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CafePress Crosses the Line on Cycling Products
What on earth would possess someone to promote and sell promotional materials that makes light of – even legitimizes – hitting and verbally abusing cyclists? Ask the folks at CafePress, because I’m not sure I can answer that for them. They are an on-line store that has loads of other products that are clever, humorous, ironic, pointed, self-deprecating, off-the-wall.
And then they have artwork that shows a cyclist getting hit by a motorist, with an accompanying explicit epithet that anyone that’s ridden a bike in the last 24 hours will likely have heard, along the lines of “excuse me, but I think you are in my way.” They have it for bumper stickers, mugs, T-shirts.
I wonder if they also have klever klan merchandise encouraging folks to break race laws. Perhaps snappy graphics showing people being persecuted for their sexual orientation or religious beliefs of other lifestyle choices. Is there a line in humorous “I support torture” stickers that flout international law as well as domestic laws and good taste?
So why would they think it is OK to glorify violence against cyclists? Free speech – to promote behavior that kills and injures people every single day of the year already? We’ll be waiting to hear from them.
And thanks to Dean Schott at the League of Illinois Bicyclists for calling out this awful example of anti-cyclist nonsense. State and local advocacy groups are the eyes and ears of the cycling movement – yesterday it was a radio station in Baltimore, tomorrow it could be someone in your neck of the woods going off on cyclists. Make sure you are a member of your state and local advocacy groups as well as the League. We need to stand up to this crap.
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May 25th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
An update: If you go to CafePress.com now and click on the offending images they say “not available” or something similar. Hopefully the next step will be to take the images off the site altogether.
Thanks so much to everyone that called or e-mailed so far, and thanks again to Dean Schott for alerting the cycling world to this outrage.
May 25th, 2007 at 11:37 pm
Thanks for the alert. This merchandising of violence brings no credit to anyone. The best offensive is to get people to let their voices be heard by those who trivialize the hurt that families and friends experience when a cyclist is killed or injured.
May 26th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
There is a lively talk about this at Bikeforums.net.
One member of that forum states that Cafepress has received a letter from the justice department regarding hate speech. (Don’t know about that one)
This is the type of thing that makes me step back, and seriously consider learning to speak Dutch and moving to Holland.
May 26th, 2007 at 9:54 pm
the fortunate thing for me is that most of the idiots i have to deal with on the road are too stupid to use the internet, and too poor to order such trash online. i first heard of this travesty on another site, and responded to another poster, who suggested that an owner of such bumper stickers might be the victim of vandalism — such vandals may resemble me! this angers me to no end, and there is yet another site out there (landofofftopic.com) which has a thread devoted specifically to cyclist bashing!
May 27th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
1st let me say welcome to the Community of BikeBloggers!!!
As an Old Timer ( One of the 1st, way back in 2003! ), it does my grizzled old heart good to see the League join our ranks, even as infrequently as you so far are doing. ;-D
A link to your Blog will join the link I’ve always had to the League website, in my sidebar this very hour. ;-D
Now to the subject at hand:
Your Advocacy Co-ordinator, gave me the heads-up to this disturbing story, and it come at a time when I’ve had safe cycling at the forefront of my blogging, for the last 8 months.
http://www.sneakeasysjoint.com/thecyclingdude/share_the_road_and_trail_safety_matters/index.html
I’ve just added my voice to those calling for cyclists to express their opinions to CafePress.
May 27th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
CafePress and the Sale of Anti-Cycling Merchandise…
A great collection of T-Shirts, Stickers, and more, can be found on CafePress, that Cyclists can use to promote Safe Cycling, and Sharing the Road with motorists.An extremely disturbing side note is related to the half dozen vile Anti-Cyclist items…
March 25th, 2010 at 6:17 am
Thanks so much to everyone that called or e-mailed so far, and thanks again to Dean Schott for alerting the cycling world to this outrage
April 12th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
does cafe press promote, hate speech? or do they just allow it to go on, most recently with a group that may be promoting violence and inciting riots?
This is really dangerous, stuff, and should really be stopped, no one has the right to promote violence or incite riots. the FTC needs to investigate this company