The FCC’s recent decision to roll back net neutrality provisions and trust in the goodwill of big telecoms company has been divisive, to say the least. Tens of millions of Americans submitted comments to the FCC during its public consultation phase, lawmakers have made ham-fisted analogies about why we need net neutrality (or not), and even Burger King has weighed in.
But nothing truly captures the absurdity of the FCC’s position quite like one lone cyclist slowing down traffic outside the FCC’s own office, and then offering irritated motorists the chance to buy his fast lanes for $5 a pop.
Activist Rob Bliss decided that the only way to make the FCC suffer the consequences of an internet with no net neutrality enforcement was to bring the same rules to play on Washington’s streets. Bliss got on his bicycle, demarkated a lane outside the FCC’s office, and then very slowly cycled back and forth outside the offices. If police or commuters complained about his plan to “Restore Automobile Freedom,” he simply informed them that he was providing the choice for them to vote with their wallets.
The local cops, to their credit, handled the peaceful protest with just the right amount of finger-wagging and hands on hips, and with none of the guns or tasers you might expect.
Bliss told The Next Web about his project:
Net Neutrality is a huge issue, it has the ability to shape how we think and see the world. The fact that it hasn’t really been well understood by the public is very concerning and what I was trying to address. By bringing internet traffic to real world traffic, a lot of the issues become immediately apparent. In the video I play the role of the ISP, and everyone’s response proves how society would never allow such behavior in the real world. So why should we allow it online?
