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| Jarrett Walker |
Obviously I completely disagree with him. Let me say, most of Jarret Walkers work I really respect. He has done some great transit stuff no doubt.
I cannot begin to describe how much better public transit would be if people who feel cynical about it would complain constructively instead of languishing in the dead-end of cynicism. And yes, you have to do it over and over. Patiently.
As with many issues, public transit in America is neglected because of apathy, not opposition. The opponents are not the problem. The apathy of supporters is. And cynicism is a big part of that apathy.
My favorite responses to this article include:
As someone who has been an activist/advocate for over 40 years, and who has watched (and been the recipient of) varying treatments by public agencies, I have found that there is no one approach that "works" in being listened to.
The most common problem is professionals (and even worse, politicians who depend on them to justify their positions) who treat "the public" as a pesky group to be at best mollified, at worst ignored or belittled.
If the pros want to be taken seriously, recognize that criticism of your work does not automatically mean the speaker is a fool to be dismissed. Sometimes, far too often, you are wrong, or at least not entirely right.
Why would public transport activists be cynical in the first place? How have they been disappointed in the past? How has their trust been lost?
Politicians, transport professionals and yes, independent globetrotting consultants too, need to ask themselves if they are speaking or behaving in a way that might be causing or deepening distrust in the handling of public transport issues and solutions. Breaking trust by enthusiastically promising theoretical, one-size-fits-all solutions that can’t be practically delivered would be one way. Ignoring inconvenient community concerns would be another.
Politicians, transport professionals and yes, independent globetrotting consultants too, need to ask themselves if they are speaking or behaving in a way that might be causing or deepening distrust in the handling of public transport issues and solutions. Breaking trust by enthusiastically promising theoretical, one-size-fits-all solutions that can’t be practically delivered would be one way. Ignoring inconvenient community concerns would be another.
I really wish I could believe that, however if you are really honest about the situation you see that special interest has hijacked many functions of government one of them being transit.
Now how do 'we' the citizens, who have been locked out of the power process, do anything about that?
It's not by passive compliance. It's by resistance.
Some of that resistance takes the form of pointing out corruption and collusion.
And to continue to point it out, in the face of being ostracized and scorned as being 'unproductive' to the conversation.
No great social movement has ever been accomplished by 'being nice'. It all comes with a certain degree of angst and turmoil.
Too many people are vested in 'appearances' and not in results.
Some of us are fighting multimillion dollar tax funded propaganda machines. How do we fight that?
It's virtually impossible. Sometimes shouting is the only way to get attention.
Now how do 'we' the citizens, who have been locked out of the power process, do anything about that?
It's not by passive compliance. It's by resistance.
Some of that resistance takes the form of pointing out corruption and collusion.
And to continue to point it out, in the face of being ostracized and scorned as being 'unproductive' to the conversation.
No great social movement has ever been accomplished by 'being nice'. It all comes with a certain degree of angst and turmoil.
Too many people are vested in 'appearances' and not in results.
Some of us are fighting multimillion dollar tax funded propaganda machines. How do we fight that?
It's virtually impossible. Sometimes shouting is the only way to get attention.
"""but if you expect to be taken seriously, behave seriously"""
~~~>This is a serious issue. What the author is suggesting is that 'professionals' can act in all sorts of unethical and dubious behavior but since they do that with etiquette and manners then somehow its acceptable.
But the guy that is shouting CRIMINALS! CHARLATANS! LIARS! Somehow is not to be taken seriously because he is shouting!
And there my friends is the problem. People have their values backwards and are looking at the wrong qualities to judge situations.
How do we correct peoples values? I guess we can't can we.
~~~>This is a serious issue. What the author is suggesting is that 'professionals' can act in all sorts of unethical and dubious behavior but since they do that with etiquette and manners then somehow its acceptable.
But the guy that is shouting CRIMINALS! CHARLATANS! LIARS! Somehow is not to be taken seriously because he is shouting!
And there my friends is the problem. People have their values backwards and are looking at the wrong qualities to judge situations.
How do we correct peoples values? I guess we can't can we.
