‘This is normal’ – Woman harasses NorthStar Cycling leader while he is biking to a Hood Canal gravel road
Heading out on your bike for a holiday weekend in search of a quiet gravel road is one of the best ways to get away. But as Edwin Lindo's experience this weekend shows, racism follows people into the woods. And even when an incident does not end up in violence, the threat alone can dampen even a beautiful sunny ride.
Lindo is a founder of NorthStar Cycling, which was recently featured in Time Magazine as an example of How Communities of Color Have Found Strength, Joy and Comfort in a Year Like No Other." Additionally, Lindo is the Assistant Dean for Social & Health Justice at UW and a founder of Estelita's Library on Beacon Hill. He posted a video to Twitter Saturday about an encounter he had with a woman who yelled at him for biking on the street in front of her home to access the gravel road. As a result, he had to continue his ride unsure whether she called the police (or some good old boys). But he ends the video by saying, This is normal. This is how it works."
This is literally what happens when we're just trying to live in joy... she screamed, do you live in this neighborhood!?"
And it happens all the time.
pic.twitter.com/gSdXZy46nH
- Edwin Lindo
(@EdwinLindo) May 30, 2021
Here's the transcript of his video:
I just gotta record this. I'm out here at Hood Canal, and to get to this gravel road you have to ride through this neighborhood. The map said turn right off the freeway and go up the block, a big hill, to get to the gravel road. And of course, Becky, while she was gardening, decided to get up and scream at me while I'm riding up this hill, barely making it, and say, Do you live in this neighborhood?" And I stopped and I said, Excuse me?" And she said, Do you live in this neighborhood?" I said,"Why does it matter?" And she said, Because we pay the property taxes for these streets." OK. And you're not supposed to be riding up and down these streets. This is a private lane." And I said, Is there not a gravel road at the end of the lane?" She said, Yeah." I said, OK then, I'm going that way." Well you shouldn't be riding up this street." I said, Well, I'm sorry that I'm burdening and messing up your street." And she said, No, you're not doing that, you're using them."
There's a lot to unpack there. I'm a little tired, we'll unpack it later. I just have to record this while it's fresh in my mind because I'm so mad right now. Literally every day, what folks have to go through just to get out, just to clear our heads, get some exercise in. Honestly, before I left I told Estell, I hope nothing happens." So here we are. I'll update you, see if the police come. If they do, then that will be another conversation. But I'll talk to you all soon and we'll unpack all of this because this is normal. This is how it works.
Did my best to not let Becky kill my vibe. But for almost half of the ride, I was constantly concerned that maybe a truck was going to rush up from behind me.
But I rode as fast as I could in this beautiful terrain. pic.twitter.com/0uBPIjKBxs
- Edwin Lindo
It's wrong. It's unjust. It's messed up. Thank you to Edwin for sharing this story. It's yet another way that racism harms people and limits (or attempts to limit) their mobility and freedom. There are so many layers of injustice.
So what can white folks do about this? Well, you can donate to NorthStar Cycling. But if you heard what the woman said to Edwin and thought, That sounds like something my [uncle, aunt, parent, etc.] would say," then it's time to have a conversation with that family member. Obviously, there's no easy answer to ending systemic and pervasive racism, but it's not Edwin's job to go out in the world and confront all this for us. This is a white people problem, and that person who yelled at him is in somebody's family or church or other social group.
A little update since yesterday. Yes, I'm back on the bike. We don't let racism stop us, we just know that it's there - constantly.
It's time to check the Becky's in your life. They get away with it because their family let's them.
And yes, I'm tired. I'm riding up a hill.
pic.twitter.com/aaezKM0NTF
- Edwin Lindo