What are we talking about today?

I'll get back to theme days once I find a groove of posting regularly. In the meantime, most of my posts are about some variation of books, bikes, buses, or Broadway. Plus bits about writing, nonprofits, and grief from time to time.

This blog is mostly lighthearted and pretty silly. It's not about the terrible things happening in the world, but please know that I'm not ignoring those things. I just generally don't write about them here.

11 January 2012

Previously in Car-Free Land

At the Austin Bike Summit last April, we talked a bit about social marketing and ways to make cycling into normal behaviour instead of some weird quirk or fringe thing. One thing that we floated, but had no power to put into action at that moment, was that it would be really helpful for the advertising and entertainment industries to include cyclists as a normal backdrop to their settings, as they already do with cars.

Last night, I got to watch NCIS for the first time this season (and I've missed a lot-- I was so confused). And I'm not about to give you any spoilers, but this scene got me all excited for reasons that have nothing to do with the show:

Source.

See those two people in the background? They're checking out bikes from a Capital Bikeshare kiosk. Yes, NCIS was cool enough to put cyclists in their background. I have no idea what happens in this scene (okay, I have a small idea) because I was totally distracted by seeing the Bikeshare in action. There aren't a lot of bike sharing schemes in the US yet, but I'm living in hope that one will arrive in Austin soon.

Have you ever heard of bike sharing? Have you used one? Do you watch NCIS?

4 comments:

Liz A. said...

Thanks for pointing that out. No, I didn't notice it (but then again, I may have been looking at my knitting and not the TV screen). I have never heard of bike sharing, but I hope it makes its way into more TV episodes.

anthony stemke said...

Not familiar with bike sharing. Bought bikes over a week ago but it rained every day, finally rode just today. Very hilly where we live, got exhausted quickly. bike Daughter lives in Indian Rocks Beach, Fla. and they have bike lanes on the main thoroughfare.

Su said...

@Liz: Chad was looking at the screen and he totally missed it! I think you have to be a serious cycling nerd to notice this sort of thing.

@anthony: Hills take some getting used to! And bike lanes are awesome.

erica and christy said...

You know, I feel like I always see walkers, joggers and bikers (cyclists) in the background of movies and tv shows. My family and I have a family goal to bike more come spring. We want to take family bikerides at least weekly. It's nowhere near what you do, but for us it's a start! I'm getting one ofthose kiddie carts for behind the bike to pull our two youngest!!! christy