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cptjeff t1_iyapb6v wrote

Reply to comment by DC8008008 in NPS and DDOT moving ahead with road redesign in East Potomac Park. One vehicle lane on Ohio Drive from the East Potomac Golf Course to Hains Point and back to Buckeye Drive will be replaced with a dedicated bicycle and pedestrian lane. Work expected to begin next month by mistersmiley318

I raise it because this is one of those "structural racism" things the kids talk about.

Yes, the cyclists are a pretty racially diverse group. It's great. But it's a far whiter crowd than the picnickers, who are nearly 100% minority, so forcing the picnickers out would have a disproportionately harmful impact on minority groups.

And while bikes are on average cheaper than cars, the car is a necessary tool for most people, while every bike I see down there is ridden for fun, not for practical transportation. They're $5000+ toys. It's also worth noting that housing close enough to the core to bike to everything is far, far more expensive than the difference between car ownership or not. Recreational cyclists, especially the captial C Cyclists, are a wealthy bunch, no two ways about it.

The fact that you need this stuff explained to you is pretty disturbing, TBH. Did you crash without a helmet one too many times?

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DC8008008 t1_iyatyl0 wrote

Can you read? This isn't just about cyclists. A large number of pedestrians use the park. They would benefit if we closed off part of it to cars.

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cptjeff t1_iyav08h wrote

The pedestrians arrive in cars. So no, they wouldn't.

Hanes Point is an isolated location that is pretty much entirely inaccessible without some sort of personal vehicle. If you ban cars, you are forcing everybody who is not willing or able to bike there out, aka everyone who doesn't use the park exactly like you do. It's not all about you. Learn to fucking share.

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DC8008008 t1_iyavpkk wrote

Hey dipshit, there would be parking available on the perimeter of the park.

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cptjeff t1_iyawti7 wrote

Define perimeter of the park. Because the way I see it, that's exactly how it's configured now. A road around the perimeter with small lots and curb parking.

Do you mean parking on Buckeye Dr, a mile and a half away from the main picnic area, a mile and a half for people to drag their grills, coolers and large tents?

Face it bro, banning cars in the park is stupid and racially discriminatory. Stop digging. The only thing banning cars does is help cyclists. It hurts all other users.

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CaptainObvious110 t1_iydu4yo wrote

Say that to the people who refuse to drive their motor vehicles in a responsible way. Why is that so hard to do?

Why can't they get off of their phones and pay attention to what they are doing and if they lack the ability to do that then they don't need to be in command of a vehicle that weighs thousands of pounds.

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cptjeff t1_iyed5i5 wrote

> Say that to the people who refuse to drive their motor vehicles in a responsible way. Why is that so hard to do?

I do do that. But at Hanes Point, I've flat out never seen somebody driving dangerously. People I've seen there drive slowly and cautiously and then park and go about what they're doing in the park. Obviously it happens, but most drivers behave themselves.

And drivers can't share in a responsible way if they're banned. You realize this thread is about a moron talking about banning cars entirely, not sharing, right?

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[deleted] t1_iybjyhg wrote

[deleted]

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cptjeff t1_iybrmxo wrote

You do realize you can buy working cars for just $2000 or so, right?

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CaptainObvious110 t1_iydtr76 wrote

How far would they have to go to do their cookouts if cars were banned?

As far as bikes being $5,000 that doesn't represent the normal folks that are on their bikes every day. Both of my bicycles combined were about $1,000. Paid in full at the time of purchase

I use my bike for recreation, yes and that's not a sin. But to be honest, I do food delivery on it, get my groceries with it bring laundry to the laundry mat. Virtually every thing I need to do or want to do is on a bicycle.

Need to carry extra passengers there are bikes for that kids? There are bikes for that.

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cptjeff t1_iyedr4j wrote

> How far would they have to go to do their cookouts if cars were banned?

If you banned cars from the Ohio loop and forced them to park on Buckeye, a mile and a half. From the golf lot, about a mile. It's not a short loop. That is a very long way to walk lugging heavy coolers and whatnot.

> Virtually every thing I need to do or want to do is on a bicycle.

And you think that that even remotely applies or should apply to everybody, you are monumentally delusional and self centered. Not everybody lives like you or is interested in the things you're interested in. Some of them are interested in things you're not interested in, like big family barbecues in a park, moving items over 30 pounds for more than 100 feet, or having access to park space while being disabled. I get that this proposal would benefit you. I don't fucking care. It would hurt a lot of people who aren't you. Each of them has equal right to use the park.

All I'm saying is that you need to realize that a public space like Hanes Point has a variety of users with a variety of needs. Banning cars would force out a huge number of users. It's a disgustingly exclusionary proposal that only somebody who flat out resented the existence of people in any way different from them could make. So, your average capital C Cyclist, I suppose.

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