
This was forgotten in a matter of weeks as everybody began freaking out over the coronavirus and idling of their vehicles for hours on finish as they lined up for nasal swabs. Nonetheless, metropolis officers maintained they have been merely one musical artist-themed play on phrases away from ending all of the world’s issues, and in April of 2023 they created a brand new anti-dooring PSA involving Chubby Checker’s 1960 rendition of “The Twist:”
Was it merely the comfort of the title? Did information point out that the demographic liable for the dooring are sufficiently old to recollect the track? If the latter, it was a very misguided concept, since no person sufficiently old to have danced to “The Twist” remains to be bodily capable of flip their head whereas opening a automotive door. Regardless, the marketing campaign was such a failure that I didn’t even learn about it till I began scripting this publish–although it was extraordinarily profitable in that it made me understand that Chubby Checker remains to be alive, one thing I had not recognized beforehand. Actually you may see him this month at Niagara Falls:
Good for him. Might he stay lengthy sufficient to someday door a bicycle owner in New York Metropolis, which might clearly be horrible, although it could even be the final word in irony, and even truthful recreation for laughter if the bicycle owner have been to return out of it unscathed.
Transferring on, whereas I could also be obsessing over the Jones, I’m additionally spending quite a lot of high quality time with the Homer, although you may see I’m type of having winter street bike withdrawal as I’ve eliminated the rear rack:
Additionally, I can’t make sure, however I believe the bars could now be a tiny bit decrease than the saddle. In Rivendell phrases, that’s tantamount to a slammed stem, in the identical manner that in Victorian occasions this was mainly pornography:
[NSFW…assuming you work as a 19th century scrivener.]
I really like that bike. Between the Jones and the Homer this winter isn’t any match for me.
Talking of Rivendells, there’s one on this video:
I don’t imply to choose on Celebration Tempo Russ, however I used to be deeply traumatized by his try and take away his grips with out an air compressor:
At which he in the end gave up and went to a motorbike store:
Most of you recognize extra about bikes than me and it’s uncommon that I’m capable of assist, however please notice that for those who ever must take away grips from a bicycle, all you need to do is the next:
- Stick one thing actually skinny between the grip and the handlebar. (He’s making an attempt to make use of zip ties nevertheless it’s a lot simpler for those who use one thing that doesn’t bend. I take advantage of a really small Allen key.)
- When you’ve bought no matter it’s in there, simply lean the bike over and pour in some rubbing alcohol
- Give it a number of seconds then begin twisting (hat tip Chubby Checker) and I promise it’ll come proper off
You’re welcome. Now that’ll be $100.
Additionally, I had barely recovered from that trauma once I noticed he was utilizing a threadless stem adaptor on a Rivendell:
Look, I do know folks ought to use no matter works for them. Virtually talking, there’s no cause to not use a threadless stem adapter if it yields the top end result you need. Nonetheless–and that is simply my very own private hang-up–threadless stem adaptors make me extraordinarily uncomfortable, and so they make me trebly so on a Rivendell. Once more, that is simply me being a complete weenie, and I do know I sound like a typical Web commenter doofus, however I’m simply being sincere, and to me it’s like feeding a cat pet food.
I mentioned what I mentioned.
