Quaxing is a 2015 neologism meaning "to shop, in the western world, by means of walking, cycling or public transit". It is also a form of transport activism, bringing visibility to the possibility of a car-free life.
Origin of the term
editIn January 2015, a local councillor in Auckland, New Zealand, Dick Quax tweeted, “No one in the entire Western world uses the train for their shopping trips…the very idea that people lug home their supermarket shopping on the train is fanciful.”[1]
People responded with pictures of themselves doing their shopping by non-car means using the term #quaxing.[2]
The term was defined on blogs and tweets as "Quax, [verb; past: quaxed, present: quaxing] — to shop, in the western world, by means of walking, cycling or public transit."[citation needed]
Growth of the trend
editThe trend gathered steam as an internet meme.[3] Soon media outlets picked up on the trend and covered the story and its implications for politicians and planners.[4]
Although it refers to shopping by any non-car means, it has been most widely adopted by cyclists.[5]
Public Address chose quaxing as their Word of the Year in 2015, which gained further media coverage for the trend.[6][7][8]
Momentum Mag described quaxing as:
"A rallying call to politicians to take the needs of cyclists, pedestrians, and transit users seriously."[5]
The term continues to be used by bike advocates to normalise everyday activities by bike.[9][10]
References
edit- ^ "'Quaxing' gaffe goes global". NZ Herald. 10 May 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
- ^ "Quaxing 101". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
- ^ BarbC (13 July 2015). "Quaxing on Carlton Gore – bike lanes delivering customers already". Bike Auckland. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
- ^ "Quaxing". RNZ. 12 May 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
- ^ a b Angus, Hilary (14 May 2015). "How #quaxing Became a Rallying Call for Everyday Cyclists". Momentum Mag. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
- ^ Brown, Russell (21 December 2015). "PAWOTY: We are all quaxing now • Hard News • Public Address". publicaddress.net. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
- ^ "The Word of The Year: "Quaxing"". RNZ. 21 December 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
- ^ "'Quaxing' gaffe goes global". NZ Herald. 10 May 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
- ^ "Park it for the Planet and get quaxing". Bicycle Network. 25 August 2020. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
- ^ Cappuccino (21 September 2023). "We moved house by bike and it was super fun!". Bike Auckland. Retrieved 2 December 2024.