You know, I’m a big fan of music and I like to start off my ‘Stacks with a shuffle from my device, and maybe make a comment. So, for today we have this one…
It's that same sing-song on the radio
Makes me sad
I meant to turn it off
To say goodbye
To leave in quiet, that radio song (see ya)
Hey, hey, hey (ha-ha)
Radio Song, from one of my favorite late 80’s bands, REM. In the early 90’s, I think they started to go off the rails. But the 80’s? I love what they did. This is from 1991’s Out Of Time, and it led things off. Great song. I don’t have much more than that. Man, I would be the worst music critic of all time. I’d be all they suck, or great band. But I know what I like, and that’s enough for me.
You know, I’m more into my analog journal these days, and that occupies the time I used to dedicate to ‘Stacking. And, if you hung on every word I farted out … well, you might want to let your counselor/therapist know that.
I’m also staying away from the political shit on here. Why? Mostly, I just don’t give a shit either way. I got too much other, more important stuff to give mental bandwidth toward. I’m getting older, closing in on 60, and I have a lot of corrupted memory that can just never be reformatted or defragged.
But. But I just could not pass this one up, as it itches the On A Bike part of Duck On A Bike. This might be the most appropriate Independence Day ‘Stack I’ve made, to be real.
What… and I can not possible emphasize this enough… in the actual Hot Fudge, Britain? For real. The heck is going on here?
Cycling no handed violates the 2nd article of the Human Rights Act? Is that the right to life? ... I think we're done with that, it's rather silly isn't it?
If that’s the case, that if violates the Human Rights Act, than I’m getting the electric chair for my accumulated offenses.
Look, I don’t like to use the pejorative Karen, or at least I try not to, because I have a good friend I went to High School with whose named Karen. But this? I make an exception. This is a Karen move. This is what happens when you give a shrill harpy with an outmatched sense of superiority too much power, and that’s all backed up with the state sanctioned monopoly on lethal violence. Cuz whachagonedo? In a sane world. the officer doing this would be summarily fired, and would spend the remaining years of her employable life putting the fries in the bag.
This is a great and nearly perfect example of how Liberal, Western Nations have surrendered to the monstrous Bureaucratic State. I call it Anarcho-Tyranny. The Anarchy part is due to “the police” refusing to enforce real, actual and damaging crime. The Tyranny is going hard as nails on shit that doesn’t matter. Like getting a ticket for riding with no hands.
The constabulary/police/authorities of Great Britain absolutely looked the other way as organized, systemic rape gangs stole the virtue of England for a generation, raping and sexually assaulting young girls and literally got away with it. This is to the collective national shame. But ride with no hands?
Here’s the deal, and take it from someone who knows a thing or two about riding the pedal bicycle, cycling with no hands is an essential bike handling skill. Every rider knows how to do, they learn how to do it on day two of riding the bike. Day one is spent crashing to the ground learning to ride, but I digress.
Kids will show off riding with no hands. And by kids, I mean Tadej Pogačar;
Good enough for Tadej, good enough for literally every other damn person on a bike.
This is an essential skill because by doing so, you learn that you steer with your hips, not your hands. You also develop better balance. And there will be times you need to go no hands, like when you need to take off a jacket or arm warmers. Or you just need to stretch. Plus, it’s just fun. This is so important, YouTube mega-channel for cycling GCN did a whole spot on it;
Worse than Hitler.
Here’s another thing; next year the Tour starts in England. I’m guessing the entire field will be fined, and half in prison, before crossing the channel back into France. This cop is probably wetting her trousers in anticipation. It’s like her super bowl.
The great threat to life in the cycling world, which this moron/cop is going on about, are idiots holding signs to go viral, and be seen on TV, all the while not paying attention to what’s happening down stream. Remember this from a few years ago?
Tony Martin rode full gas into that cardboard, and about 3/4 of the peloton stacked up with him. Going the speeds they were going (which was less than 10Km to the line, so easily around 30 plus mph) hitting that flimsy cardboard is liking hitting a wall. Tony snapped his clavicle, and a whole year of training for this specific race was suddenly shat away. Just like that! So, yes, we need to ticket randos in London to make up for it.
Peter Sagan was one of the greatest cyclist of his generation. He is a seven time winner of the Green Jersey, and the only Back to Back to Back, three times in a row, World Champion. And, with no doubt, the best bike handler I’ve ever seen;
No hands AND RIDING A WHEELIE. I’m thinking London cops would call in a sniper to take out this monster.
Also, I just remembered, there are whole subsets of cyclingIndoor Cycling where they do nothing but ride no hands. This is all sanctioned by the UCI, the sports governing body, and the subgroup is Indoor Cycling. For example, there’s Cycling Gymnastics;
War criminals…
You like Soccer on a bike? I gotcha, fam;
Cycleball is what it’s called, and I’m like 3 middle school kids; I just can’t even.
It’s dumb, giving a ticket for riding with no hands. We should all be in agreement with this. Left, Right and Center. If I got this sort of ticket, I would fight it all the way to the Supreme Court, if I could. Thankfully, it’s America and we aint there. Yet.
Let’s end with a photo of the great Fausto Coppi, one of my all time favorite cyclist because he was so damn cool, riding on the track, no handed, and having a sip of cappuccino, whilst reading the paper;
Absolute class.
Great post. Humorous and dismaying at the same time.