To MR: my apology
Thread started by
md2 at 08.26.09 - 11:43 am
Over the years Ive posted (under forgotten usernames/passwords), and recently more under md2 (finally remembered/found this name)....
There have been times when Ive been critical of a ride, and only (as i can recall) because of a tendency to either choose a route that does not consider the group as a whole (too many hills knowing people are on cruisers, old age, bmx, and not having a stop or stopping to let others catch up), and also for being careless in where they lead (i.e. riding in bad areas, and bad times--what if someone gets stranded?).
Alex Thompson recently pointed to something true, and easy for people like me (a person who love to joke around), that people cannot read the lack of ill will in a post (its all you have)... sarcasm is sometimes missed, and where bullshitting for bullshitting's sake is meant -- people can be hurt or more simply, just take posts to heart, so to speak.
Overall, I think sometimes we ("I") act as if the ride is a force of it own, and not as if some person(s), took the time and effort to design and implement. Ive always had this in the back of my mind...sort of poking at me... though its a forum, not everyone takes sarcasm and jokes the same--my latter years have made me softer (at times).
So, to all the organizers past and new: I apologize if my comments somehow take away from your efforts. Its not easy creating a ride. Though Im still critical of leaders who jump on the opportunity (without much understanding)... I think those who do it with care and genuine interest deserve respect (my respect).
MR has given Los Angeles something really special.
I understand (to an extent) the sentiments of those who rode early on (and even those earlier), who has become disenchanted, so to speak with MR of late (post 2006). The problems are quite difficult to solve because the tension between a public ride, with principles of not being exclusive in conjunction with who exists in our public; sometimes everyone's "other" principles are not inline.
We live in a complex society. We were all kids once. Much of cycling was/is grown through rebellion or saying who says i cant ride here (e.g. bmx street). As many know cycling didnt start with MR (i know its a shock to some), but Critical Mass in Los Angeles did (as far as Ive understood).
With that Ive been unfair at times to MR, when highlighting what I think has died. Lucidity is lost on forums (the posters fault). But I never gave up on believing MR is a key element in changing Los Angeles cycling (and beyond). We need MR.
Though there is reason to joke, help, tease, dabble in pointlessness. You have a poster called "md2", because I never forgot that very first ride, when it didnt matter who you were or what your past entailed...if you had a bike, and will to have fun -- Welcome to Midnight Ridazz.
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Nice mea culpa. We all joke here but I think most of us care about MR. There will always be the distractors and the people that want MR to fail, but those who care will keep it alive.
Foldie08.26.09 - 11:50 am
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this is why i try not to switch between nice and assturd 'me'. this causes confusion amongst people. so i just choose to be the latter.
_iJunes08.26.09 - 11:52 am
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I suspected you were someone else and posting under this disguise but after reading this you couldn't possible be that person.
Md2, who are you?
Debut21308.26.09 - 12:02 pm
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yeah who are you? because you know who i am.
_iJunes08.26.09 - 12:04 pm
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I agree with you on this one ijunes.
Your an a-hole 95% of the time.
Debut213 responding to a
comment by _iJunes
08.26.09 - 12:05 pm
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only in front of the http://
_iJunes responding to a
comment by Debut213
08.26.09 - 12:06 pm
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what? you couldn't take the heat so you are getting all soft on us?
snowcone08.26.09 - 12:08 pm
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dont start dude...
Please... are you going to bring some real heat? Or should I just ignore your post and move on?
md2 responding to a
comment by snowcone
08.26.09 - 12:22 pm
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oh, did you get my package? ;D
i made that for you.. exxtra special ;D oh yes
it's very delicious indeed! ;D
please enjoy, borfo ;D
snowcone responding to a
comment by Joe Borfo
08.26.09 - 12:34 pm
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You! why do you ask?
You're already trying to instigate something... and you know Im down to fuck with you, but I know how you respond... thus, just leave it alone.
md2 responding to a
comment by snowcone
08.26.09 - 12:37 pm
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your answer is utterly ludicrous my dear lad. if you could take a joke, you wouldn't be here right now
i don't try to instigate anything. i just stand up for what i believe--relentless
snowcone responding to a
comment by md2
08.26.09 - 12:42 pm
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tupac rest in peace? AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
snowcone responding to a
comment by Joe Borfo
08.26.09 - 12:54 pm
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What are the other usernames you have used?
barleye responding to a
comment by md2
08.26.09 - 1:00 pm
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Forums are such a recipe for lies and theatrics.
See you guys on the rides! :)
braydon08.26.09 - 1:03 pm
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I agree...
I could see this post as being theatrics, though I honestly posted this in response to the following by AT:
"I get sucked into it. I read it, I get upset, and I get involved in the argument. It makes ride organizing suck. Hell - I think it even hurts the riders experience of the ride - they read this shit and now, because they wanted to go on a ride, they got involved in some nasty online hate."
If the above is true... I'm not really interested in being part of that... I'm getting too old to push the issues about whether someone should lighten up or not, or brush things like forum posts off. If Alex is the lone rider feeling that way.. then maybe my post was in error.
I still wonder why its such an issue for some to read stupid posts or people fucking around on a forum. But some have issues with it, but at this point in my life Id rather joke where its better, and leave the organizers out of it...its just my change of mind...
Since Ive been posting more recently, I sort of got some return interest in identity and such... but I doubt I'll keep posting so much as days go by, so the few interested will fade...
I just know that what matters (in my mind) is that the younger kids understand that MR is something to respect for the reasons AT and others are upset about. I agree with them about their sentiments regarding how people treat the rides. I dont extend that to the forum (i personally dont care what others say--its just a forum). There is difference between assholes being assholes on forums and being such on rides. The latter I have issue with not the former (but thats me).
You can call me an asshole online, but there is no affect. If you break a car window on a ride for fun, you're fucking this up for everyone.
I guess some feel the same about forums. They have an idea of what a forum should be... and people like myself are supposedly ruining aspects of it (quoted above). Okay fine, i get the point... but Im not losing sleep over it, but I think its fair to say in those instances, I do have respect.
I dont want the younger ones to think were all just so fed up with MR, public rides, and the like. We have our feelings, but try, if possible to put our sentiments into context, and try to make MR better. Some of us are getting old, and I think its better to encourage kids to think about being better on rides... the only things is--the same problem has existed for many years.
Yes lies and theatrics are easy...
im rambling I suppose...
I guess I tried to take serious the complaint proposed by AT.
If Im wrong; then Im wrong... But if thats honestly how someone feels, then Im old enough to apologizes (without theatrics too)... im not trying to go that route. Well i posted... so be it.
md2 responding to a
comment by braydon
08.26.09 - 1:28 pm
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u dont need to apologize for anything.
you talked shit on a ride or two.
big fucking deal.
this "community" is full of double standard toting hypocrites and folks who are just hyped about all this bike shit and will soon forget about when some other "obscure counterculture" cool shit comes around.
if you didn't like a ride, say you didn't like it. this is an internet forum. not all things are supposed to be praised.
and again, these are just bike rides. it's not like you called the ride organizer's child ugly or something.
i dont know why people take their rides so seriously. yeah its a fun thing and an awesome ride is well, awesome. but some folks put their ride on a pedestal and act like they just cured some disease. in reality, all you did was put together a fun route and people got drunk as fuck.
it's fine to have some pride in your ride but stop bitching and complaining about it if someone says they didnt like it. who fucking cares? if the guy/girl didnt like it, they won't come back to it.
if ur gonna get so cranky over someone calling ur ride lame, what are you gonna do if you have a kid and another parent calls ur kid ugly?
KiMS1 responding to a
comment by md2
08.26.09 - 1:38 pm
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and to add on to my rant,
if you don't like someone, don't fucking go posting on twitter about it.
that's so fucking childish and pointless you little bitch.
KiMS108.26.09 - 1:42 pm
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¡ʞɔnɟ ¿uʍopǝpısdn ǝʇıɹʍ ı ƃuıɥʇʎɹǝʌǝ sı ʎɥʍ
Joe Borfo08.26.09 - 1:45 pm
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just because you don't understand why some people take their rides as seriously as they do, doesn't mean they don't have good reason for it. i am an organizer and i've talked to many veteran organizers about the rides. the reasons are not all the same, but they are all valid.
snowcone responding to a
comment by KiMS1
08.26.09 - 1:45 pm
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so are you one of the organizers that bitch and whine when someone doesnt like your ride?
why do you care about their opinion?
organize your ride the way you want it. if someone doesnt liek it, then tell them to fuck off.
this really isnt that complicated of an issue.
ITS A BIKE RIDE.
ITS A BIKE RIDE WHERE PEOPLE WHO PARTAKE DRINK AND SMOKE WEED.
THESE ARE RIDES WHERE YOUNG HIGH SCHOOL KIDS COME TO GET FREE BEER.
there should be other things in your life that you should take seriously, such as having a job that pays your bills, not parasiting off your parents, making sure your health is in tip top condition.
if these rides are top priority in your daily life, so top priority that you get this wound up over it, then you need a reality check
KiMS1 responding to a
comment by snowcone
08.26.09 - 1:54 pm
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my rides are too small for people to complain about them on the forum... so i don't know about all that
why
should there be other things in a person's life?
once again... since you don't understand the importance of rides in peoples' lives, you have no place to talk. obviously, you don't enjoy riding that much. you have expressed this before. i'm not sure why you are even here because you don't seem to like anything about it.
snowcone responding to a
comment by KiMS1
08.26.09 - 1:58 pm
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Can someone get KiMS a stress ball?
Not everything in life is black & white. Go get a massage or something, man... sheesh! You got those angry fingers again!
jonnyboy08.26.09 - 2:15 pm
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i thoroughly enjoy riding. it has nothing to do with MR.
people were riding before MR.
MR is not the central hub for all cyclists.
im on MR because it's an easy way for my buddies and I to organize tuesday night special and other related rides.
i think we do a good job of it bc no one complains nor do we have any drama.
i have pride in my ride but i dont bitch and complain if someone complains about TNS because everyone is entitled to their opinions. i also understand that even though our ride has been consistently going for hte past two years, that it is not perfect. it is what it is. it's a fucking bike ride. not some bike utopia love in where everyone is blinded by this false sense of community.
i dont go to the big MR rides because i dont like dealing with kooks.
i dont like dealing with people getting shot, i dont like dealing with people jacking from stores, i dont like dealing with people getting stabbed, i dont like dealing with people tagging on shit, i dont like dealing with people getting too fucked up and crashing in front of me, i dont like dealing with bikes being stolen, etc.
just because i dont do large MR rides and tell ride organizers to stop whining about complainers doesnt mean i dont ride.
in my book, you're still new to this shit and i fucking guarantee that you're gonna be jaded in another couple years. you're gonna see past all the bullshit.
so don't say i don't like riding because you have no idea who i am.
KiMS1 responding to a
comment by snowcone
08.26.09 - 2:16 pm
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Exactly.
Lead, Follow, or Get the fuck outta the way.
bentstrider responding to a
comment by KiMS1
08.26.09 - 2:18 pm
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kims1 is on her rag... ignore her for the next few days so she can calm down
snowcone08.26.09 - 2:18 pm
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I just use the above quote as a guide for everyday life, more specifically, the part about getting outta the way.
bentstrider responding to a
comment by snowcone
08.26.09 - 2:20 pm
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i admit, it has been a long day,
but my point is, there's always going to be complainers.
but whatever ride you're organizing, that's YOUR ride that YOU put effort into organizing.
why are you going to let a few shit talkers get you down so hard?
who fucking cares?
i'm sure there are a few heads that hate TNS because we're a bunch of assholes.
what do i care? they can go fuck themselves.
my friends and our regulars have a blast and we dont have any drama.
on a different note,
im not sure if yo uhave a canon set up but have you shot with the EF 28mm f/1.8 usm?
if you have, how do you like it?
KiMS1 responding to a
comment by jonnyboy
08.26.09 - 2:23 pm
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man... every post is talking about something a little different
i was just talking about how it's okay for people to take their rides seriously.
i agree with most of the rest that you are saying. but i would have worded it better :D
snowcone responding to a
comment by KiMS1
08.26.09 - 2:26 pm
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which kinda proves the original post i guess.
SHIT GETS FUCKING TOTALLY MIXED UP IN THIS BITCH.
KiMS1 responding to a
comment by snowcone
08.26.09 - 2:28 pm
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"why should there be other things in a person's life? "
(i dont know how to italicize)
I think for some MR was the best thing that happened to them (friendship wise and such). Sort of like the hipster movement was the best thing to happen to geeks.
But yeah, there should be a lot more in a person's life. I used to do every monthly ride...it was really the only one then... and it was a big deal because I had people for all over meeting up with my group, and then to the ride. It was dope, but we already had a life so to speak, prior to MR.
I think for many MR became their life--which is fine, im not hating.
I understand Kims1. I sort of share his views... and I think Im less inclined to push the issue because it doesnt matter much. but I wanted to make clear that no disrespect to MR itself, because its like hating on an old friend. Just because they've changed doesnt mean they're worthless.
I think its important to acknowledge why MR is not something to just shit on. You can hate, dislike or whatever this or that.... but in the end you have to give credit where it is due.
md2 responding to a
comment by snowcone
08.26.09 - 2:29 pm
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cheers motherfuckers.
cheers and jeers to all.
KiMS1 responding to a
comment by md2
08.26.09 - 2:30 pm
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btw, nice photos.
i just added your ass on flickr.
KiMS1 responding to a
comment by snowcone
08.26.09 - 2:32 pm
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"why should there be other things in a person's life? "
The truth is that it's not anyone's place to say what should be priority in a person's life except for that person. That is what i hoped to express by asking that question.
snowcone responding to a
comment by md2
08.26.09 - 2:33 pm
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see... behind the rants there is a Kims1 and Snowcone friendship, discussing f-stops, and depth of field over a latte...
More reason to stop taking forums personal.
md2 responding to a
comment by KiMS1
08.26.09 - 2:46 pm
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MR folks are always gonna have disagreements but in the end, we're all out for a good ride.
KiMS1 responding to a
comment by md2
08.26.09 - 3:30 pm
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i'm getting all teary eyed.. is someone chopping onions?
snowcone responding to a
comment by KiMS1
08.26.09 - 4:17 pm
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