How apartheid killed Johannesburg's cycling culture

[Skubarra]

Sigh, I read it in its entirety.

 

Just so tired with the incessant blame apartheid brigade.

 

What next ?

 

How apartheid killed the cycling culture indeed. Did you even read the headline? And it did not strike you as odd or sensationalist?

 

Just because you are tired of reading about it or offended by it doesn't make the article invalid - what's that line from Shapiro? Facts don't care about your feelings.

 

And yes, the headline is clickbait (and as I mentioned sensationalist in my previous post) - most likely written by the sub-editor (and not by the author of the article) to get you to click on the article - so it served it's purpose (except that feelings were also triggered but that is just the world we now live in)

[dasilvarsa]

There are more cyclists now than ever before. Ask Makro

[MORNE]

meh...there have always been Haves and Have Not's...and there will always be Haves and Have Nots. Whatever name the Haves choose to give their ideologies to maintain a stronghold on what they have...will always be used by the have not's as reason or excuse for not having enough... relatively to the Haves

 

 

 

money, land, food, borders, oil, slaves, livestock, bombs, water.....the list is endless.

Edited August 14, 2019 by morneS555

[SwissVan]

The writer of the article probably work for Bell Portinger (or whomever now tries to cause nonsense across the racial lines) - People are lazy beings, fact! Just watch Wall-E if you want scientific proof .

 

The bottom line is simple: People have less time due to the fast paced lifestyle and therefore opt for a faster mode of transport. It's the same reason why we're no longer using horse carts.

 

This article actually supports my Wall-E scientific proof as well: https://businesstech.co.za/news/lifestyle/331389/heres-how-many-south-africans-are-overweight-according-to-discovery/?source=newsletter

Maybe the OP should have started a “How the Toyota HIACE contributed to the untimely death of thousands of potential cyclists”

[Mamil]

Particularly if you note that the "townships" were situated where they were for quite a few very deliberate reasons, not least of which is that it would enable mobilisation of military and aerial forces against the population in the event of insurrection.

 

To deny that apartheid social development and town planning policies significantly influence our day to day living in 2019 is not too dissimilar to being a holocaust denialist in modern Berlin.

 

At the same time I'm having a hard time deciding which camp of idiots I'm finding more insufferable. Those who minimise the impact of that crime against humanity on all of us South Africans or those that exploit the explanatory power of its legacy for their own present day power agendas.

 

On the first point if you were born in apartheid and you think it wasn't one of the primary grinding surfaces that shaped the lenses of your interpretive framework it just means that that you're not aware of how it did so.

 

Of course apartheid played a role in the death or still birth of a meaningful commuter cycle culture. Of course the freeways were built in the 60s and 70s for white motorists and industry. If there was a frerway built to a township it wasn't for the population's convenience, it was so the Putco busses could get in and out and the military vehicles could sweep in if needed.

 

That this **** can't be pointed out without antagonising defensive white people is embarrassing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When you forcibly move people to live far outside the cities it becomes impractical to commute by bicycle. Don't see why this is so controversial or hard to understand? There are far worse things blamed on apartheid.

 

Read the article almost 2 months ago, thought it was at most mildly interesting - clearly underestimated the hub's ability to be offended or is it just a slow news day here?

[IceCreamMan]

Particularly if you note that the "townships" were situated where they were for quite a few very deliberate reasons, not least of which is that it would enable mobilisation of military and aerial forces against the population in the event of insurrection.

 

To deny that apartheid social development and town planning policies significantly influence our day to day living in 2019 is not too dissimilar to being a holocaust denialist in modern Berlin.

 

At the same time I'm having a hard time deciding which camp of idiots I'm finding more insufferable. Those who minimise the impact of that crime against humanity on all of us South Africans or those that exploit the explanatory power of its legacy for their own present day power agendas.

 

On the first point if you were born in apartheid and you think it wasn't one of the primary grinding surfaces that shaped the lenses of your interpretive framework it just means that that you're not aware of how it did so.

 

Of course apartheid played a role in the death or still birth of a meaningful commuter cycle culture. Of course the freeways were built in the 60s and 70s for white motorists and industry. If there was a frerway built to a township it wasn't for the population's convenience, it was so the Putco busses could get in and out and the military vehicles could sweep in if needed.

 

That this **** can't be pointed out without antagonising defensive white people is embarrassing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There’s that nazi reference we needed.

 

Case closed.

[Mamil]

Yes...brain freeze so mind closed too.

 

There’s that nazi reference we needed.

Case closed.

[IceCreamMan]

Let’s talk about that mind closed thing a bit shall we?

 

In 1940 a reporter claims to have counted 91 bicycles cycled by natives in the space of 4 minutes. That would extrapolate to around 1400 bicycles per hour. That’s a heck of a lot of bicycles don’t you think? Did you or anyone else even bother to corroborate that this is indeed a real article.. how many cyclists do you reckon came past that may have been non natives? No of course not.

 

The Astra theatre was in orange grove, along Louis Botha Avenue, the closest township to that area is Alexandra which was started before WW1. It is my guess that a lot of these cyclists were probably from Alex. The group areas act was in 1923 a full 17 years before this alleged count in orange grove. Soweto was started in early 1930s , again before 1940. It’s safe to assume that this alleged count was done while segregation was in full swing, ppl were already segregated.

 

Cycling the world over including ZA non natives used to cycle a lot as it was a form of transport that was cheap even school kids Andy as previously pointed out in this thread very few ppl cycle these days relative to let’s say 1947. This was a global phenomenon due to accessibility of mass transport, cheaper cars, and alternative forms f transport. Also jhb being a fairly young city in the 1940 public transport was probably in its infancy compared to later on.

 

So without a shred of evidence we blame apartheid. Well yeah, that’s easy enough to do. We just close our minds and accept the narrative without having a real think about it. Like white minority capital.

 

How many hi aces were counted in 1940 compared to now on that corner? Shall we blame apartheid as well?

 

Some things are just so easy to swallow as it fits our narrow paradigm, then we liken those that dare challenge it to holocaust denyers in Berlin.

 

Bell Pottinger had a field day with you.

 

What was your rank in the SADF by the way?

[love the ride]

Yes, I was there.

 

Please do name one other society where racial segregation was enforced to the extent it was in South Africa in the 1960's and 1970's.

 

Should we get into some details?

Actually there are many societies in which racial segregation was enforced to a far larger and more violent degree than SA, just not necassariley legislated to the same degree as SA. Think Australia and the Aboriginies, the States and the many Indian tribes as well as the slave trade in other racial groups. Those are just the highly obvious examples, there are many many more - just details though 

[Mamil]

So case not closed then?

While there is no doubt that apartheid is overdetermined as a causal factor in explaining oir social ills in some areas of public debate there is equally no doubt that its spatial and other policies limited the development of our society massively including transport.

 

I believe there are convincing rebuttals to your arguments below but I'm tapping this out on my cell phone sick in bed having just whatsapped my teammates that I have to withdraw from the trans baviaans race. I'd be happy to describe these arguments on a coffee ride or another day when I don't feel so bleak and I'm in front of a proper keyboard.

 

WRT to SANDF... I didn't go to the army. I studied for long years and kept deferring my conscription. By tje time I finished in 93 the system was collapsing. Whether I would have had the courage of my convictions to go to jail hadnit come down to that I don't know. I doubt it. In a superb irony, in 94 I applied for a job at SAMS going into the "hotspots" and was turned down. I found out afterwards thatnit was because I said I wouldn't carry a gun.

 

Let’s talk about that mind closed thing a bit shall we?

In 1940 a reporter claims to have counted 91 bicycles cycled by natives in the space of 4 minutes. That would extrapolate to around 1400 bicycles per hour. That’s a heck of a lot of bicycles don’t you think? Did you or anyone else even bother to corroborate that this is indeed a real article.. how many cyclists do you reckon came past that may have been non natives? No of course not.

The Astra theatre was in orange grove, along Louis Botha Avenue, the closest township to that area is Alexandra which was started before WW1. It is my guess that a lot of these cyclists were probably from Alex. The group areas act was in 1923 a full 17 years before this alleged count in orange grove. Soweto was started in early 1930s , again before 1940. It’s safe to assume that this alleged count was done while segregation was in full swing, ppl were already segregated.

Cycling the world over including ZA non natives used to cycle a lot as it was a form of transport that was cheap even school kids Andy as previously pointed out in this thread very few ppl cycle these days relative to let’s say 1947. This was a global phenomenon due to accessibility of mass transport, cheaper cars, and alternative forms f transport. Also jhb being a fairly young city in the 1940 public transport was probably in its infancy compared to later on.

So without a shred of evidence we blame apartheid. Well yeah, that’s easy enough to do. We just close our minds and accept the narrative without having a real think about it. Like white minority capital.

How many hi aces were counted in 1940 compared to now on that corner? Shall we blame apartheid as well?

Some things are just so easy to swallow as it fits our narrow paradigm, then we liken those that dare challenge it to holocaust denyers in Berlin.

Bell Pottinger had a field day with you.

What was your rank in the SADF by the way?

[IceCreamMan]

So case not closed then?

While there is no doubt that apartheid is overdetermined as a causal factor in explaining oir social ills in some areas of public debate there is equally no doubt that its spatial and other policies limited the development of our society massively including transport.

.

Looks like an argument for an increase in cycling?

 

Seems there were a hellova lot of bicycles in 1940 compared to today. Bicycles must of been really cheap and accessible.

 

Facts are that in most of the western world apart from some areas ppl are shunning bicycles as a form of transport for other forms, buses, trains, tubes, cars, motorcycles, electric skate boards, electric scooters, To blame apartheid is too simplistic.

 

While the system was responsible for a whole lot of evil and can be legitimately blamed for a number of factors, I don’t necessarily buy it was responsible for less commuting by bicycle in 2019.

 

But I do believe the holocaust was real.

Edited August 14, 2019 by IceCreamMan

[King_Crispy]

Let’s talk about that mind closed thing a bit shall we?

 

In 1940 a reporter claims to have counted 91 bicycles cycled by natives in the space of 4 minutes. That would extrapolate to around 1400 bicycles per hour. That’s a heck of a lot of bicycles don’t you think? Did you or anyone else even bother to corroborate that this is indeed a real article.. how many cyclists do you reckon came past that may have been non natives? No of course not.

 

The Astra theatre was in orange grove, along Louis Botha Avenue, the closest township to that area is Alexandra which was started before WW1. It is my guess that a lot of these cyclists were probably from Alex. The group areas act was in 1923 a full 17 years before this alleged count in orange grove. Soweto was started in early 1930s , again before 1940. It’s safe to assume that this alleged count was done while segregation was in full swing, ppl were already segregated.

 

Cycling the world over including ZA non natives used to cycle a lot as it was a form of transport that was cheap even school kids Andy as previously pointed out in this thread very few ppl cycle these days relative to let’s say 1947. This was a global phenomenon due to accessibility of mass transport, cheaper cars, and alternative forms f transport. Also jhb being a fairly young city in the 1940 public transport was probably in its infancy compared to later on.

 

So without a shred of evidence we blame apartheid. Well yeah, that’s easy enough to do. We just close our minds and accept the narrative without having a real think about it. Like white minority capital.

 

How many hi aces were counted in 1940 compared to now on that corner? Shall we blame apartheid as well?

 

Some things are just so easy to swallow as it fits our narrow paradigm, then we liken those that dare challenge it to holocaust denyers in Berlin.

 

Bell Pottinger had a field day with you.

 

What was your rank in the SADF by the way?

Legend.

I like they way your mind works.

I'll buy you a beer next time you ride the spruit

[CogitoErgoSum]

"The writer counted, in the space of only four minutes, 93 native cyclists riding past the Astra theatre,” wrote a journalist for the Star newspaper in July 1940. Standing almost 80 years later on the same corner of Louis Botha Avenue at the same time and day of the week – 6.30pm on a Monday – it is hard to imagine. The theatre is long gone and not a single cyclist is to be seen on the car-choked thoroughfare.

What happened to Johannesburg’s once vibrant commuter cycling culture? The dominance of the automobile marginalised the bicycle in many cities around the world through the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s but that process was accelerated in South Africa by apartheid. When policies of spatial segregation forcibly moved black people to faraway townships at the periphery of the city, the distance between work and home increased dramatically and cycling collapsed as an everyday practice.

Twenty-five years after apartheid’s fall, those spatial and economic inequalities remain entrenched in the city and continue to shape how people get around.

It may be said of the Johannesburg child that he learns to cycle before he can walk 1903 newspaper columnist

The story of Johannesburg starts in 1886 with the discovery of gold. As prospectors from around the world flooded in to seek their fortunes, what had once been farmland was transformed in the space of a few years into a thriving city.

Full article link here - https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/jun/26/how-apartheid-killed-johannesburgs-cycling-culture-?CMP=share_btn_link

Ag *** Marelize

[eddy]

Has anyone seen any estimates of numbers of current commuters in JHB?

No, but the author and his wife commute to work by bicycle as do their children to school. So that makes at least four.

[patches]

it was actually this oke

 

 

After some further investigation I have come to the conclusion that these 2 might be to blame

 

[Ashchest]

After some further investigation I have come to the conclusion that these 2 might be to blame

 

 

Wrong!!

 

This one is to be blamed ...