A good friend spent some precious hours at my place recently. He posed an enticing and intriguing question. Should he remain at our place of employment and try to enact real change from inside the machine? Is it possible to move up the ladder and truly effect global change on idealistic subjects within an organization devoted to objectives that have little to do with idealism?
For once in my opinionated life I had no answer other than to state that I was fascinated by the question and would like time to consider and another opportunity for discussion on the topic. And being me, I also said we should bring the topic up at work. Keep in mind "our place of employment" is one of those global empire shops with notions of changing the world in the name of commerce, while not making too much mess socially (is this even possible, do those in leadership even believe this intriguing paradoxical premise?). Is there truly any appetite for social change or is it just a prop to keep 'evil' out of the empire moniker?
Immediately I was internally castigating myself for waffling. My friend said he marvelled at my thought to bring it to the corporate discussion forum. Just when I think I've totally sold out, a darling political friend thinks perhaps not.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Recently on Lincoln Avenue and the Naked Bike Ride
A few days ago on a balmy evening walking down Lincoln Avenue, I was intrigued with this snippet of conversation.
"What, are we in China now?! There's a guy pedaling a rickshaw!" I cannot help but add IN TONES OF OUTRAGE. The guy was offended at a bicycle-based ride service, on a perfect night for such travel. I only caught fragments of the diatribe to follow, but it seemed to be some sort of class-based rap, how could we...wealthy, urban Chicago not only offer but suffer this option on our fancy pants bar, cafe, almost-no-one walks-here-but-for-drink-street? For moments on a warm, youth infested/invested strip of urban street, we had third-world-ism in our midst. Conversation was provoked.
In Cambodia the seductive and always quietly uttered "Tuk tuk" signals the presence of a cyclo (a 150cc motorcycle with mpg's exceeding 100) attached to a sedan cab with seats available. A beguiling ride through the streets of Phnom Penh or another large city is much more relaxing than racing around on the back of said cyclo itself or sealed inside an automobile style taxi-cab. Even better in our fair city on a relatively quiet evening to grab a seat in a mercifully silent, bicycle powered ped-cab. Never mind that growth in Asia is in double digits, while we struggle to hit 2%while continuing to live as if we too grow in double digits anywhere except at the waistline.
A bit of trivia from wikipedia -
Cycle rickshaws are known as cyclo (pronounced see-clo)
in Cambodia and Vietnam, cycle rickshaw in India and Bangladesh, trishaw traditional Chinese,simplified Chinese, pinyin: san lún che), from "tricycle rickshaw", in Malaysia and Singapore, becak in Indonesia and bicitaxi or taxi ecologico (literally "ecological taxi") in Mexico. In the Philippines, they are called tricycle/traysikel, traysikad, pedicab, or padyak. Cycle rickshaws are known as saika in Myanmar, a transliteration of English "side car". In the United Kingdom and United States cycle rickshaws are more widely pedicabs. In Buffalo, New York, this type of vehicle is known as a bike taxi. In Thailand, any three-wheeler is called samlor which literally means "three wheels"), whether motorized or not, including pedicabs, motorcycles with attached vending carts or sidecars, etc. The driver is also called samlor. True, Thai auto rickshaws are known in popular parlance as tuk-tuks, but in Thai the latter usage as well as its characteristic style is largely restricted to Bangkok and Chiangmai.
Back to Lincoln Avenue: The chatter from the more-enlightened companions of this urban traffic fashionista was in praise of bicyle culture and having additional
leisure travel options. You can see somewhat more at 4 mph than at 30, they patiently explained, while avoiding the atmospheric and wallet-draining effects of gasoline. Not to mention caloric and revenue advantages for our heroic rickshaw entrepreneur! I like to think the eye of this anti-rickshaw storm was simply providing profound possiblities of conversation and continuing thought, for which I thank him from my heart.
Minutes later, I came home to the treat of the last few moments of the Naked Bike Ride brigade parading through my 'hood, darkly and musically exuberant on joyful display. The excitement of a sudden and unexpected arrival of hundreds of cyclists, singing, whistling and yet quiet with only peddle power was magic. Maybe we are ready for change. The fact that they were gorgeously supported with full police escort on the first reasonable weather moment in our strange June through the park on Stockton added to my impression of a Brigadoon moment, soon vanished. I love my city and I'm proud of our commitment to change.
I salute those who rode! You have made my life better forever, hope is the right course. Thank you.
"What, are we in China now?! There's a guy pedaling a rickshaw!" I cannot help but add IN TONES OF OUTRAGE. The guy was offended at a bicycle-based ride service, on a perfect night for such travel. I only caught fragments of the diatribe to follow, but it seemed to be some sort of class-based rap, how could we...wealthy, urban Chicago not only offer but suffer this option on our fancy pants bar, cafe, almost-no-one walks-here-but-for-drink-street? For moments on a warm, youth infested/invested strip of urban street, we had third-world-ism in our midst. Conversation was provoked.
In Cambodia the seductive and always quietly uttered "Tuk tuk" signals the presence of a cyclo (a 150cc motorcycle with mpg's exceeding 100) attached to a sedan cab with seats available. A beguiling ride through the streets of Phnom Penh or another large city is much more relaxing than racing around on the back of said cyclo itself or sealed inside an automobile style taxi-cab. Even better in our fair city on a relatively quiet evening to grab a seat in a mercifully silent, bicycle powered ped-cab. Never mind that growth in Asia is in double digits, while we struggle to hit 2%while continuing to live as if we too grow in double digits anywhere except at the waistline.
A bit of trivia from wikipedia -
Cycle rickshaws are known as cyclo (pronounced see-clo)
in Cambodia and Vietnam, cycle rickshaw in India and Bangladesh, trishaw traditional Chinese,simplified Chinese, pinyin: san lún che), from "tricycle rickshaw", in Malaysia and Singapore, becak in Indonesia and bicitaxi or taxi ecologico (literally "ecological taxi") in Mexico. In the Philippines, they are called tricycle/traysikel, traysikad, pedicab, or padyak. Cycle rickshaws are known as saika in Myanmar, a transliteration of English "side car". In the United Kingdom and United States cycle rickshaws are more widely pedicabs. In Buffalo, New York, this type of vehicle is known as a bike taxi. In Thailand, any three-wheeler is called samlor which literally means "three wheels"), whether motorized or not, including pedicabs, motorcycles with attached vending carts or sidecars, etc. The driver is also called samlor. True, Thai auto rickshaws are known in popular parlance as tuk-tuks, but in Thai the latter usage as well as its characteristic style is largely restricted to Bangkok and Chiangmai.
Back to Lincoln Avenue: The chatter from the more-enlightened companions of this urban traffic fashionista was in praise of bicyle culture and having additional
leisure travel options. You can see somewhat more at 4 mph than at 30, they patiently explained, while avoiding the atmospheric and wallet-draining effects of gasoline. Not to mention caloric and revenue advantages for our heroic rickshaw entrepreneur! I like to think the eye of this anti-rickshaw storm was simply providing profound possiblities of conversation and continuing thought, for which I thank him from my heart.
Minutes later, I came home to the treat of the last few moments of the Naked Bike Ride brigade parading through my 'hood, darkly and musically exuberant on joyful display. The excitement of a sudden and unexpected arrival of hundreds of cyclists, singing, whistling and yet quiet with only peddle power was magic. Maybe we are ready for change. The fact that they were gorgeously supported with full police escort on the first reasonable weather moment in our strange June through the park on Stockton added to my impression of a Brigadoon moment, soon vanished. I love my city and I'm proud of our commitment to change.
I salute those who rode! You have made my life better forever, hope is the right course. Thank you.
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