American writer has a rant at "bicyclists"..

downfader
downfader Posts: 3,686
edited April 2009 in Commuting chat
...and it appears to have failed on his selfish demeanour miserably. :twisted:

http://www.statenews.com/index.php/arti ... n_sidewalk - found in the CTC newsletter

Oh loook!!!! Theres an email address, too. Perhaps I should email him and let him know the world is now frowning at him? :wink:

Comments

  • defdaz
    defdaz Posts: 37
    I might be wrong but having skimmed the article it appears to be a rant at a very small (tiny!) section of bike riders - those at his campus. That's enough for a news story in a state newspaper? *boggle*
  • jimmypippa
    jimmypippa Posts: 1,712
    But the rules seem similar to the UK:

    comment on tthe thread...
    04/09/09 @ 8:36am


    Uh .. Z .. there are things called “facts” that journalists are supposed to be concerned about .. so —

    Biking Regulations on Campus

    http://www.bikes.msu.edu/msu_regulations/index.html

    “ .. Since bicycles aren’t legally allowed to ride sidewalks on campus ..”

    This is as gross an error as D. Bobby claiming Slippery Barry had endorsed single-payer .. when, in fact, Slippery Barry had NOT …

    Facts. They’re hard.



    I liked this comment too:
    I would think this was a troll if I haven’t read the quality of your previous work (your last piece about how uninformed you are was another winner).

    Do your research, this would be an embarrassment on a blog, let alone a “newspaper.”

    Motorists like you make riding on the road dangerous
  • PBo
    PBo Posts: 2,493
    hi defdaz,

    it's the michigan state university newspaper, not the state.

    explains why this sh1t3 gets printed :roll: - some doofus journalism major trying to polish his CV - but what is it they say about polishing a turd?

    PBo
  • Sirius631
    Sirius631 Posts: 991
    PBo wrote:
    hi defdaz,

    it's the michigan state university newspaper, not the state.

    explains why this sh1t3 gets printed :roll: - some doofus journalism major trying to polish his CV - but what is it they say about polishing a junk?

    PBo

    The auto sensorship routines strike again! Was that meant to be 'polishing a t*rd'?
    To err is human, but to make a real balls up takes a super computer.
  • downfader
    downfader Posts: 3,686
    I beleive he is doing a university journalism course of somekind after having read the rest of his text on that page.

    I love the comment via the guy who says (paraphrased) "I know your car, now. I'm telling the police you hit me!" :lol:
  • PBo
    PBo Posts: 2,493
    I can't believe i can't say t*rd on a forum!!!! :o

    and why choose junk as the replacement???

    Test list for auto censorship:

    faeces
    crap
    shite
    poo
  • PBo
    PBo Posts: 2,493
    Pass!
  • hisoka
    hisoka Posts: 541
    WHAT THE FECK????
    Ludicrous article I have to say
    "This area left purposefully blank"
    Sign hung on my head everyday till noon.

    FCN: 11 (apparently)
  • downfader
    downfader Posts: 3,686
    PBo wrote:
    Pass!

    :lol:
  • Eau Rouge
    Eau Rouge Posts: 1,118
    http://noise.typepad.com/boot_bike_bus/ ... words.html

    A follow up interview where he tries to pretend it was just sarcasm.
    I don't see the "Have I Got News For You?" Team hiring him as a script writer...
  • NGale
    NGale Posts: 1,866
    I know the MSU campus well from previous visits (plymouth university is partnered with MSU and I follow the Basketball and Ice Hockey programme there) and cyclists are a bloody hazard on that campus. there have been a few times when I have been cycled at and abused by some twonk student on a bike.

    It really is a matter for the campus police to be dealing with rather than trying to id me all the time when I was drinking in the student bar!! (i'm 31 so well over the age limit in any country)

    Also unlike student newspapers here in the UK, student news and radio is taken very seriously by the people of the wider community in the US and is often the main source of local news, so it isn't just the student community that read it.
    Officers don't run, it's undignified and panics the men
  • downfader
    downfader Posts: 3,686
    Eau Rouge wrote:
    http://noise.typepad.com/boot_bike_bus/2009/04/the-power-of-words.html

    A follow up interview where he tries to pretend it was just sarcasm.
    I don't see the "Have I Got News For You?" Team hiring him as a script writer...

    Wasn't a wise move by him. I sent him an email on my thoughts as I think articles like this lead to provocation or provoke themselves. I loved this bit on him in the blog:
    Zack is a junior at MSU, majoring in journalism and international relations.

    400 emails from around the world will perhaps give him a lesson on "relations" :?
    ngale wrote:
    I know the MSU campus well from previous visits (plymouth university is partnered with MSU and I follow the Basketball and Ice Hockey programme there) and cyclists are a bloody hazard on that campus. there have been a few times when I have been cycled at and abused by some twonk student on a bike.....

    Thats the same story the world over. There needs to be a greater emphasis on our responsibilities on the road - I'd like to see adverts telling newbies "this is how you signal and why.. this is why you stop at lights.." etc.

    My understanding is that this happens the world over. A few bad eggs and a few who havent yet been educated on the reasons why we should cycle a certain way only to find out the hardway, even if that means a scare.
  • NGale
    NGale Posts: 1,866
    downfader wrote:
    Eau Rouge wrote:
    http://noise.typepad.com/boot_bike_bus/2009/04/the-power-of-words.html

    A follow up interview where he tries to pretend it was just sarcasm.
    I don't see the "Have I Got News For You?" Team hiring him as a script writer...

    Wasn't a wise move by him. I sent him an email on my thoughts as I think articles like this lead to provocation or provoke themselves. I loved this bit on him in the blog:
    Zack is a junior at MSU, majoring in journalism and international relations.

    400 emails from around the world will perhaps give him a lesson on "relations" :?
    ngale wrote:
    I know the MSU campus well from previous visits (plymouth university is partnered with MSU and I follow the Basketball and Ice Hockey programme there) and cyclists are a bloody hazard on that campus. there have been a few times when I have been cycled at and abused by some twonk student on a bike.....

    Thats the same story the world over. There needs to be a greater emphasis on our responsibilities on the road - I'd like to see adverts telling newbies "this is how you signal and why.. this is why you stop at lights.." etc.

    My understanding is that this happens the world over. A few bad eggs and a few who havent yet been educated on the reasons why we should cycle a certain way only to find out the hardway, even if that means a scare.

    In the states I'm just worried these cyclists may be tooled up into the bargian...needless to say I don't say anything, I like my life and my legs where they are, :lol:
    Officers don't run, it's undignified and panics the men
  • downfader
    downfader Posts: 3,686
    NGale wrote:
    In the states I'm just worried these cyclists may be tooled up into the bargian...needless to say I don't say anything, I like my life and my legs where they are, :lol:

    I dont blame you :lol:
  • System_1
    System_1 Posts: 513
    I didn't get past the headline and the first two paragraphs I'm afraid. I've high enough blood pressure as it is, I can live without reading the narrow minded shite that no doubt followed. He's got a face that could do with a Glasgae Kiss as well. Arse.

    And "bicyclists"? Reminds me of an American guy I met in a pub last summer who introduced me to his mates as a "cycler" :lol:
  • Mike Healey
    Mike Healey Posts: 1,023
    The editor later stated that it was an attempt at satire. This was my feeling when I read the piece, since he seemed to be clearly putting together all of the kinds of comments made by other bloggers/columnists.

    Very heavy handed, but it still brought out the cycling community in droves and produced some very good letters. All in all, it seemed to me to have done considerably more harm than good, whatever his motives.
    Organising the Bradford Kids Saturday Bike Club at the Richard Dunn Sports Centre since 1998
    http://www.facebook.com/groups/eastbradfordcyclingclub/
    http://www.facebook.com/groups/eastbradfordcyclingclub/
  • always_tyred
    always_tyred Posts: 4,965
    The editor later stated that it was an attempt at satire. This was my feeling when I read the piece, since he seemed to be clearly putting together all of the kinds of comments made by other bloggers/columnists.

    Very heavy handed, but it still brought out the cycling community in droves and produced some very good letters. All in all, it seemed to me to have done considerably more harm than good, whatever his motives.

    Surely it was simply a rant, followed by offense and outrage, followed by a plausible explanation as to why such tosh got printed in the first place? This seems more likely than some underlying master plan from the outset.
  • Woo, he got completely burned! Nice one 8)