Comments on: San Diego Activists Incensed Over Removal of Ghost Bike http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/11/24/san-diego-activists-incensed-over-removal-of-ghost-bike/ Covering Los Angeles's livable streets movement Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:06:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: bikinginla http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/11/24/san-diego-activists-incensed-over-removal-of-ghost-bike/comment-page-1/#comment-3163 bikinginla Tue, 25 Nov 2008 01:07:46 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=1426#comment-3163 I saw my first ghost bike a couple of years ago, and while I had no idea who it was for or what had happened, I found it absolutely devastating. On the other hand, my non-cycling wife didn't notice it until I pointed it out to her -- despite passing that intersection on a regular basis -- and had no idea what it was once I did. And that's the problem. While we cyclists are painfully aware of them, most drivers have no idea what a ghost bike represents or why it's there -- and they're even less likely to notice one than they are the cyclist they're about to run over. We need to find a way to educate people outside the cycling community about ghost bikes, so we're not just preaching to the choir. I saw my first ghost bike a couple of years ago, and while I had no idea who it was for or what had happened, I found it absolutely devastating. On the other hand, my non-cycling wife didn’t notice it until I pointed it out to her — despite passing that intersection on a regular basis — and had no idea what it was once I did.

And that’s the problem. While we cyclists are painfully aware of them, most drivers have no idea what a ghost bike represents or why it’s there — and they’re even less likely to notice one than they are the cyclist they’re about to run over.

We need to find a way to educate people outside the cycling community about ghost bikes, so we’re not just preaching to the choir.

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