🧵 Wanted to share a lesson I've been learning about advocacy - If someone tells you a design is working for them and they're not actually hostile to you, just congratulate them that it's working for them.
I had just finished up a mtg with a co-op board member using my #CargoQuad to demonstrate how these lightning bolt racks are inaccessible and not even really great for the upright bikes they're designed for.
I saw them parking their trike & asked if I could get a photo. When they asked me
...why I wanted the photo, I explained that the rack is inaccessible to a lot of different cycle designs. They said it worked for them. I congratulated them, non-sarcastically or PA, on it working for them and took my photos.
As we were talking, I talked about the problems the racks create for me and other cyclists riding different designs and it then came out that the rack only works for them if they can get in there before others have or can get on the end.
They asked what kinds of racks I preferred. As I described a staple or Sheffield rack, they said, "Oh! Yeah, those are better!"
They came to the realization themselves that it didn't actually work all that well for them - under certain circumstances they could make it work.
By not disagreeing with them in a confrontational or lecturing way, by just affirming their experience & answering their questions, they realized there's a better rack design. #Cycling#CycleParkingAudit
@meganL it’s so crazy how we know what kind of bike rack is best. The simple inverted u Sheffield bike rack. Yet all over the place other kinds of racks get put in which are supposed to be a visual or utilitarian improvement. Can’t we just get the rack that works and be ok with only one boring but incredibly effective rack?
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