Uppity Bike Commuters Strike Again, This Time at Fell and Masonic

L. Frank Baum visits Fell and Masonic crosswalk

Uppity Bike Commuters likely deal with this all the time at Fell & Masonic

We haven't seen Uppity Bike Commuter work since last August when the underground UBCers slammed a building exterior on Hayes Street with these anti-war, pro-bike posters. They didn't last long; the posters were removed and so was the billboard. With the rising tide of concern for the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists using the crosswalk at Fell and Masonic, UBC has re-appeared with its take on the situation.

Taped to the signal box on the east side of Masonic near the Panhandle Path, we found this latest UBC poster entitled "BEWARE THE WHEELERS." In case you're a bit rusty remembering other works of writer L. Frank Baum, the excerpt is from Ozma of Oz:

BEWARE THE WHEELERS

"That's rather strange," declared the hen, when Dorothy had read aloud the words. "What do you suppose the Wheelers are?"

"Folks that wheel, I guess. They must have wheelbarrows, or baby-cabs or handcarts," said Dorothy.

"Perhaps they're automobiles," suggested the yellow hen. "There is no need to beware the baby-cabs or handcarts; but automobiles are dangerous things. Several of my friends have been run over by them."

Too Uppity for NOPA

Remember the billboard at Hayes and Divisadero that we posted earlier? The anti-war, anti-gas guzzling Uppity Bike Commuters appropriated an apparently abandoned Clear Channel billboard to plaster their poster. No more. The UBC posters are down; the billboard has been removed.

While blogger Dale of Dale's Scene took comfort in the clear brick wall with no advertising of any sort, he exposed other problems nearby with the Harding Theatre. He notes the back-and-forth discourse over the development of the performance and potential housing space, but he finds fault with the landlord's disregard for his property. See the post "Blight on Hayes from the Harding Theatre?" With Divisadero set for its mini-makeover soon, it's time to get the street properties in better shape.

Seen While Biking: War and Oil and Bikes

A comment to yesterday's post from booye in Iran set up the stark contrast between 1000s of San Franciscans' fun through the park and along the ocean yesterday:

"Here in Iran we have better ideas to have fun. For example, Wednesday we are preparing to protest in BAZAR (central market of Iran). They kick us, arrest us, kill us ... coming back home, you are (not) sure whether they have identified you or not. In home, you are waiting for a call asking you to introduce yourself to jail, to be raped by them...this is our great fun."

San Franciscans recently rallied to protest the injustice in Iran that erupted around the recent elections there. Yet booye's account reminds us of the pursuit of justice in the face of the worst consequences that so many people undertake.

The "Uppity Bike Commuters" who plastered a NOPA billboard (at Divisadero and Hayes) push their own take on wars and struggles in the Middle East, but "uppity" pales in comparison to life-and-death protests in Iran.