cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/54045255

I have adopted the habit of ignoring red lights.

Rationale: If cars did not exist, cyclists would never have to stop. Every time I must stop at a traffic signal it is to cator for motorists who are mostly a self-serving detriment to public health and safety. #FuckCars.

I used to obey all the traffic rules but after coming to the realisation that much of my time is wasted and my journey is downgraded so copious lazy people can exploit a luxury (some demographics aside). Fuck that. I now run red lights like crazy.

Now I must consider that Tesla may fuck up my lifestyle because Tesla is a moving point of unchecked uncontrolled surveillance. Theoretically, Tesla could be grabbing the faces of cyclists. It could offer to report cyclists who run reds. It could sell that info to law enforcement. Am I overthinking this or is this a problem to watch out for?

OTOH, I am somewhat looking forward to a day when I can spot when a car is self-driving and (if I can ever gain confidence that they won’t mistake me for a tumbleweed) I would happily take liberties -- to cut-off the car and force it to slow down and give way. I hope that tactic can go from dream world to real world.

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/41784050

BBC World News is talking about this today. The linked article covers a finding that links air pollution to accelerated Alzheimer’s disease. This article puts science behind the obvious: cyclists absorb more air pollution than car drivers.

Do we need a study that also proves cars cause air pollution? If yes, that’s covered too.

So the question is, will there be a smart reaction to all this?

Should govs supply high-quality respirators to cyclists at no cost? (Ideally funded by car registrations or fuel tax)

Should this drive creation of a cycling infrastructure that completely removes cars from more streets (pedestrianisation), and more cycle paths not next to streets or shrubbery barriers?

I caught one of those motherfuckers who needlessly park shared e-scooters in bicycle racks. He seemed to be taking a picture of his sabotage of the space cyclists need to lock their bicycle to.

Why is this plague of Google-boot-licking shared e-scooter people attacking our bicycle racks (I have been wondering)?

There are laws banning those scooters from blocking sidewalks and doorways. I assume the e-scooter company would get the fine for illegal parking, which they would need to pass on. So (I’m guessing) users photograph their parking job for self-defense from a fine. Is that correct?

Are they just keeping a personal copy of those photos, or does the app require users to transmit the photos? If they are being transmitted, does that mean the e-scooter companies are complicit in a limited resource (bicycle racks) getting clusterfucked?

What is the recourse for individual action? Ideas:

• stack the scooters in a pile in the bushes whenever the racks are fully packed by shared scooters.
• put stickers with a red prohibited sign over a scooter on the racks. But of course the problem with that is that it’s fair enough if a personal scooter is locked to a rack. And also unlocked/shared bicycles are the same problem. What is a graphical symbol that represents shared micromobiles but not personal ones? We could list them out (Lime, Bolt, etc) but there are too many and they keep changing. Would an e-scooter with a wi-fi symbol be clear?
• lock the shared vehicles to the racks where they sit. It’s sacraficial, but sends a msg that costs them money (thus a msg that will not be ignored). Not cheap for the activist.
• pile the shared machines together and lock them together, perhaps using the built-in lock from one of the shared e-bikes.