mike matlin

Comment online since June 13th 2009
Sorry folks, in the last paragraph it should have read "...use ME as cannon fodder..."

As far as "Also, a friend of a friend of mine just passed your name along - although I believe she called you first."

Perhaps waiting a few hours, rather than speaking to "my friend" and then instantly Facebook-ing me would have been better than speaking to my friend and assuming she would drop everything in her day to contact me that very second. The warning from my friend came about an hour after the CBC request. (manners?)

ALSO, now that I think about it how sneaky and dirty a trick to contact someone through Facebook. I didn't think of it at the time but that gave the CBC reporter 24 hours of access to my friends list. To all those on my friends list, my apologies.

Mike Matlin

Comment online since June 13th 2009
Oddly, merely days after being interviewed by Adam who asked me 5 straightforward unbiased journalistic questions, I was contacted by the CBC show Morning World and was questioned on the same subject. The questions by CBC were extremely biased and it seems they did not receive the response they expected.

Here's the transcript of the interview conducted no less on Facebook in contrast to Adam's way more professional approach of using proper email. Perhaps someone down at the CBC should read the TOS for Facebook but that's a whole other issue.

_____________

Hi Mike,

My name is (removed as I don't need to point fingers) and I work on CBC Radio's morning show, Daybreak.

Are you an avid cyclist from NDG? I'm looking to find some who are a bit annoyed that the Bixi is not yet available in that borough, or people who are anxiously waiting for the Bixi's arrival (said to be sometime next year).
Would you or any of your friends be such people?
Please call me as soon as you get this message at 514-597-4461. I would love to talk to you about this. We're looking to do an item on this for tomorrow morning's show so it's rather urgent.

Thanks,
(name removed)

(name removed)
CBC Radio Montreal
Daybreak
(514) 597-4461
(email address containing name removed)


Mike Matlin
04 June at 13:47
You want me to be annoyed that something brand new isn't everywhere all at once? That's just a tad unrealistic. I'd be very happy to see the Bixi in NDG but I don't expect to see it here or in any of the 'burbs until it's a proven system with all it's bugs worked out.

In Bixi's present incarnation there are NO HELMETS! I am unaware of any official helmet laws, but I still wear one and have been for about 15 years. The present Bixi systems that I have seen are in the downtown core. This means that perhaps 99% of the users will be adults (true many adults do stupider things than kids) who if nothing else are of a legal age where, according to our society, they are mature enough to make their own stupid decisions. I wouldn't be comfortable knowing that the kids in my burough are being shown that it's OK to ride a bike without a helmet IT'S NOT!

I for one believe that people who wind up in hospital due to not wearing a helmet should be presented bills on their way out just as smokers should!

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the Bixi system I think it's great. I would have been more impressed if the city had worked out things like helmets BEFORE putting them up. The politicians look good though, I guess that's what counts.

-=M=-
---------
I received the following response. I laughed so hard at the first line. So compare the first line of the first letter with the first line of the response, can you keep a straight face?

I had sent a one line message asking how they got my name as it seemed really strange that two totally separate publications chose me two questin oin the same topic within days of each other.
-------

I don't actually "want" you to be anything, I just thought you'd be a good person to contact re: the Bixi.

You were quoted in an article published in the Monitor recently. It listed you as a enthusiastic cyclist from NDG.
Also, a friend of a friend of mine just passed your name along - although I believe she called you first.

Thank you for your time.
(name removed)

(name removed)
CBC Radio Montreal
Daybreak
(514) 597-4461
(email address removed)
----

They "wanted" me to be annoyed. They wanted to "use" as cannon fodder. It actually saddens me that the CBC a one time shining star and measure of integrity seems to have fallen to nothing more than tabloid journalism. They even go so far as to have "reader forums" in which the moderators seem to be under the instructions of "let them post what they want, let them get into crazy arguments but if they actually say something poignant or controversial ERASE IT!" A mild mannered friend of mine actually says whenever he needs to be in a bad mood so as not to be a pushover during negotiations he reads the CBC reader forums.