Spokane Critical Mass, 10 arrested

[Bekologist]

Any one from Spokane have any more beta on the Critical Mass arrests yesterday? KIRO 7 news just ran a short; 10 riders participating in a Critical Mass ride in Spokane Washington were arrested yesterday for interfering with traffic. That's all I've got.

[BadAssBiker]

http://www.spokesmanreview.com/breaking/story.asp?ID=5466

[mechBgon]

Dang, that'll teach me to not get the newspaper! (I'm from Spokane)

*goes to see if I recognize any culprits by name*

[mechBgon]

Huh. No names except the 14-year-old. I'm afraid I'm not very sympathetic towards the CM thing myself, my idea of an effective CM would be for everyone to go out and shock the cagers by actually operating somewhat close to vehicular fashion (stopping at stop signs, signalling turns and lane changes... crazy stuff).

[Bekologist]

... (Lt.)McGovern said demonstrations like Friday’s could dissuade people from coming to the city’s core.

“It’s a quality of life issue for downtown, and you always have the possibility for conflict between the motorists and bicyclists,” McGovern said.


What a tool! Implicating bikers in the deteriorating quality of life for motorists in Spokane!

America is a sad, sad place.

[Roody]

The CM cyclists ARE people coming downtown. Maybe not the "right" kind of people for the lieutenant? Because they are on bikes instead of cars? A real city would declare CM Fridays as festival days and let retailers make some money off it. :)

[Bekologist]

Maybe the police got the Critical Mass riders confused with meth addicts, Spokane's REAL problem!

[mechBgon]

Maybe the police got the Critical Mass riders confused with meth addicts, Spokane's REAL problem!I guess you haven't heard about our mayor, then...? :D Woooo boy...

[Bekologist]

Maybe the mayor propositioned one of the riders after last months CM and got spurned, now it's payback time! ;) Talk about a politician with a bad case of tragi-comic gestalt.

I'm betting the scourge of methcathinone beats the mayors gay pedophilc desires in a list of spokane's woes, and Critical Mass would be well below both. How about the river drying up last summer, that's kind of serious, yes?

[carless]

CM Pittsburgh
http://ts.searching.com/search.asp?uid=&h=7270F7A96DCDCA95&query=critical+mass&submit.x=0&submit.y=0
For people that wonder... I will "plant it" for 30 days.

[sscyco]

I work at a local shop and a guy came in a week ago, told us about a CM thing coming up - what an idiot. Follow the fricking rules if you want to make a substantial change. If it's just for you then break the law, deal with the consequences and let the rest fend for them selves.

[TMX]

The CM cyclists ARE people coming downtown.

I don't think the problem is cyclists coming downtown, but rather cyclists coming downtown and then attempting to "make a point" by intentionally disrupting traffic.

-B

[mechBgon]

I work at a local shop and a guy came in a week ago, told us about a CM thing coming up - what an idiot. Follow the fricking rules if you want to make a substantial change. If it's just for you then break the law, deal with the consequences and let the rest fend for them selves.OT, but what shop are you with? If you don't give out that info to strangers, that's OK too :)

[Dchiefransom]

Hmmm, two cyclists break a rule and all of them are arrested. Soooo, if a car during rush hour breaks a traffic law, will they just shut down the streets, arrest everyone, and tow the cars?

[Bekologist]

Also very telling- the Lt. commented on tickets the police issued last month to a group of Spokane Critical Mass riders for being 'pedestrians in the roadway.' "We were hoping they (the cyclists) got the message last month, said the Lt.

Got what message?

[Mtn Mike]

Yeah what a load of shiznit. A friend of mine was one of those arrested. In general he follows VC, and he wasn't the one who shifted into the 2nd lane. We were talking about it this morning, and I'm not sure about the exact wording of the law; however, it doesn't sounds like the Critical Massers were violating any cycling specific law, but rather the very vague concept of disorderly conduct.

In general the police in Spokane have no clue when it comes to anything progressive, being in the small town like we are. The more awareness CM receives, I think the more accepting the city will be. I am so motivated by this, that I believe I'll be out there next month for CM.

[peregrine]

OT but I was wondering what does is mean that a cyclist is 'pedestrian in the roadway'?


The gatherings began recently in Spokane. Last month, about 10 participants received tickets for being pedestrians in the roadway after riding through downtown streets for about a half-hour

[I-Like-To-Bike]

The CM cyclists ARE people coming downtown. Maybe not the "right" kind of people for the lieutenant? Because they are on bikes instead of cars? A real city would declare CM Fridays as festival days and let retailers make some money off it. :)
Have any "real cities" come out of the closet yet and discovered the money that retailers could make from catering to a CM Friday festival? I suspect not, and the reason may be that such "real cities" are in a galaxy, far far away.

[Bekologist]

Maybe not specifically for CM (people are RIDING, duh) but closing off a downtown for a friday night artwalk/shopping/pedestrian mall type events like downtown cores in some European cities??

CM riders would be best served by a rolling beer garden.

[Roody]

CM riders would be best served by a rolling beer garden.
Followed by a pancake breakfast.

[operator]

If these people who were arrested went to CM with the intention to aggravate/cause confrontation with motorists for no good reason then they deserve to be arrested.

[lala]

Whatever...as if Spokane has any traffic to be disrupted.

[some_guy282]

Looks like the bike nazis in NYC are starting a trend.

[Cyclaholic]

We had a 500+ turnout here last friday, about 50 or 60 velocops and maybe a dozen cruisers escorted and corked, not one arrest. One cager lost his cool and went off at the riders, floored it through a tiny gap and almost hit a number of riders before stopping right in the middle of the road totally surrounded by cyclists and cops. he got a major verbal dressing down by a velocop and earned himself a $250 fine for dangerous driving.

The funniest thing was how he asked (begged) the cop not to leave him there after he got the fine, he was totally surrounded by cyclists and a few behind the cop were showing U-locks and chains telling him with sign language what was going to happen. He got a police escort out. I'm so looking forward to the end of light sweet crude.

[some_guy282]

The funniest thing was how he asked (begged) the cop not to leave him there after he got the fine, he was totally surrounded by cyclists and a few behind the cop were showing U-locks and chains telling him with sign language what was going to happen. He got a police escort out. I'm so looking forward to the end of light sweet crude.

:lol: :fight: :fight: :lol:

[sscyco]

OT, but what shop are you with? If you don't give out that info to strangers, that's OK too :)

Wheel Sport East -
PM for more info

[GlowBoy]

I'm afraid I'm not very sympathetic towards the CM thing myself, my idea of an effective CM would be for everyone to go out and shock the cagers by actually operating somewhat close to vehicular fashion (stopping at stop signs, signalling turns and lane changes... crazy stuff).

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[dynaryder]

I'm on the fence when it comes to CM,but this smells. 10 riders,and 2 blocked the other lane? For how long? We've had plenty of Pirate runs where the group spread out for a short time. Add to it the fact that they passed out fliers to the riders beforehand makes me think the PD had an agenda.

[ghettocruiser]

If these people who were arrested went to CM with the intention to aggravate/cause confrontation with motorists for no good reason then they deserve to be arrested.
Probably.

But look around us. A whole lot of people deserve to be arrested, very few are. Wouldn't it be better if the police were to direct their efforts to preventing death and injury, rather than preventing inconvenience?

But if inconvenience is really the big hazard, then consider this: most intersections in Toronto, for instance, are gridlocked at least part of the day by cars who ignore the law just as flagrantly.

Other than a few blitzes in the spring, I don’t see any enforcement at all. Can you imagine people being pulled from their CARS and made to lie on the ground because THEY CAUSED A DELAY?.

If you don’t see a massive double-standard, then I don’t know what else to say.

[banerjek]

I'm on the fence when it comes to CM,but this smells. 10 riders,and 2 blocked the other lane? For how long? We've had plenty of Pirate runs where the group spread out for a short time. Add to it the fact that they passed out fliers to the riders beforehand makes me think the PD had an agenda.
One of the things I find curious is how often CM comes into conflict with the police and motorists. I ride by myself most of the time, but I regularly ride with various cycling clubs at event rides every year. Some of these rides have hundreds or even thousands of riders. Interestingly enough, I don't see the problems that seem to dog practically all CM events.

I checked the link to the story that someone posted. Among other things it mentioned "About 10 bicyclists rode in the event and more than a dozen walkers followed on the sidewalk."

I'm wondering how walkers could possibly keep up with a bona fide cycling event. It's a pity the article even mentions CM or cycling since a headline something like "Cops arrest handful of yahoos for purposely screwing up traffic" wouldn't generate animosity towards cyclists and set the clock backwards.

[catatonic]

I still say there should be a "critical car" drive sometime, just make a few rules: you cannot announce what you are doing, and have it done the day before critical mass. Then ride legally for CM (I think that would be near impossible for some folks, but it's worth a shot)

Whole point is to congest the living hell out of traffic, so the next day, they realize "hey a few bikes riding on this street isn't so bad?"

Sometimes folks need to see the other side to understand.

[Cyclon]

That reminds me of what happened in France when all the big rig drivers went on a strike. They clogged all the streets.

I was at a CM event last week. We had about 15-20 bicyclists. Saw about 5 squad cars. No problems, no arrests. Hrmmmm.

[JoshFrank]

I still say there should be a "critical car" drive sometime, just make a few rules: you cannot announce what you are doing, and have it done the day before critical mass. Then ride legally for CM (I think that would be near impossible for some folks, but it's worth a shot)

Whole point is to congest the living hell out of traffic, so the next day, they realize "hey a few bikes riding on this street isn't so bad?"

Sometimes folks need to see the other side to understand.
That kind of protest needs to happen here (Atlanta), get a couple of cars side by side driving at the posted speed limit. Pantys would be wadded indeed!

[banerjek]

Sometimes folks need to see the other side to understand.
Absolutely -- I'm sure all the commercial drivers who get paid by the mile or delivery, emergency responders trying to get to someone in need or rush someone to the hospital, folks trying to catch flights, and buses carrying people from work who are trying to get home before their kids do will have great appreciation for cyclists after suddenly find themselves going nowhere. One of the cool things about traffic jams is that they catch everyone and often affect people far from the origination point.

CM should do more events on rural highways. It seems like there are a disproportionate number of drivers in jacked up trucks who don't appreciate cycling as much as their urban brethren. They would undoubtedly find sitting behind a bunch of bikes downright therapeutic.

[Roody]

Absolutely -- I'm sure all the commercial drivers who get paid by the mile or delivery, emergency responders trying to get to someone in need or rush someone to the hospital, folks trying to catch flights, and buses carrying people from work who are trying to get home before their kids do will have great appreciation for cyclists after suddenly find themselves going nowhere. One of the cool things about traffic jams is that they catch everyone and often affect people far from the origination point.

CM should do more events on rural highways. It seems like there are a disproportionate number of drivers in jacked up trucks who don't appreciate cycling as much as their urban brethren. They would undoubtedly find sitting behind a bunch of bikes downright therapeutic.
1. Even on CM days, there are not traffic jams because there are too many cyclists on the road. There are traffic jams because there are too many cars on the road. Duh! Bikes are the solution, not the problem. I know of course, that bikes are really only part of the solution. There is also walking and mass transit.

2. Cagers get frustrated when there is only one bike "holding me up." I don't know about you, but no matter how politely and lawfully I ride, there are some motorists who tell me that I have NO RIGHT TO BE ON THE STREET. Why don't you argue with these inconsiderate motorists instead of with fellow cyclists who are doing more than you are to preserve your rights?

3. It is unfortunate that emergency vehicles and people who drive for a living are impeded. But I bet that for every one time they are held up by a bike, they are held up a thousand times by trains and ten thousand times by other motor vehicles.

BTW, I hope your next pizza is cold and late!

[TMX]

Bikes are the solution, not the problem. I know of course, that bikes are really only part of the solution.


Responsibly ridden bikes can certainly be a solution. Bikes ridden by wannabe anarchists with an agenda and an attitude will never be.


Why don't you argue with these inconsiderate motorists instead of with fellow cyclists who are doing more than you are to preserve your rights?


CM and CM advocates are not preserving anyone's rights. What they are doing is making us all look bad by going out and acting like jerks, and are generating a tremendous amount of bad will not only among the motoring public, but also among fellow cyclists. If the CM crowd had any sense at all, they'd look at their press and adjust accordingly in order to generate a more favorabe public image. Then, and only then, will CM be in a position to affect large-scale positive change of any sort....that is, if CM is in fact really about advocacy. Which I doubt.


It is unfortunate that emergency vehicles and people who drive for a living are impeded. But I bet that for every one time they are held up by a bike, they are held up a thousand times by trains and ten thousand times by other motor vehicles.

Sure, that's justification.

-Bob

[Roody]

Responsibly ridden bikes can certainly be a solution. Bikes ridden by wannabe anarchists with an agenda and an attitude will never be.





CM and CM advocates are not preserving anyone's rights. What they are doing is making us all look bad by going out and acting like jerks, and are generating a tremendous amount of bad will not only among the motoring public, but also among fellow cyclists. If the CM crowd had any sense at all, they'd look at their press and adjust accordingly in order to generate a more favorabe public image. Then, and only then, will CM be in a position to affect large-scale positive change of any sort....that is, if CM is in fact really about advocacy. Which I doubt.




Sure, that's justification.

-Bob
So responsible?! Driving a car in the center of a city is the opposite of responsible.
all those cagers getting in accidents and their road rage and their selfish overuse of nonrenewable resources. They give motoring a bad name! Too bad they can't adjust to generate a more favorable public image.

It's a damn shame that CMers get blamed for trying to make it better.

[banerjek]

... Cagers get frustrated when there is only one bike "holding me up." I don't know about you, but no matter how politely and lawfully I ride, there are some motorists who tell me that I have NO RIGHT TO BE ON THE STREET. Why don't you argue with these inconsiderate motorists instead of with fellow cyclists who are doing more than you are to preserve your rights?
Barking at dogs is a total waste of time -- by definition, you cannot reason with unreasonable people. My way of preserving cyclists rights is to ride confidently and assertively, but also in a way that is considerate of others. My experience is the vast majority of drivers reciprocate. I have far more problems with people giving me too much space, waiting for me when they have right of way, etc than I do with hostile morons who may be looped out on god knows what.

BTW, I have found that if you maintain your composure and hold your line when dealing with hostility, it really impresses the other motorists and they will be on your side. I have had people offer assistance, to serve as witnesses, etc even when I was not even hit.


...It is unfortunate that emergency vehicles and people who drive for a living are impeded. But I bet that for every one time they are held up by a bike, they are held up a thousand times by trains and ten thousand times by other motor vehicles.
Certainly, but perceptions and expectations are important. I always hear drivers complaining how they can't afford gas, but the reality is that gas is a tiny part of the cost of owning a car, they could drive something more reasonable, or they could choose alternate transportation such as carpools, buses, bikes, etc. Don't count on people to make the logical and mathematically correct associations. If they think bikes are blocking, they'll treat cyclists accordingly whether or not it's true.


BTW, I hope your next pizza is cold and late!
Haven't ordered a pizza in well over 10 years so it will be a long wait ;) . I have yet to find a place that can make crust or sauce as well as me (though there was an outfit called Papa Del's in Champaign IL that did a really good job).

There is one thing that I think will get everyone biking -- it's called $8/gallon gas. When the world runs low on oil and the cost of energy skyrockets, I think people will get very serious about finding alternatives to cars.

[scarry]

Responsibly ridden bikes can certainly be a solution. Bikes ridden by wannabe anarchists with an agenda and an attitude will never be.
-Bob


When 90% of the motorists on the road are speeding (JERKS) there is no room to critizice cylists.

[SpokesInMyPoop]

I guess you haven't heard about our mayor, then...? :D Woooo boy...

I'm not even from your area (but from the Pac. NW), and I heard about that guy! How scandalous!

I guess if you need(ed?) a city job, you could visit the mayor in some spokanem4m chatroom, and tell him you'd offer a job that entails blowing, and voila! Street sweeper madness!!!

[Roody]

Certainly, but perceptions and expectations are important. I always hear drivers complaining how they can't afford gas, but the reality is that gas is a tiny part of the cost of owning a car, they could drive something more reasonable, or they could choose alternate transportation such as carpools, buses, bikes, etc. Don't count on people to make the logical and mathematically correct associations. If they think bikes are blocking, they'll treat cyclists accordingly whether or not it's true.
I don't get this idea that each individual in a group is judged by the behavior of the worst behaved member of the group. Now you go one step further and say that we are also responsible for the false impressions that motorists have of us. So you admit that many cagers are illogical, but still we (cyclists, CM, whatever, people on bikes) have to mollify or persuade thes illogical cagers.

But really you are missing the point. The point is that private motor vehicles are much too numerous, and therefore cause traffic problems. Bikes, even at CM numbers, do not cause traffic delays. Cars cause traffic delays, bikes do not. Simple logic, if you could only "think outside the cage" for one minute. I do not own or drive a car, and I flatly refuse to accept responsibility for either the ills they cause, or for the illogic of their users. And that goes double for their paid lackeys, the police.

[randya]

...I flatly refuse to accept responsibility for either the ills they cause, or for the illogic of their users. And that goes double for their paid lackeys, the police.
:beer:

[banerjek]

I don't get this idea that each individual in a group is judged by the behavior of the worst behaved member of the group. Now you go one step further and say that we are also responsible for the false impressions that motorists have of us. So you admit that many cagers are illogical, but still we (cyclists, CM, whatever, people on bikes) have to mollify or persuade thes illogical cagers.

The reason behavior of individual cyclists reflects on the group is that drivers encounter so few of them they infer the traits of individuals onto the whole group. It's stereotyping and it's wrong, but it's what people do. Many cyclists (myself included) sometimes infer traits on drivers purely on the basis of their transportation choice. It's the flip side of the same coin. Regardless of what's right, we have to deal with human nature.

As far as persuading drivers goes, the basic disagreement is on tactics rather than desired goal. As far as I can tell, CM seeks to persuade through confrontation -- i.e. make driving a total PITA so people will look to bikes as an alternative. Others believe that strategy is very counterproductive and that providing an example others want to emulate is a far better way to go.

Cars may cause traffic jams. However, if want drivers to realize that, you don't want to make it easy to blame others or bikes for the problem. A much better tactic is to let them crawl while you and the rest of the group effortlessly ride by and leave them in the distance.

[ezgreen]

Its hard for me to defend or justify the actions of anyone breaking the law. However I believe the police overreacted. As was stated above I am sure if you double parked your car and disrupted the flow of traffic, you wouldn't be arrested and have your car impounded. If you really want to express your opinion I have included the email address for the Spokane Chamber of Commerce. Spokane bills itself as the All American City and promotes its opportunities for outdoor recreational activities. You might want to drop them a line and let them know how you feel about the recent events. I did.
info@chamber.spokane.net

[Roody]

Here in lansing, cops pulled kids on tall bikes off their bikes and arrested one because they rode on the state capitol grounds. I ride there at least once a week, older guy on a nice bike, with a helmet, etc. They never tell me that I can't ride there.

Of course in New York, massive numbers of CM riders were arrested just for riding. The cops lied and faked videotapes to convict them.

Now Spokane.

Why does CM cause the cops to go on such a rampage? These cities, most cities, have 2 cager CMs every weekday. They call it rush hour.

[randya]

At the risk of spreading paranoia, I think it's a police fraternity thing, they get together at police conventions and attend seminars and trade tips on how to take down Critical Mass rides and riders. Maybe the feds are in on it as well. It's not just NYC and Spokane, it's also happened in Portland, OR, Santa Cruz, CA, Buffalo, NY, London, UK, and other cities at various times. The citys' chambers of commerce also lobby local politicians regarding CM, and the Mayor or Council or Police Commissioner or someone has to give the orders. Fight back!

[banerjek]

At the risk of spreading paranoia, I think it's a police fraternity thing, they get together at police conventions and attend seminars and trade tips on how to take down Critical Mass rides and riders.
Y'all are way overestimating your importance. Cops don't give a damn about CM and they have a lot better things to do than harass cyclists.

What's going on is really simple: CM provokes the authorities along with anyone who's driving that day and then act self righteous when their provocation succeeds and people react. The dynamic is very similar to what happens when the fundamentalist Christians go to convert the heathen at Daytona Beach during spring break. They get sprayed with beer and go home feeling morally superior.

Hosing traffic has been used as a protest tactic for many years, and the result is usually the same -- it ticks everyone off and the protesters get busted.

[randya]

And you support the getting busted thing? Do you believe the rude treatment and inflated charges are justified? What about civil rights?

[banerjek]

And you support the getting busted thing? Do you believe the rude treatment and inflated charges are justified? What about civil rights?
I believe inflated charges and mistreatment occur too often, and that this provokes contempt for the law. However, I think the focus of too many CM members is really on provoking law enforcement rather than promoting cycling.

You have the right to do many things, but in the real world you have to use your head. You have the right to walk by yourself on any public street whenever you want. However, if you go into certain areas, you will be robbed or much worse. If you insist on ignoring reality, few people will be sympathetic.

Aggravating people is a strange way to attract support for a cause. Have you ever changed your views to conform with somebody who intentionally p*ssed you off? Most people find ways to avoid or neutralize those who they perceive as threats. People are much more receptive to ideas when they're treated with respect and they believe they're understood.

CM and the cops both contribute to an unproductive cycle of conflict, but more people sympathize with the cops than CM because they don't appreciate being regarded as enemies or acceptable collateral damage just because they're on the roads. Regardless of who's right and wrong, it's in CM's interest to break the cycle.

[LittleBigMan]

A real city would declare CM Fridays as festival days and let retailers make some money off it. :)
That's the kind of strategy that would make a lot of sense. When people profit, things happen.