Also, some people hate they essay because they think you hate bike lanes?
You really flipped over a rock with this one.
You really flipped over a rock with this one.
December 19, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Also, some people hate they essay because they think you hate bike lanes?
You really flipped over a rock with this one.
You really flipped over a rock with this one.
One thing the discourse around your essay made me realize is that even people who made fun of Biden saying "nothing will fundamentally change" get really upset when they hear someone suggesting that something should fundamentally change.
December 19, 2025 at 2:16 PM
One thing the discourse around your essay made me realize is that even people who made fun of Biden saying "nothing will fundamentally change" get really upset when they hear someone suggesting that something should fundamentally change.
The main thing AI has proven to me is that, whether it can or can't make edits like that, it doesn't matter. Most people will either not notice or not care.
Piggies love slop.
Piggies love slop.
December 9, 2025 at 3:21 PM
The main thing AI has proven to me is that, whether it can or can't make edits like that, it doesn't matter. Most people will either not notice or not care.
Piggies love slop.
Piggies love slop.
Dividing 15,000 by 24 has to factor into it.
December 3, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Dividing 15,000 by 24 has to factor into it.
I don't see why you think that the intent matters here. I've never accused the designer of being antisocial. I've said that people perceive the rack that way.
If you put something out in public you have to deal with the fact that other humans are going to interact on their own.
If you put something out in public you have to deal with the fact that other humans are going to interact on their own.
November 28, 2025 at 6:40 AM
I don't see why you think that the intent matters here. I've never accused the designer of being antisocial. I've said that people perceive the rack that way.
If you put something out in public you have to deal with the fact that other humans are going to interact on their own.
If you put something out in public you have to deal with the fact that other humans are going to interact on their own.
I'm talking about how people receive it, not what its intent was.
If you put something like this out in that part of town in a city with our constant heated homelessness politics, then - sadly! - many people will read it contrary to the artists intent.
If you put something like this out in that part of town in a city with our constant heated homelessness politics, then - sadly! - many people will read it contrary to the artists intent.
November 28, 2025 at 4:27 AM
I'm talking about how people receive it, not what its intent was.
If you put something like this out in that part of town in a city with our constant heated homelessness politics, then - sadly! - many people will read it contrary to the artists intent.
If you put something like this out in that part of town in a city with our constant heated homelessness politics, then - sadly! - many people will read it contrary to the artists intent.
I don't like the idea that the person who made the feels bad about it's reception, but that's the risk one runs when putting something in front of the public.
Practical things have to *work* even if that means being critical to well meaning artists.
Practical things have to *work* even if that means being critical to well meaning artists.
November 28, 2025 at 4:23 AM
I don't like the idea that the person who made the feels bad about it's reception, but that's the risk one runs when putting something in front of the public.
Practical things have to *work* even if that means being critical to well meaning artists.
Practical things have to *work* even if that means being critical to well meaning artists.
I get you don't like the idea of people getting upset about hostile architecture, but it's out there in the world and people use that idea to interpret objects.
Maybe if it worked better as a bike rack people wouldn't try to impose "bench" on it.
Maybe if it worked better as a bike rack people wouldn't try to impose "bench" on it.
November 28, 2025 at 4:03 AM
I get you don't like the idea of people getting upset about hostile architecture, but it's out there in the world and people use that idea to interpret objects.
Maybe if it worked better as a bike rack people wouldn't try to impose "bench" on it.
Maybe if it worked better as a bike rack people wouldn't try to impose "bench" on it.
Ok, so let's set aside the fact that it's a garbage bike rack and hit the other side.
Regardless of what you or the artist intend it to be, it looks like a bench. It just does.
And the bench it looks like mirrors ones meant to restrict how people sit on it.
Regardless of what you or the artist intend it to be, it looks like a bench. It just does.
And the bench it looks like mirrors ones meant to restrict how people sit on it.
November 28, 2025 at 4:02 AM
Ok, so let's set aside the fact that it's a garbage bike rack and hit the other side.
Regardless of what you or the artist intend it to be, it looks like a bench. It just does.
And the bench it looks like mirrors ones meant to restrict how people sit on it.
Regardless of what you or the artist intend it to be, it looks like a bench. It just does.
And the bench it looks like mirrors ones meant to restrict how people sit on it.
That's the whole idea - it was installed as a functional object and it doesn't do a good job at its function.
Racks shouldn't hold the bike by its wheel, they should let give you the ability to lock the frame and both wheels, and they shouldn't restrict which lock you can use.
Racks shouldn't hold the bike by its wheel, they should let give you the ability to lock the frame and both wheels, and they shouldn't restrict which lock you can use.
November 28, 2025 at 3:58 AM
That's the whole idea - it was installed as a functional object and it doesn't do a good job at its function.
Racks shouldn't hold the bike by its wheel, they should let give you the ability to lock the frame and both wheels, and they shouldn't restrict which lock you can use.
Racks shouldn't hold the bike by its wheel, they should let give you the ability to lock the frame and both wheels, and they shouldn't restrict which lock you can use.
And without knowing the specific intent of the artist. Most people I know who have seen that bench or pictures of it (it's mildly internet famous) view it as aligning with the definition of hostile architecture.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hostile...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hostile...
Hostile architecture - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
November 28, 2025 at 12:42 AM
And without knowing the specific intent of the artist. Most people I know who have seen that bench or pictures of it (it's mildly internet famous) view it as aligning with the definition of hostile architecture.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hostile...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hostile...
And that's the bigger problem. If you haven't read the intent of the artist or are really motivated to love it, you're forced to deal with it outside of its intended context.
It's a "bike rack" so we judge it on how well it works as one. It looks like a bench, so we judge it as a bench.
It's a "bike rack" so we judge it on how well it works as one. It looks like a bench, so we judge it as a bench.
November 28, 2025 at 12:40 AM
And that's the bigger problem. If you haven't read the intent of the artist or are really motivated to love it, you're forced to deal with it outside of its intended context.
It's a "bike rack" so we judge it on how well it works as one. It looks like a bench, so we judge it as a bench.
It's a "bike rack" so we judge it on how well it works as one. It looks like a bench, so we judge it as a bench.
You're really invested in making that thing work. It works for you and that's great. The bench fills a very specific Brer Marsh shaped hole in the urban fabric, but the average user who doesn't know you won't see that.
They just see a rack that's awkward to use.
They just see a rack that's awkward to use.
November 28, 2025 at 12:37 AM
You're really invested in making that thing work. It works for you and that's great. The bench fills a very specific Brer Marsh shaped hole in the urban fabric, but the average user who doesn't know you won't see that.
They just see a rack that's awkward to use.
They just see a rack that's awkward to use.
If you're adding bike racks that actually are intended to make it easy and welcoming to secure a bike, you just use a variation on a basic staple rack.
They're cheap and 100% fit for purpose.
They're cheap and 100% fit for purpose.
November 27, 2025 at 11:57 PM
If you're adding bike racks that actually are intended to make it easy and welcoming to secure a bike, you just use a variation on a basic staple rack.
They're cheap and 100% fit for purpose.
They're cheap and 100% fit for purpose.
The hostile bench is too low to support a frame easily. It looks like it's just meant to clamp your front or rear wheel, and the small holes prevent the use of a lot of locking systems and makes it hard to lock both your front and read wheels.
November 27, 2025 at 11:53 PM
The hostile bench is too low to support a frame easily. It looks like it's just meant to clamp your front or rear wheel, and the small holes prevent the use of a lot of locking systems and makes it hard to lock both your front and read wheels.
A good bike rack supports your bike by the frame rather than the wheels, handles a variety of frame styles, and allows you to use whatever style of lock you want.
November 27, 2025 at 11:52 PM
A good bike rack supports your bike by the frame rather than the wheels, handles a variety of frame styles, and allows you to use whatever style of lock you want.
It's hostile because it has a role involving preventing you from doing something on top of it's superficial purpose.
And I'm sure you can lock your bike to anything with enough will power, but it's a really really bad and poorly designed for that task.
And I'm sure you can lock your bike to anything with enough will power, but it's a really really bad and poorly designed for that task.
November 27, 2025 at 11:49 PM
It's hostile because it has a role involving preventing you from doing something on top of it's superficial purpose.
And I'm sure you can lock your bike to anything with enough will power, but it's a really really bad and poorly designed for that task.
And I'm sure you can lock your bike to anything with enough will power, but it's a really really bad and poorly designed for that task.
The "bench you can't sit on / bike rack you can't lock your bike to" is a tough object to love. If you want to make the case for hostile architecture there may be better examples to use.
November 27, 2025 at 3:36 PM
The "bench you can't sit on / bike rack you can't lock your bike to" is a tough object to love. If you want to make the case for hostile architecture there may be better examples to use.
Reposted
For real, check this out. Evil.
November 14, 2025 at 5:55 PM
For real, check this out. Evil.
"In an age of gray supremacy, it is nice to know that tacky can still come in more unconventional shades. "
That made me laugh and then think that, yes, it *is* nice to know that.
That made me laugh and then think that, yes, it *is* nice to know that.
November 14, 2025 at 7:27 PM
"In an age of gray supremacy, it is nice to know that tacky can still come in more unconventional shades. "
That made me laugh and then think that, yes, it *is* nice to know that.
That made me laugh and then think that, yes, it *is* nice to know that.
There isn't a single city in the US where the mayor has any control over the police department. Why should NY be any different?
November 9, 2025 at 12:14 AM
There isn't a single city in the US where the mayor has any control over the police department. Why should NY be any different?