Uncategorized – Uppity Bike Commuters Collective

The seeds of the UBCC were planted through an interaction that occurred while working as a bike messenger in Philadelphia. An automobile driver rode up next to me at a stop sign and shouted, “Aren’t you all Uppity!! Riding your bike in the street!!” This stuck in my memory for many years. Later on, while living in San Francisco, a school colleague was run off the road by a Fed Ex truck while riding her bike. Ideas about creating a statement concerning the bicycling transportation experience appeared. These thoughts were shared with a circle of bicycling colleagues: We decided to create visibility. Turning the Tables on absurd ( sometimes dangerous ) encounters: We decided to get each other’s backs. The Uppity Bike Commuters Collective was created. Features 5 core members: Professor Crank, Dr. K, The Unicorn, Notorious D.A.V., and Mr. Bubble(S.).

The Uppity Bike Commuters Collective recognizes and celebrates access to self-directed movement in a common public space while asking the question:” Why do people feel compelled to harass other people who are riding bicycles?” In contrast to presumed cultural nonsense: The UBCC ( UBC ) proclaims the perspective of bicycle transportation to be necessary for a functioning democracy. Plus, the UBC promotes the bicycle as a catalyst for creating community, solidarity, and personal independence. By publicly interacting with and (re) – creating these scenarios through stickers, posters, and t-shirts: The Uppity Bike Commuters Collective creates dialogue, unveils cultural mechanisms, and affirms connections of community support.