I recently posted something about being and staying a "lightweight" when it comes to bike advocacy on this blog. That remains my intention. I just ride the way I think best knowing that I have a legal right to do so and leave it at that.
When I heard that my online friend ChipSeal was being denied that same right in Texas despite the fact that he is entitled to it under the law, it made me angry. For me, this isn't about cycling advocacy. It is about a friend getting screwed over. My friend wants to fight for his legal rights by appealing recent court decisions. When I put myself in his place I would want to fight too, but I wouldn't have the money to mount a good defense and neither does he. I want my friend to be able to effectively fight for his (and every other cyclist's) right to travel on the road, and that is going to cost a fair chunk of money.
It is hard for me to help out directly from way up here in Canada, but that doesn't mean I can't help. I have posted the Donate button you can see on the right side of this page.
You can use it to contribute to something that I think is worthy of every cyclist's attention. If you have a blog or website where you would like to display the same widget, please email me for the code.
The way it works is that people can use it to securely contribute using PayPal or a credit card. That money goes into a PayPal account that is linked to a bank account set up specifically for ChipSeal's legal expenses. Please note that contributions are not tax-deductible.
There are lots of places online that people are talking about what's been going on with ChipSeal and his local law enforcement community. Visit some of the links below to find out more about this wrong situation:
For the short version try, In a Nutshell
ChipSeal's blog.
DFW point-to-point.
Commute Orlando
Be sure to read the comments... there is a lot to be found in them.
If you can't afford or don't want to chip in, that's cool too. You can help by raising this topic with the people you know online or off, cyclists or not. I want news of this piece of badness to spread as far and as wide as possible. If you have media connections, use 'em! With some luck it will get so much attention that grassroots fundraising will no longer be required.
Thanks for Reading This,
R A N T W I C K 