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Re:How San Francisco's bike-share scheme became a symbol of ... by ncallaway on Wednesday August 23, 2017 @12:09PM (#15082664)
Are you sure the previous residents didn't advocate for change?

You don't think there's a small chance the previous residents _did_ advocate for change, but their advocacy wasn't effective because it wasn't backed by wealth?

Re:How San Francisco's bike-share scheme became a symbol of ... by mc32 on Wednesday August 23, 2017 @12:24PM (#15082804)
It's not that simple.

For many poor and middle class people bikes were a sign you were poor and could not afford a car. So some people in the middle would avoid biking so as not to look poor.

Upper middle class, having some security and wealth didn't care about "looking poor". They could ride $5000 bikes to display wealth or could ride $50 used bikes, interchangeably. They already had status so bikes were neutral or even positive (I'm active, I'm pro environment, etc.)

Re:How San Francisco's bike-share scheme became a symbol of ... by dionidium on Wednesday August 23, 2017 @02:13PM (#15083750)
Anecdote: I come from a working-class neighborhood. Adults on bikes were roundly ridiculed when I was growing up. There is absolutely no chance (or evidence) that the adults of my childhood had any interest in bike lanes (for exactly the reasons you describe).
Re:How San Francisco's bike-share scheme became a symbol of ... by dionidium on Wednesday August 23, 2017 @02:09PM (#15083718)
Yes. I am extremely confident that newcomer wealthy residents were asking for bike lanes in a way that previous less wealthy residents weren't. You might ask yourself why so many people have an interest in avoiding this explanation. It's just politics.