FreedomRiders2014
Introduction/Definition/etc
Brief trip report on trip to state capital on MLK Jr.'s holeyday.
See Also
Background
Civil Rights
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_Riders
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/freedomriders/
http://www.npr.org/2006/01/12/5149667/get-on-the-bus-the-freedom-riders-of-1961
http://www.core-online.org/History/freedom%20rides.htm
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-freedom-riders-then-and-now-45351758/
http://www.watson.org/~lisa/blackhistory/civilrights-55-65/freeride.html
http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/encyclopedia/encyclopedia/enc_freedom_rides/
http://www.ibiblio.org/sncc/rides.html
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1558952/
https://www.google.com/search?q=freedom+riders
http://www.crmvet.org/tim/timhis61.htm
https://www.google.com/search?q=freedom+riders+timeline
Previous Rallies
20070115RallyAnnounce
20070115Rally
Rally
Rally1.mp3
Rally2.mp3
Rally3.mp3
Rally4.mp3
Rally5.mp3
Rally6.mp3
Rally2011
http://novapeers.pbworks.com/w/page/35382176/MoreUpbeat2011
Rally2013
Transit Bills
Right of way problems,with injuries, must appear in court to answer charges,
stiffer penalties, etc
http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?141+ful+HB1215
Body
So back in the day, the 1960's or before ( n.b. not a history major but willing to take time line links , draft mode currently)
Some people volunteered to go down south to see if they were treated differently, risking life limb and liberty in the process. Damn Yankees perhaps, more likely tourists, rabble rousers, and various profanity not fit to print...)
I did a similar trip alone, riding dirty, as they might say, and failed to talk to legislators in the state capital...
A truck or a few/later in the day did not see me...
A van or SUV almost turned into my lane, the left one currently and there is not a general knowledge of the left lane passing law enacted in January 2014.
http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Va-Lawmaker-Wants-Left-Lane-Laggers-Pulled-Over-239613801.html
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+46.2-804
https://www.google.com/search?q=virginia+left+lane+passing+law
I did not flash lights as that might have been a problem, you see my bike had been trashed as the hood's xmas/kwanza/solstice/etc present to me...
The other "kids" got presents.
I refused to sit on Santa's lap, stating I was too big.
He seemed creepy.
Elf #1 liked Santa or the other way around.
I would not be Santa.
I am not religious. I stated such.
See previous postings about cracked / cut tire, right before the trip, when I might be stuck out where I could not get back without paying, and am extremely low income..
I was told at the burger joint I would be stopped if I tried to go.
Some bike people don't like that burger place, suggesting one where bikers might be welcome.
I'd been previously when it opened and thought I would be welcome.
It was packed, there were not many, if any free/empty seats, one family let me join them. Otherwise sitting outside in the cold, with stuff...
Bike service said they had fixed my light, with one in the side, gratis, but that was not the case, I discovered early the next riding am.
A burger joint verbal altercation which I do not have audio of, but many customers and staff might have overheard moi...
Various people said I should not go. We have better people to represent us.
Registration was required for the event, normally open to anyone.
Public access to the capital may be restricted further.
Virginia has an open carry law and a meeting place outside called the Bell tower.
In circling the capital about the normal start time only armed people outside, no people like me at the bell tower, like Rally days previous years.
The next day when sick, perhaps poisoned, someone in the hallway, supposedly secured by controlled access said they were looking to ID my body, had something to give me, without specifying what, guessing summons, money, a free open carry weapon, a bullet with my name on it, etc...
I went anyway, talked with a bearded guy in a parking lot and two other people before that.
I survived the trip, only to have donuts in Dixie (3 donuts), and wander around to get a Blondie and some vitamins. Grade: C.
Upon return someone "investigating" me said I was on the obits, first entry, yet unseen.
Various repeated threats, usually we want your stuff, nice bike,, that one is mine ( subsidized ) or going to rape me, kill me, get me, etc..,
My purple (purple = red + blue), white and tan mixed hankees given to me anonymously perhaps to be used as props while talking in the capital about red vs blue politics are missing from a bag.
Various people enter my apartment at will. Without permission to enter.
Complaints to the only person responsible, have not been resolved.
Federal oversight requires phone calls, people say they don't understand me on the phone,
there is no accessible way to report it, like for deaf and hard of hearing.
Many jurisdictions do not have an e911/ tty/text option for reporting crimes where you can silently report something going on, say outside at night, at 3 am, when you are woken in the middle of the night, need to sleep for you disability, health and sanity (think dorm noise and finals) and think someone might be drunk and disorderly or drunk driving....
Yelling shut up is probably not going to be helpful, and might get repercussions.
People say they can do whatever they want to me. They are lord, landlords or associated.
By state law we are to be treated with respect, in housing, accommodations, non discrimination, etc...
Housing should be safe and decent.
Prostitution is not considered decent.
The dealer said I would get my stuff back if I did what I said, presumably pay $100+ for an "insurance estimate" required to complete a late inaccessible police report I would have trouble filing in person, like when having your feet run over by a taxi and expected to get to the doctor, or the hospital saying you need a taxi home from the ER, when the taxi ran over your feet. BTW, MetroAccess sent the taxi in the first place, and current supports hired a metro employee to direct...
A limo with people wanting to talk to me or leave my dead body by the side of the road (read ditch ) were asking me questions when trying to get from parking to my door undisturbed. They had girls and asked me to search for Grey eyes to know I heard them. The driver was looking for an apartment and thought they should report me, perhaps missing a light...
They said that it they were discriminated against, won a court case and were out celebrating.
Complaining can get you further hurt, harassed and killed, much like slavery and looking for freedom..
There is little to no oversight in certain places.
Who is your boss, would not be answered.
There is no website contact on the owner's web site.
Management companies do not have respected in their contract, AFAICT.
Subsidized housing is limited and one might be killed trying to complain about stuff.
People with mental disabilities are considered unreliable and likely not believed when things like this happen.
Also some studies show doctors don't evaluate health concerns of people with a history of mental illness, as if their reports are invalid.
Conclusion
Summary of experience or similar
Alive to ride again some other time
Cheaper than therapy
Quicker than bicycling
Explaining some thing happening is difficult when upset and having communication difficulties...
Discussion
A place for feedback on the page presented
What problems have you had with transportation, as a disabled and/or relatively normal person?
How do you think things have changed for african americans, african canadians, hispanics and others since the 1960's?
What differences do you think disabled face in the transportation systems?
How have you helped or hindered those difference.
Have you ever ridden with a wheelchaired person?
What difficulties did they have in using the transportation you use?
How many disabled people do you know?
What percentage of your friends is that?
Are their disabilities hidden or visible?
Would you know if someone is disabled?
How?
If safe, consider, if you are disabled telling someone that you trust, that you are disabled.
Consider HIV status a disability, and consider who would and would not be safe to tell.
What protections would you have if that is the case?
How can you determine if you have a disability?
What differences do you see between ethnicity, race and disability?
Do you think disabled have the basic civil rights that other differences like height, gender, race/ethnicity and orientation have?
What is your stand on gay marriage?
How would that relate to whether you think disabled have the right to marry, procreate and live independently?
What do you think is the percentage of disabled people who work?
Full time?
Part time?
What is the most disabling condition you can think of?
Least disabling?
How much money do you think your parents live on?
How much is your allowance?
How much do you think seniors live on?
How much do you think disabled live on?
Use average, area median income, norm, and SSI amounts for questions above.
How do you consider this relates to Rev. Dr. King's I have a dream speech?
Page History
20140129 Jerry
- Adding current Bill link for Transit in a separate See Also subheader
20140127 Jerry
- Adding Previous Year Rally links
- Adding Left Lane Passing Law links
- still a mess, needs subheaders and better timeline/ flow
20140121 Jerry
- Jerry created this page to document some shit...
- typing in from other means,
- formatting problems from alternate input methods : font sizes? normal not working,
- adding questions
- need more of a timeline approach to the things that have been happening
- not sure where it's going...
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