More anti male crap: Cyclists in London are too white, male and middle class, says bike tsar over the rise of 'Mamils'.

_Leukocyte_ · 2018-05-29T12:34:28+00:00

A country that is 89% white and 49% male has some white males.

Shocker.

tenchineuro · 2018-05-29T12:51:49+00:00

Mamils - middle aged men in lycra - are dominating London's cycling scene
London's bike tsar Will Norman has vowed to diversify cycling in the city
Schemes for women and minorities to take to two wheels will be rolled out

Who is this Will Norman?

Lycra-clad packs of middle aged men zooming around the capital are becoming a 'problem' according to the London Mayor's cycling tsar, Will Norman.

What, exactly, is the problem here?

Lethn · 2018-05-29T13:00:09+00:00

This is one of the most racist things I've ever read in awhile, forget MRAs average people anywhere I think should not be afraid to let these people know they are pieces of shit. London has a rising crime problem that even the left wingers are getting concerned about and he cares about how many white people are cycling on the roads? Fuck off, I want a revolution in my country.

Ted8367 · 2018-05-29T13:06:04+00:00

too white, male and middle class, says bike tsar

The Tsar manages to be racist, sexist, and classist, all in one short sentence. Now that's economy!

Bike tsar, oh dear. Bring back Ken!

Rethgil · 2018-05-29T19:18:19+00:00

I am really starting to get upset as this causal demeaning of white men, it’s just horrible people celebrating that they have a target to be horrible to. These are the same people that would have been racists to blacks 50 years ago.

ThatNinaGAL · 2018-05-29T15:09:36+00:00

If the article wasn't complete shit, it would have pointed out that adding bike lanes. etc. in certain parts of the city primarily benefits the existing cycling demographic, and that expanding the cycling infrastructure to other areas might encourage wider adoption of cycling - which is the goal.

But if you just said that, without this degrading "Mamil" bit, then the story would not be very compelling, because nobody remotely disagrees with the idea of adding more bike lanes and encouraging more Londoners to start using bikes for daily errands.

thrway_1000 · 2018-05-29T13:00:09+00:00

Why does this racist still have a job?

Archive -- https://archive.is/bSS6W

NAWALT_VADER · 2018-05-29T18:52:45+00:00

The article states "lycra-clad packs of middle aged [white] men zooming around the capital are also becoming a problem", and then goes on to point out that "too few females and people from ethnic minority backgrounds are taking to two wheels around the capital".

It goes on further: "Despite millions being pumped into the cycling infrastructure in London the majority of those making use of it are middle aged men. At present, black, Asian and minority ethnic groups account for about 15 per cent of cycled journeys in London..." So, middle aged white men make up the vast majority of people in the city who are using bikes as a means of transport. That is the problem?

Further down the article, it clarifies that "The target that we have set out in the mayor's transport strategy is over that 25 years we want to shift to 80 per cent of journeys to be walking, cycling or by public transport." The ACTUAL "problem" seems clear then.

If fingers need to be pointed at any gender or ethnicity, it seems clear then that those fingers should NOT be pointed at white men. Middle aged white men seem to be the only ones doing the right thing for their city and the environment, by using the bike lanes. The PROBLEM then, is that the women and minorities are not using the bike lanes. The author of the article purposely flips it around to specifically demonise white men, when they are the only ones doing the right thing. Crazy world.

Of course, it is probably better not to go around pointing fingers at a gender or ethnicity. Just encourage everyone, regardless of who they are, to bike more.

RingosTurdFace · 2018-05-29T21:38:18+00:00

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

An activity which is no way at all discriminatory, open to everyone and is completely and utterly up to your choice (unless your husband won’t let you go out in “immodest” cycling gear) is apparently is need of overcoming stereotypes.

Bike shops aren’t discriminatory. Regardless of colour, sex or sexual orientation, they’ll see you a bike. They want the money.

Roads and cycle lanes don’t give a shit about you or your colour (they’re fucking inanimate objects). They will hurt just as much when you hit them regardless of your race however.

Employers won’t give a shit as long as you turn up on time and don’t get hit by a bus on the way in. If they’re racist however, then you just won’t get a job, regardless of your chosen means of transport to work.

The only things I can think of that would exclude people from cycling are: 1. Being disabled 2. Being so poor you can afford a bike. 3. Your strict husband not letting you out in lycra ‘cos every man in a white van will be leering at his wife’s arse and probably making inappropriate comments to her whilst she rides past.

This cycling czar dickhead with white middleclass guilt therefore should (if he wishes to overcome any prejudices in cycling) get more disabled people with no money on bikes. For absolutely everyone else (except wives of strict muslims) it is a choice.

/rant

2018-05-29T19:33:36+00:00

Cycling is racist and sexist now? People have too much free time

azazelcrowley · 2018-05-29T17:30:11+00:00

So Minorities and Women aren't doing their part in this area for the environment, but this guys toxic progressive mindset has to cast this as white mens fault because that's the only type of conclusion he can draw. Rather than acknowledge an aspect white men are doing better at that other people should copy and catch up with, and celebrate them doing so, be just up and decides to berate them.

Is there anything actually preventing minorities and women using these cycle paths? No.

Anything discouraging them?

Maybe if they're racist/sexist and don't go into Jazz clubs because they see too many blacks around.

Sorry, white males and cycle lanes.

But that's all social progressivism is these days, racism and sexism repackaged.

TracyMorganFreeman · 2018-05-29T20:03:25+00:00

"Single largest group along those dimensions is too large."

When you think there's a right or wrong number of a certain group, you're the bigot.

EndTimesRadio · 2018-05-30T01:06:11+00:00

Hey, kinda getting where he's coming from with regard to the MAMIL noninclusivity, but it is more a class thing than anything else.

I know my bikes- seriously, been best of'd for comments regarding them, I've worked shops, bike shares, nonprofits, raced, restored, flipped bikes, built wheels, the works.

There's a real snobbery to bicycling that turns a lot of people off, and it comes from biking being the new golf for executives and office workers who have sort of 'cracked the code' on beating rush-hour traffic. (Bikes are pretty immune to traffic patterns.) Combined with the fact that overwhelmingly the MAMIL crowd is overcompetitive ex-runners (who themselves are prima donnas) who are defensive over a knee injury or something, and it's pretty easy to get discouraged about joining a really neat hobby.

Most of them sneer at anything that isn't full carbon of at least highly drawn out aluminum- but why? Chromoly steel is stronger/endures better than either material in most regards, and is far cheaper and not much heavier, especially if repeatedly butted. But if you look at what most people buy, it's not the stuff that's well suited for the purpose of commuting or actually getting around. Niche blogs have cropped up for people who are looking to get in on bicycling but who aren't MAMILs.

Lovely-Bike being a great example of helping people with reviews of bikes and equipment- vintage, or for women, or for the 'non-MAMIL' crowd in general, and bikeyface in the Boston area drawing comics about the phenomenon and bike culture at large for the 'everyday biker'. These writers are riders- true, honest, hardened riders. I know everyone here's probably defensive about their hobbies being pushed at from people with blue checkmarks who spout and whine endlessly about inclusivity in their rags, but who aren't really a part of the community (e.g., Sarkeesian), but I think there's a point to be made here.

However, I think that Bikeyface, LovelyBike, and programs like the Citibike/Boris Bike program and e-bikes are making biking accessible to everyone and do far more progress to making it accessible as an activity, than whatever this stupid "Bike Tsar" is proposing. It's England, of course it's going to be majority white. And yes, you can be harassed when on your bike- I myself had some old broad screeching at me while I was in the bike lane over being in the bike lane. She hit my bike with her car in the process of an argument and I've reported her to the police.

So yes, it's not something for the faint-hearted, lots of drivers are just plain shitty. If I was 5'3" and 100 lbs., I'd be even more scared of an altercation (I know, 200 lbs. vs. tons of steel isn't exactly a winning combination either, but at least if they get out of their car I can handle myself), and props to littler people for being out there, and there frankly aren't many super-short riders. This is reflected in the lack of bike options for people sized 4'11" through 5'4." I've had a few short girlfriends and I've had to custom-build their rides for them, and they won't go out on their own because they're frankly too scared to. But that isn't to do with the MAMILs, that's to do with the drivers being shitheads.

To solve congestion we've gotta encourage the maximum number of people to ride. But shaming people for their sex and gender for the activity we're trying to encourage more to be a part of is not a winning strategy, especially when it's targeted at the majority of those potential activity-doers. What a dumb idea, Bike Tsar.

Rethgil · 2018-05-29T21:44:45+00:00

The irony is that, when you think about it, this actually means that they SHOULD be criticising women, not men: because whilst men are behaving as they'd like, and being 'Green', its the WOMEN who are refusing to get off their arses and on to a bike.

TheStumblingWolf · 2018-05-29T22:14:46+00:00

I can't even.... This is beyond retarded.

25511367325325869452 · 2018-05-29T18:52:45+00:00

I feel even if black women rode helicopters instead of bikes, they'd still find a way to make them look oppressed

reddituser_1000000 · 2018-05-29T14:59:55+00:00

It's almost TOO LOGICAL.

practeerts · 2018-05-29T12:35:20+00:00

I mean, it's framed in a kind of silly way, but the objective goal of getting more cyclists is fine.

Title	More anti male crap: Cyclists in London are too white, male and middle class, says bike tsar over the rise of 'Mamils'.
Author	furchfur
Upvotes	102
Comments	48
Date	May 29, 2018 12:27 PM UTC (8 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/MensRights
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/MensRights/comments/8myowd/more_anti_male_crap_cyclists_in_london_are_too/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/MensRights/more-anti-male-crap-cyclists-in-london-are-too.1177662 https://theredarchive.com/post/1177662

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