Bicycle Civil Liberties Union

P.O. Box 15071

Berkeley, CA 94712-6071

Contact: Jason Meggs, Director, email: jmeggs -at - bclu.org,

~~(510) 720-2818 (pager)~~

Lawrence Hildes, BCLU attorney, (510) 845-9788

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JULY 26, 2002

Drive-Thru Day Discrimination

Jack in the Box Corporation and Governor Gray Davis celebrate while non-drivers suffer

Critical Mass expected to protest in San Francisco tonight

This Sunday, July 28, Governor Gray Davis joins Jack in the Box Corporation in celebrating "Drive-Thru Day" on behalf of "the people of the State of California". However, a wide array of interest groups have reason to decry this event and drive-thru businesses in general for discrimination against non-drivers including people with disabilities, the poor (disproportionately made up of minorities), the young and the old, bicyclists, pedestrians and transit users.

Non-drivers who approach fast food windows are routinely refused service. Oftentimes, particularly at night, drive-thru restaurants such as Jack in the Box outlets are the only way to obtain food for miles around. How can we allow the poor, people of color, people with disabilities, and those who help the environment by bicycling and walking be denied access to food? Moreover, how can the Governor of California celebrate such an event?

"What do you expect from the Governor who vetoed the Good Roads bill?" asked Dave Campbell, the president of the Bicycle-Friendly Berkeley Coalition.

The Governor's signed statement, viewable at the Jack in the Box website, http://www.jackinthebox.com/drivethru/, further claims that "these businesses made a lasting impact not only on the Golden State, but on our nation's cultural identity and life"

"Surely when he says the word 'impact' he refers to the daily deaths by automobile in California which he has deliberately failed to prevent," retorted BCLU Director Jason Meggs. "The fact that people with disabilities, the young and the old, poor and minorities, and bicyclists and pedestrians are so especially at risk from our ever-increasing reliance on motor vehicle travel just adds to the frustration people are feeling with this so-called 'celebration'. Davis is adding insult to injury and injury to insult".

Critical Mass San Francisco rides this evening, and some participants have called for rolling protests to visit Jack in the Box and other drive-thru establishments. The ride gathers at 5:30 at Embarcadero Plaza. Today.s ride is also the fifth anniversary of the major crackdown by Mayor Willie Brown, who targeted the right to demonstrate by bicycle while scheming to take away transbay travel options.

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