[People fishing at “the wall” at Monona Terrace on July 27, 2022. Photo: Maria Powell]
Last week I talked to Moe from Milwaukee, fishing at “the wall” at Monona Terrace with his nephews. I asked if he experienced conflicts between the mostly white bikers and the mostly black anglers there. His answer was an unequivocal YES. Bikers on the path often shout at them to get out of the way, he said. The powers-that-be, he added “don’t care.” They are self-centered and mostly concerned about money. And racist.
A woman fishing there today–unrelated to Moe, but almost perfectly echoing him on the biker-angler tensions–said bikers “could be kinder, they don’t have to scream and yell.” I asked her what they screamed and yelled. “Get out of my freakin’ way!” she said. “Why do you think they do that?” I asked. “Selfish,” she answered. “Think they own the lake, they think they own the sidewalk.”
If you don’t believe me, hear for yourself…
At the end of the conversation, I asked–does she think planners working on the redesign of the shoreline there (the Lake Monona Waterfront Design challenge) should talk to shoreline anglers? To get their input on the re-design? (In redesigning the shoreline, the city purportedly aims “to create a visionary, inclusive, and environmentally focused** master plan…to create a welcoming destination for all Madison residents and visitors…enhance community connections, increase physical and visual access to the lake…)”
Yes, she said several times, planners should talk to shoreline anglers.
**Hmm, what does “environmentally focused” mean? Will city planners even mention the city landfill leaching poisons into the water beneath the center during the redesign process? Discuss its implications for the lake quality, the fish, the people who eat the fish? Very unlikely.
How many bikers cycled down the bike path by 1pm or so today? 859. See below
Maybe the “Path Etiquette” sign should say “Selfish bikers, do not scream GET OUT OF MY FREAKIN’ WAY! at people fishing at the wall.” Or perhaps “This is a public space, welcome to all people no matter what race or income level. It belongs to everyone. We should share access to these public lands and waters, acknowledge each other’s right to be here, and respect each other.“
Or maybe we should post another sign altogether?
Where’s the angler icon?
