As you are probably aware, Thumbs Up Thumbs Down treads a fine line in avoiding malicious or defamatory material.
Although I appreciate the value of free speech, I fear the article’s potential to foster hatred at the “Down’ end.
An example of mis-understanding concerns the item of Thumbs Down referring to cyclists yelling at each other.
I would guess that the offended party is hearing cyclists not yelling “at” each other, but “to” each other. It is probable that they are providing warnings of “glass left”, “hole middle”, “car back” to each other. These are intended to make the ride safer and often are intended as a means of courtesy to others. Unnecessary yelling is frowned upon amongst riders due to awareness of the potential for disturbance. The sound heard by the author is most probably the sound of humans helping each other.
Perhaps, the author is observing and giving a thumbs down to a symptom, not the cause (eg. the glass, the pothole, the cars).
I am tempted to respond with a host of Thumbs Down. Not to the sound of humans helping each other, but to the offence of humans using machines to express their aggression through burnouts, sports exhausts, turbo air releases. or to the offence of humans who would use a sledgehammer to kill an ant, eg. drive a 4wd to the shop to get the milk, or use same to get their kids to school instead of using the bus, park in a bike lane, then complain about the traffic – and the list goes on.
But what’s really sad is that, while I hear cyclists and think “how cool, it’s people up riding bikes, that’s nice, what a great place to live”, there are people who bring us down by finding another way to hate. They give fuel to those who would hate cyclists for wearing colourful lycra, while they fear wearing anything other than black, for being healthy while they are fat, for emitting smug instead of smoke. Entries into Thumbs Down such as this feed envy and hatred – I am confident you are aware of this.
So, given negativity’s not really my scene, I don’t have a thumbs down… I have a thumbs up…
“Thumbs Up to people riding bikes – great for health, great for the world. It’s part of Port’s identity and one of the things making it such a great place to live.”
And sweet dreams to people who will now sleep sound, safe in the knowledge that there are humans outside doing something nice.
Jai Cooper
