🚀 go-pugleaf

There are already plenty of people who are bicycle haters.  I don't think any message will change their attitude.  I also don't think that people who are on
the fence or people who are pro-bicycles will be influenced one way or another by this message.

If we dropped all messages that some bigot somewhere would find offensive, we'd have to stop communicating altogether.

Just because some people will scream violent epithets, use their cars to make violent physical threats, and occasionally assualt cyclists with their vehicles
is no reason to stop being pro-cycling.

Just by cycling, you're sending an anti-car message to many people.  Should we stop cycling, so that we don't offend these people?

BTW, if someone put's a "Car-Free By Choice" sticker on their briefcase and then boards a train, does that cause people to hate trains?

Jack Dingler

Bill and/or Mary Clarke wrote:

> Would a "Smoke-Free By Choice" bumper sticker be considered
> an anti-smoking message?  Yes! - given the tension that
> exists between smokers and non-smokers.
>
> I also think that a "Car-Free By Choice" sticker sends an
> anti-car message.  Is that your intention?
>
> I think that cyclists, particularly utilitarian cyclists are
> frequently viewed as eccentric, anti-car, out of the
> mainstream.  This public image makes ordinary people less
> likely to identify with and emulate the cyclists they see.
> It hurts efforts to get more people riding bikes.
>
> If you wish to see fewer people on bikes in the future, then
> continue to display anti-car stickers on your bike.
>
> Bill Clarke
> Greenbelt, MD
>
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