What Do You See?

 What do you see in these pictures?

You've probably had some teacher, professor or, uh, official of the law ask you that question.

Of course, in any photo, some things are incontestably true.  On the other hand, other things are, if you'll indulge me a cliche, "in the eyes of the beholder."

In the polarized, hyper-politicized atmosphere that is today's America (It now seems weird to call this country the United States!), people will infer, correctly or not, your sympathies when you describe what you see.

Juxtaposing a photo of Joe Biden on his bike with that of Donald Trump disembarking from his plane is meant to show how far removed the current President is from the legal proceedings in which his predecessor finds himself.  To some, however, it shows a leader who's out of touch in contrast to one who's being "persecuted" by an unjust system.  

All right...I'm going to reveal my leanings --as if you haven't already figured them out!  Nobody can do any job 24/7.  Everyone needs physical and mental relaxation.  So, I don't begrudge Joe Biden, any more than I'd begrudge anybody else, for going on a bike ride. And, as much as I hate to engage in "whataboutism," I'll say that we didn't hear a peep from same people who criticize Joe for mounting a saddle and pedaling when Trump was cheating, I mean, playing golf.

Ride, But Don’t Cross!

 

Why didn’t the cyclist cross the road?

No, I it’s not an “ironic” version of an old joke.  I reckon, though, that the punchline could be, “They couldn’t get to the other side.”

And it would accurately describe what cyclists encounter on a new bike lane in Newcastle, England.

 Carved out of Heaton Road, one of the city’s main thoroughfares, it features separate traffic signals for the auto traffic and bike lanes.

That would make perfect sense if they were timed so that cyclists could cross without having to worry about being struck by a turning car or truck.  The problem is that the signals don’t allow cyclists to cross at all.

Not legally, anyway.  According to local riders, the signals for cars operate normally.  The bike signals, on the other hand, are permanently stuck on red.

It’s as if the local authorities want to legitimize motorists’ complaints that cyclists are “always running red lights.”

A Path To Inclusion And Integration

An industry is booming. So it needs workers, especially those with the specific skills that industry requires.

There is a group of people who need jobs.

The solution seems obvious: Train the people and steer them toward those jobs.

An organization in said industry is doing exactly that for a particular group of people.

Bike New York is best known for running the Five Boro Bike Tour. It’s also become known for its programs that teach people how to ride. Bike New York CEO Ken Posziba, who calls the Tour “the world’s most inclusive bike ride,” explains that those classes—and ones aimed at training formerly-incarcerated people as bike mechanics—as extensions of that inclusivity.

The five-week training program not only trains the former inmates how to fix bikes and e-bikes.  It also makes them part of the mechanics’ union  and sets them up with job interviews—which, for them, is often the most difficult part of integrating or re-integrating into the job market and society in general.

This program, called Bike Path, is an example of how cycling can be not only inclusive, but also “transformative,” as Posziba says:  Bicycling can transform our environment just as getting the skills and professional (and personal) connections that lead to employment can transform someone’s life. Just ask Vincent Casiano, who got a job with Citibike upon completing the course.