[*BCM*] More on "Elite Middle Class" Massbikes

[Ethan Woehrling]

>> > Are you saying that a law, such as 'no double parking',
>> > targets the poor? I don't get it.
>>
>> =v= No need to ask "Are you saying ... ?" because as he
>> already wrote, part of the problem is that ENFORCEMENT
>> is disproportionately directed towards communities that
>> are disenfranchised.
>> <_Jym_>

> Really? My sense was that his point was that fines are regressive... a
> $100
> ticket is a mere frustration to a true middle class citizen, but a real
> hardship
> to someone living closer to the poverty line. Did he actually write
> enforcement, or was that your interpretation/memory?
>
> - stomv

*>My thoughts are both. The law in the abstract doesn't have any effect on
anyone. Rather it is the consequences of the law, namely enforcement, that
have a disproportionate effect. It's an attempt to apply an 'equal'
requirenment on two laregely 'unequal' actors.

*>Any given fine has a much larger effect on people with less money, that's
obvious enough. Even a proportional fine based on income still wouldn't
make sense, since you would have to consider disposable income, not raw
income (not to mention savings, and amount of property) before you could
even claim that a fine was 'equivalent' - which make a simple fine a
ridiculously complex matter. In general any form of fine/tax is harder on
the poor.

Yes, fines in general are unfair, but there are only three options availiable to law enforcement:
*Ignore
*Fine
*Jail

As "Fine" is unacceptable to you, would you suggest that "Jail" would be the best solution?  Do you think that the "Lower Classes" are not also more likely  to go to Jail than the "Elitist Middle Class" (well, of course they are).  So this leaves you with "Ignore" as the only option - so Police should "Ignore" crimes that effect cyclists.

*>I think it's also an obvious truth that the actions of police towards a
middle class biker (spandex bike pants, fancy bike - often white in
cambridge) and a poor, often black or hispanic, biker are greatly
different. To deny that is simply to show a level of ignorance and how far
removed you are from the life in a city (not saying that anyone
necessarily on here denies that).

Yes, and police reaction also varies stongly with age (both of cop and citizen).  A senior citizen (of any ethnicity) is far less likely to be arrested for riding a bike than I am.

*>I also believe that this isn't the fault of bad police, or racist police
(nor a poorly planned fine), but of problems that are much more
fundamental. I'm not advocating that Massbike apply a vulgar marxist
analysis or any such nonesense, but be mindful that the issues that are
encountered in bike advocacy are largely systematic and not functional.
This is why I would contend that while with the best of intents, Massbike
applies solutions to problems that are heavily biased by the class
character of massbike (whether their solutions are 'right' or 'wrong' is a
whole other issue), which is largely middle class.

Nah, can't agree with your conclusions.  You have stated that penalties for breaking the law is "Classist", and that Law Enforcement is "Classist".  Ergo, by trying to legislate for better rights for cyclists, Massbike is "Classist".  From what I understand if Massbikes are "-ist" about anything then they are "Bikeist" and look with equal contempt on people who would trouble cyclists - with no care as to whether they are rich or poor, the "Classist" tag only comes into effect with the enforcement of what they want.  So really you should be angry at "the cops" or "society as a whole" and not take it our on Massbikes.




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