Cycling Forums - View Single Post - Two cyclists attacked and beaten in Portland

01-17-2007, 07:26 PM

In article <ubhpq29qj22s32n120m1hqdjipu1e676fa@4ax.com>,
Mark Hickey <mark@habcycles.com> writes:
> tomkeats@bud.garden.local (Tom Keats) wrote:
>
>>So I have the feeling these victims may have been
>>picked-on because they were /perceived/ as "rich chicks"
>>with fancy, expensive bikes, sticking their /perceived/
>>Conspicuous Consumerism in other people's faces.
>>
>>Or maybe the perps thought the cyclists were gay,
>>and it's a case of [misguided] gay-bashing?
>>
>>I dunno.
>>
>>But as a life-long city boy, I do know when I'm
>>confrontin'. And I know when to back-off.
>>
>>I guess these ladies didn't.
>
> Would you say the same about if the victims had been black and a group
> of affluent white girls had attacked them because of their hip-hop
> dress and attitude? If only they had "backed off"...
>
> Exactly how DO you "back off" when your "insult" is being white and
> riding a bike? Personally, I'm not quite sure how to do that. I've
> ridden thousands of miles through predominantly black neighborhoods
> and never realized that I needed to "back off".

My mind's eye pictures the account in question as
a group of bullies challenging any oncoming potential
victims, by blocking their path. I wouldn't be
surprised if the oncoming cyclists unwittingly
answered their challenge by being unwilling to
deviate from the bike lane, and all hell
subsequently broke loose.

It's a mistake to ascribe bullying as an intrinsic
trait to any "race", culture or ethnicity. I note
you verify that yourself when you say: "I've ridden
thousands of miles through predominantly black
neighborhoods and never realized that I needed to
"back off"."

As for me, I've never ridden through a predominantly
black neighbourhood. But I have ridden as much as
you through predominantly working-class, mixed
industrial/commercial/residential neighbourhoods
with an ethnic blend of immigrants, post-WWII/Cold War
refugees, colonists, indigenous people, and others.
I bet your "predominantly black" neighbourhoods are
equally prone to bullyism as my blended neighbourhoods.

Because it's not about "race," or culture, or ethnicity.
It's about what makes individual punks' minds tick.

My gut instinct tells me these cyclists were
arbitrarily ambushed. The Obvious Ambush is one
of the gregarious bullies' favourite tactics; it's
terroristic in nature. You can either go through,
or go around. Whichever you choose, they "win".
It's generally better to go around (or, to "back off.")
So, hell, why not just accuse 'em of terrorism and send
'em off to Guantanemo?

That one witness uncorroboratedly states hearing /a/
(single) "racial" slur is simply not enough to pin this
incident on "racism" -- that's just too much of a stretch.
But it smacks of just plain ol' bullying, by just plain
ol' People.

cheers, & there's no such thing as "race" among homo sapiens,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

01-17-2007, 07:26 PM	#64 (permalink)
Tom Keats Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Two cyclists attacked and beaten in Portland In article <ubhpq29qj22s32n120m1hqdjipu1e676fa@4ax.com>, Mark Hickey <mark@habcycles.com> writes: > tomkeats@bud.garden.local (Tom Keats) wrote: > >>So I have the feeling these victims may have been >>picked-on because they were /perceived/ as "rich chicks" >>with fancy, expensive bikes, sticking their /perceived/ >>Conspicuous Consumerism in other people's faces. >> >>Or maybe the perps thought the cyclists were gay, >>and it's a case of [misguided] gay-bashing? >> >>I dunno. >> >>But as a life-long city boy, I do know when I'm >>confrontin'. And I know when to back-off. >> >>I guess these ladies didn't. > > Would you say the same about if the victims had been black and a group > of affluent white girls had attacked them because of their hip-hop > dress and attitude? If only they had "backed off"... > > Exactly how DO you "back off" when your "insult" is being white and > riding a bike? Personally, I'm not quite sure how to do that. I've > ridden thousands of miles through predominantly black neighborhoods > and never realized that I needed to "back off". My mind's eye pictures the account in question as a group of bullies challenging any oncoming potential victims, by blocking their path. I wouldn't be surprised if the oncoming cyclists unwittingly answered their challenge by being unwilling to deviate from the bike lane, and all hell subsequently broke loose. It's a mistake to ascribe bullying as an intrinsic trait to any "race", culture or ethnicity. I note you verify that yourself when you say: "I've ridden thousands of miles through predominantly black neighborhoods and never realized that I needed to "back off"." As for me, I've never ridden through a predominantly black neighbourhood. But I have ridden as much as you through predominantly working-class, mixed industrial/commercial/residential neighbourhoods with an ethnic blend of immigrants, post-WWII/Cold War refugees, colonists, indigenous people, and others. I bet your "predominantly black" neighbourhoods are equally prone to bullyism as my blended neighbourhoods. Because it's not about "race," or culture, or ethnicity. It's about what makes individual punks' minds tick. My gut instinct tells me these cyclists were arbitrarily ambushed. The Obvious Ambush is one of the gregarious bullies' favourite tactics; it's terroristic in nature. You can either go through, or go around. Whichever you choose, they "win". It's generally better to go around (or, to "back off.") So, hell, why not just accuse 'em of terrorism and send 'em off to Guantanemo? That one witness uncorroboratedly states hearing /a/ (single) "racial" slur is simply not enough to pin this incident on "racism" -- that's just too much of a stretch. But it smacks of just plain ol' bullying, by just plain ol' People. cheers, & there's no such thing as "race" among homo sapiens, Tom -- Nothing is safe from me. Above address is just a spam midden. I'm really at: tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca