Promoting Violence Against Cyclists

[telegirl]

Take a look at this CafePress Link:

http://www.cafepress.com/bull****4u

*Note that clicking on the link won't work because the word that is in between bull and 4 u is an obsenity, so is not postable. I think that most of you can figure out that it is a word that starts with 's' and ends with 't'....

It is advertising t-shirts, etc. that says "I don't share the road" and shows a car hitting a bicycle.

I wrote a note to CafePress wondering if this is in line with their policies, but haven't heard anything.

[Kitsune06]

The people who are selling these shirts are... well... I think we can all think of a term that starts with 'A' and ends with 'holes'.

Unbelievable. Freedom of speech allows these ("D" ...ends with "its") the right to express their ("D" ends with "ss") opinion, no matter how misguided or wrong it is.

That said, they put that sticker on their car, and as if by magic, my keys might just have dust on them the same color as their paintjobs! Amazing how that works, isn't it?

And if they practice what they preach, can you IMAGINE how the media would CONDEMN some d*p***t who actually hits and kills a cyclist with this bumper sticker on his car? (if, y'know, they don't drive off like cowards...)

[SheFly]

I just sent in a message as well:

Can you please tell me if this company truly supports this? If so, I will post on web forums and tell all of the cyclists that I know to boycott your organization.

As an avid cyclist who was almost killed by a car just last night, while I was LEGALLY riding on the road, I am truly offended by this merchandise. We have a hard enough time with motorists without having to see merchandise like this.

My suggestion is that you pull this merchandise from your inventory. I would appreciate hearing from you regarding this matter a quickly as possible.

I did get a ticket number: LTK30041906349X

I propose that all of us flood them with emails - maybe we can get them to
pull the merchandise...

SheFly (fuming)

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I just wrote to CafePress to complain as well.

[Zen]

There are limits to freedom of speech.
You are beyond your rights by shouting "fire" in a crowded theater or promoting vehicular manslaughter.

I have registered my grievance with cafepress and have alerted my bike club to do the same.

This is the letter i sent -

Do you plan to remove this from your inventory?
Our society is full of enough anger and violence without products like this being sold.
The graphic clearly shows a bicycle being hit by a car. This depicts possible vehicular manslaughter.
Is this really what you want your company associated with?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Unbelievable. Freedom of speech allows these ("D" ...ends with "its")

"Dimwits"??

Freedom of Speech may legally allow it, but CafePress has every right to pull it off it s site if it deems it inappropriate.

Write in your complaint!

[mimitabby]

I wrote:

Are you guys aware of the products you are selling? You are actually encouraging people to injure other people? Not only is that immoral, but illegal. (Shirts that say don't share the road, send bicyclists 40 feet into the air?)
how about showing a little bit of moral responsibility here!

[TsPoet]

Please tell me someone is going to post this on bikejournal !!!!

[mimitabby]

okay, I posted it on bj

[mimitabby]

bj is highly monitored. they removed my post!!

i'll try again!!

[Jolt]

I also just sent them the following message:

I am writing to let you know that I do not find any humor in the t-shirts etc. for sale on this site that say "I don't share the road" and/or show a picture of a car hitting a bicycle. As a cyclist who rides on the roads (which is where bicycles belong--not on the sidewalks), I am disturbed that someone would have this type of attitude and sell merchandise that is intended to incite such violence. Free speech is one thing, but encouraging people to injure others and flaunting one's (supposed) willingness to do so is crossing the line. Thank you for your concern.

[bikerchick68]

I sent an email to CafePress as well...

then I sent it to the San Diego Bicycle Coalition and every cyclist and bike club I know of here...

thanks for bringing this to our attention... unbelievable. Every single commute I ride by the memorial for Capt. Klokow hit and killed on Kearney Villa Rd last year... they put a ghost bike up.

nothing remotely amusing about it.

[Eden]

I put a post up on Cycling Forums as well - though they are a fairly crude bunch so many of them may find it to be funny.... but it is another world wide cycling site so hopefully the more reasonable members will quietly send protests to cafe press.....
(unfortunately that forum these days seems to have degenerated into a lot of name calling over who believes whom as far as doping scandals goes..... they are getting downright nasty to one another and not posting to much useful info lately)

[Batbike]

Yes, it can REALLY REALLY happen ... cars can and will hit cyclists and KILL them -- happened over Memorial Weekend in Lynchburg, VA. LOTS of media coverage because the cyclist is a prominent heart surgeon. Maybe his death will help make more people aware of bikes on the roads ... one can only hope!

http://www.wset.com/news/stories/0507/427136.html

[smilingcat]

I may have been born in the year of rooster but still, I should be able to cross a street, a 4 way stop intersection, without getting flattenend. (why did the chicken cross the street? to get flattenened?) It was my turn at the intersection and the guy not only ignored me but he gave me his finger as he almost clipped the front of my bike. And for these reason, the posters/stickers/t-shirt really isn't harmless fun. me thinkth... Just this past weekend no less.

For the uneducated, ill informed, the drawings in question further legitimizes a very lethal behavior. The man who tried to run me down wasn't a young guy. He was middle aged pudgy ??(*. And I'm sure he wouldn't have had any remorse had I gone down. To him, the drawing just reinforces his belief.

Where is the police when you need one?? Only happened twice in my life...