Hipsters Just Don’t Get It

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As you’ve no doubt heard, David Byrne has designed a host of location-specific bike racks for the sidewalks of NYC. Williambsburg is Dead is not impressed, and based on field observations this evening, he clearly speaks for his generation.

This is the Williamsburg bike rack, on Bedford and North 6th Street. Note the bicycles chained to the parking meters (far left and far right). Note the bicycle chained to the traditional bike rack. Note the lost and found hanging from David Byrne’s bike rack. Clearly, the locals don’t know what the hell this is for. And this in the most bicycle-centric neighborhood in the city, where people will chain a bike to anything.

But its not just the kids. I’ll confess that I don’t exactly get the David Byrne bike racks either. And this from someone who bought most of the Talking Heads albums when they were originally released (starting with More Songs). Yeah, I get the big idea – this is art promoting bicycling. Its location specific, so I get why Wall Street has a dollar sign bicycle rack. But why does Williamsburg have a Guitar Center logo for a bicycle rack?

One response to “Hipsters Just Don’t Get It”

  1. There’s another of these new bike racks outside the MoMA, and no one uses it. I think the red paint throws people off.