Thursday, January 1, 2009

Apathy rules OK?

"Science may have found a cure for most evils; but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all -- the apathy of human beings." Helen Keller

It seems to me to be rather obvious, that people having a common purpose would find it easy to form a common goal and work towards the achievement of that goal. Our contemporary society is full of examples of how this approach achieves success for those who adopt it, from political parties and trade unions to industry groupings, community organisations and criminal conspiracies. So why do so many good causes languish and fail to make progress? Sometimes it is the force of opposition to their goals. It would be difficult for many groups to achieve much in Zimbabwe, for example. However as the quote from Helen Keller suggests, it is as likely to be that people are unconvinced about their ability to work for change or that they are content to let other people shoulder the burden.

In Wellington, the formation of Bicycle Users Groups, (B.U.G.) seems obvious. Despite the terrain, the narrow roads and the strong winds, cycling is increasing as a recreational, sporting and commuter activity. Cyclists have nothing to lose but their fear, by agitating for improved facilities yet the work of promoting these legitimate goals is left to small. committed groups.

When we consider also that much of the activity seems to be directed at the local authorities and their endless bureaucratic processes, we can almost understand why so many cyclists do not take part. The process is slow and arcane. Setbacks are commonplace and the people who finally convert policy into action are at the best lukewarm to the intent of the policy and produce a watered down version of what was proposed.

In addition, elected politicians have a very short time scale: - the next election and a keen interest in appeasing the majority of the people who will bother to vote. Where cyclists' interests appear to come into conflict with motorists' interests, then radical and significant changes are very unlikely since these changes will be unpopular with the politicians' constituency.

B.U.G's represent an alternative approach to achieving change. When I worked and studied in Christchurch in the late 1960s and early 1970s, my employers provided simple but adequate cycle storage facilities and more staff cycled to work. This does not seem to be the case in Wellington where the environment is less friendly towards cycling. However, in spite of all this cycling is growing in Wellington and BUGs represent a means to harness the impetus of this social change and direct it to useful ends.

My proposition is that if employers provide improved facilities for cycling then even more employees will cycle. When the numbers of cyclists reach critical mass, then political candidates will see value in adopting cycle friendly policies and promoting these policies in their pitch for votes.