from Streetsblog.net by Angie Schmitt
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What’s next, WaPo? Kicking off Women’s History Month by by blaming women for the pay gap?
The folks at TheWashCycle have been scratching their heads about this one and they’ve taken the time to write this rebuttal:
It all starts with the title, which online is “Bicyclists are welcome in DC, but they too should obey the law.” Which is confusing as hell, because it seems there is some group who obeys the law that bicyclists can join. But I can’t for the life of me figure out who that group is. A better title would be “Bicyclists are welcome in DC, but they alone should obey the law.” In the paper version the title is “Sharing the Streets: Bicyclists welcome. But please obey the law.” Which is better, but I could hardly see the same message aimed at any other group. It seems to be proposing the old quid pro quo – if you obey the law, you’ll be welcome; which is a standard no one else is held to. If I break the law, then ticket me, but I have a right to the road and I don’t need the paper to tell me I’m welcome to use it anymore than I need them to tell me I’m welcome to vote.
Has the Post ever written an editorial asking drivers to obey the law? And considering drivers kill 200 times as many people as cyclists do in DC, they’re going to need to write articles like this about drivers once a week for four years just to balance it out.
https://streetsblog.net/2011/05/03/wapo-happy-bike-month-scofflaws/oldId.20110504073327318