Does Anyone Really Give a Shit About David Byrne's Bike Racks?

I mean, really. So David Byrne made some bike racks. Nine of them. And one of them is in Williamsburg. They're not even particularly creative, edgy, or interesting in any way--in fact, they look like something the lowest level NYC department of transit employee could've come up with on his lunch break. Guitar shaped rack for Williamsburg. Dollar sign rack for Wall Street. Yawn.

And yet. The racks are getting more coverage than a McCain gaffe around here. I mean, I love the Talking Heads as much as the next semi-pretentious hipster, but do we really need to hear about this? From every news source imaginable? If David Bowie designed nine wheelchair ramps, would everyone make the same ruckus? Well. I guess so.

Oh, aging rock icons. How you inevitably lose your edge and charmingly putter about in irrelevance with inflated egos thanks to a media that shits itself every time you undertake the most menial of projects.

For more, check out the the New York Times.
Or Metro.
Or Pitchfork.
Or The Associated Press.

You get the idea.   

Comments

[joe]

you obviously dont ride a bike and have never tried to work with an agency such as Department of Transportation. Just the fact that these racks exist and made it through such a bureaucratic process is amazing.

[DowntownGuy]

Boo-hoo. Nowhere to store MY personal property. Boo-hoo

These same cyclist advocates bemoan car parking - on the street - but they want to usurp public sidewalks for their personal property!

Heck, maybe I can park my excess personal property of the sidewalk too.
I got a large footlocker that is crowding my apartment.

Want bike racks? Move to Portland.

[jack]

cars can park where they want...just stop double parking in the bike lane.

you want a parking space? move to houston.

[bill]

And yet you continue to talk about them. ironic, huh?

[DB]

Touche, sir. Touche.

[Publicartflunky]

I think the point is these bike racks are uninspired and a snooze. But because a celebrity created them they get coverage. Its great that DOT tried to do something outside the ordinary but a standard bikerack would be fine compared to this trite work. Yet another example of bad, yet hyped public art. The Waterfalls, please. Byrne bikeracks? Stick to "Playing the Building". At least that is interesting and engages the public.

[woodendesigner]

These things look ridiculous and don't look very useful as a bike rack either. I have to say that coming up with a more decorative bike rack is a fine idea but make it functional. Who cares who designed it..... just make it work well.

[CaptFamous]

I saw the guitar one in Williamsburg the other day. There were no bikes chained to it. However, there were three bikes chained to the adjacent parking meter.