Bike Tag

This is the only time in my life that I’ve been reprimanded via art. It’s easy to tell someone they suck, but it usually comes across hurting the sucky party’s feelings–somehow this person figured out a way to do that without the sucky party (which was me) even caring. In fact I was actually happy to have been told I suck.

I locked my bike up to a post because the rack was full, and I was late for class, even though I could have ridden around the corner to the other racks, which are never full. When I returned to my bike this aesthetically pleasing tag was hanging from my handle bars with a note on the back that said something like, “Hey, we love that you ride your bike, but you can’t lock it up here. Please find some of the other racks which have ample space for your bicycle. Thanks!” Yeah, I was at a liberal arts college, but what if all diciplinary measures in society were like this? If you get caught pirating music, they could just send you a guitar in the mail with a note on the back that says, “Hey, we love that you love music, but here, make some of your own. We think you’ll find it’s worth paying the money after you know just a bit about the work that goes into it.”

I understand that many people are trapped in a way of thinking that doesn’t allow for rational understanding about healthy alternatives to their deviant lifestyles, but for a petty criminal like me, this sort of appeal to my humanness made it impossible for me to continue my negligence. I wanted to follow the rules not because I was told to, but because I respected the person who told me to. Had there been a ticket on my bike for twenty dollars, chances are I would have paid it and continued parking my bike wherever I wanted, hoping that I just didn’t get caught. Instead, I thought, Wow, how cool. They took the time to let me know in a respectful manner–I’m gonna take the time to respect their property. When I see this now it reminds me to appeal to the humanity of individuals with whom I interact, instead of vilifying them in my mind and debasing them with my words and actions.

~ by russell jander on February 27, 2012.