I’ve been getting a lot of question about this poster. Here is a response I just wrote to a friend in Rome who thought it was a pro-gang violence poster (which it is not).
The poster was originally meant to be funny because it is an overly militant poster about a usually innocent activity, accompanied by a slogan that doesn’t even make sense. The slogan is mocking people who hypocritically put environmental stickers on their cars. In the Bay Area we often see “My Other Car is a ______” stickers.
On a more serious note, political posters have a long history of using guns to symbolize power and the transfer of power. My other gun is a bike is saying that my other means of achieving power is a bike. That bike culture can be used to transform the infrastructure of urban design.
Do I think people should literally carry huge guns on there bikes? No. However I do live in a place were people carry guns on a regular basis and will steal your bike in a second.
Tags: Bikes