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Finally, a fun critical mass here after a couple of bummer rides! Meager attendance despite the relatively warm and clear weather--about 45 riders--was a bit disappointing, but hey, it's awesome that the people who did show up came along.
Well, enough complaining. Good things about this ride were much more mellow pace, people sticking together for the most part, no really crazy random aggression on the part of riders, at least two bike lifts, and a lot of good comments from pedestrians, and even a couple of drivers. Philly Car Share drivers were on both sides of the fence... a boxy car (Honda Element?) gave us a friendly toot from the oncoming lane, but we were seriously buzzed by a Car Share Mini Cooper on the Walnut street bridge. I guess Austin Powers was in a hurry.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=w9ZbilSW4Co
Last month was the usual chaos, hence the short video--I got left in the dust.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=5GT9SXoVzss
Thanks for tuning in,
Andy
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no crazy random aggression or not, the bunch still took up the road - which is not how bicyclists should ride - and which is why a great many bicyclists and clubs disapprove of CM.
Why is this post under Advocacy & Safety? From the videos how are you promoting Advocacy & Safety? From what I see in the videos it's a bunch of riders intimidating drivers. I'd also be honking if a group of large group of riders intentionally ran red lights, cut in front of me, took up 2-4 lanes, and yelled back at the honking that was deserved.
CM is nothing but a group of hooligans that get off on being rude to others and enjoy bullying drivers once a month/year.
Why is this post under Advocacy & Safety? From the videos how are you promoting Advocacy & Safety? From what I see in the videos it's a bunch of riders intimidating drivers. I'd also be honking if a group of large group of riders intentionally ran red lights, cut in front of me, took up 2-4 lanes, and yelled back at the honking that was deserved.
CM is nothing but a group of hooligans that get off on being rude to others and enjoy bullying drivers once a month/year.
They are saving the world from conformist law abiding cycling. :rolleyes:
Well, CM is certainly not a straightforward advocacy tool, and I certainly have mixed feelings about it as I point out in my videos. One of the reasons I show up because I want it to be better rather than complain about it. Nobody can deny that it does provide people with just two hours per month to behave the way that car drivers do and occupy the roads without fear. Car drivers may feel bullied, but CM isn't systemic bullying which is what I experience when I'm riding my bike. For instance, the point in the video that has the traffic being held up (Walnut street bridge) is a point where for all the rest of the time traffic is routinely going 15-30mph over the speed limit. It's like a weight off of my heart to be riding down that street knowing that this time I'm really not going to be killed!
As for not posting about CM on this list, CM is clearly recognized as advocacy tool by some people, so I feel like it should be debated not rejected out of hand.
See you on Sadie Hawkins' Day--or not.
Peace out.
...Nobody can deny that it does provide people with just two hours per month to behave the way that car drivers do and occupy the roads without fear. ...
No offense, but I ride the way car drivers do all the time...you know, stopping at red lights and stop signs, signaling turns etc. I occupy the road without fear every time I ride. I keep a cautious eye to my surroundings, but fear?
I just don't "get" CM. It seems like an excuse to behave badly from my perspective. If it was a law abiding ride, I would understand it, but the whole corking intersections, taking up both lanes when two are available etc. thing just bothers me. I'd be annoyed if I was on my bike, on foot or in a car.
This obviously took place at night. Why so few lights on bikes?
:beer: CM :beer:
The nice 'law abiding conformist' approach is working real well.:rolleyes:
Critical Mass reminds me of a John Cage quote: "I have nothing to say and I am saying it"
Our CM here in Durham started about 8 months ago. At first it was chaos. Now we usually have a couple of bicycle police officers join the ride. WE ALWAYS stop at red lights, stop signs and obey traffic laws. If the group gets seperated we pull over at a safe place and wait for the group to catch up. I think the only law we might be breaking is riding as far right as possible. At night everyone has front and rear lights blazing. Think CM is what you make it.
Our CM here in Durham started about 8 months ago. At first it was chaos. Now we usually have a couple of bicycle police officers join the ride. WE ALWAYS stop at red lights, stop signs and obey traffic laws. If the group gets seperated we pull over at a safe place and wait for the group to catch up. I think the only law we might be breaking is riding as far right as possible. At night everyone has front and rear lights blazing. Think CM is what you make it.
You can tell you are a n00b.....
For future reference...please dont blaspheme and inject experience, reality
and actual positivity into any Critical Mass threads.
http://forums.maxima.org/images/smilies/thumbsup.gif
You can tell you are a n00b.....
For future reference...please dont blaspheme and inject experience, reality
and actual positivity into any Critical Mass threads.
http://forums.maxima.org/images/smilies/thumbsup.gif
I think the reality has been well documented and delivered with a smile by the OP and many others who do participate regularly. Since the proud CMers bring their own evidence, why do those that disagree with the behavior displayed have to experience it for themselves in order to for their criticism to be taken at it's face value?
On the other hand, from Mike's report of the rides in Durham, it sounds like an event that at least isn't offensive and likely to piss people off even more.
Sorry, sometimes I can't help but hit the "view post" link on the two people on my ignore list.
Sorry, sometimes I can't help but hit the "view post" link on the two people on my ignore list.
Sounds like a lot of stuff is on your 'ignore' list. Reality, courtesy, common sense being just a few.
Thank you for including me, too.
:beer:
I've read that someone has started a Cm somewhere, which stands for Critical Manners. It's where they all obey the laws, and nobody gets hit or run over, they show that there are bikes on the road. Would any of you CM'ers like that sort of proposition?
Well, CM is certainly not a straightforward advocacy tool, and I certainly have mixed feelings about it as I point out in my videos. One of the reasons I show up because I want it to be better rather than complain about it. Nobody can deny that it does provide people with just two hours per month to behave the way that car drivers do and occupy the roads without fear. Car drivers may feel bullied, but CM isn't systemic bullying which is what I experience when I'm riding my bike. For instance, the point in the video that has the traffic being held up (Walnut street bridge) is a point where for all the rest of the time traffic is routinely going 15-30mph over the speed limit. It's like a weight off of my heart to be riding down that street knowing that this time I'm really not going to be killed!
As for not posting about CM on this list, CM is clearly recognized as advocacy tool by some people, so I feel like it should be debated not rejected out of hand.
See you on Sadie Hawkins' Day--or not.
Peace out.
You know I understand there's groups of CM's out there who are doing decently at getting together as a group and riding ... but the fact that traffic was held up which means the people riding bicycles took over the road (for a couple of hours) is just rather backwards from where the whole bicycle advocacy stands. Glad you felt safe, but really - we're riding as a regular vehicle on the road - and fight for the respect of that too. And I, for one, try to get that message out there to drivers that HEY - YES - we have rights to the road.
Taking up a whole road to ride and meander and not respect signs or laws just sets us back a step.
You can enjoy riding in groups and feel safe by adhering to good road riding practices. And I ride busy city too, unless I meander out to the sticks, yet I still feel safe (won't ride on ice - see I commute year round as well) because I ride within the laws of the road. And oh yeah I hit some many delinquents who are donkey butts cause they don't know the law - and so I "fill them in".
Taking over a road so you feel safe riding and think you're making a point (and yes - I do think the no group riding rule is an assinine thing - and that it can be better fought through club and legal channels) - is just taking all us bicyclists, including you, back a giant step.
:(
Taking up a whole road to ride and meander and not respect signs or laws just sets us back a step.
SO is it ok for the weekend road warriors who ride in packs when the practice to take up the whole lane? I've witnessed this many times.
I've read that someone has started a Cm somewhere, which stands for Critical Manners. It's where they all obey the laws, and nobody gets hit or run over, they show that there are bikes on the road. Would any of you CM'ers like that sort of proposition?
Love it!
I've read that someone has started a Cm somewhere, which stands for Critical Manners. It's where they all obey the laws, and nobody gets hit or run over, they show that there are bikes on the road. Would any of you CM'ers like that sort of proposition?
I'm not a CM supporter, but I like it.
But it sounds like an organized recreational group ride. I do these every weekend with anywhere from 15-100 others and due to organized leadership there are rules that to participate you need to follow all traffic laws. The group is very self policing, it a friendly way, but occasionally to an annoying fault - but blatantly break a traffic law and you may find yourself buying breakfast for a few dozen folks. ;)
Al
Here's a good example of Critical Manners............
http://groups.google.com/group/critical-manners-ride-sf/browse_thread/thread/11e8d95991c2b67c
Think what you will, but most people are very tired of the notion that we have to break all the laws, just to "survive", or "to be noticed", on the road. And I'm hearing more and more from cyclists, that breaking the rules of the road, is entirely acceptable on a bicycle. Well, it's not! The same old, same old, same old, adage is true, and will continue to be true............you want respect? Earn it.
Taking up a whole road to ride and meander and not respect signs or laws just sets us back a step. :(
how does this set cycling advocacy back? do we imagine that if the cycling community just stays nice and ignorable and on the margins and plays by all the rules made by car drivers for car drivers that one day, suddenly, people will leave their cars behind en masse and take up cycling?
if history teaches anything it's that well-behaved people never make a difference.
how does this set cycling advocacy back? do we imagine that if the cycling community just stays nice and ignorable and on the margins and plays by all the rules made by car drivers for car drivers that one day, suddenly, people will leave their cars behind en masse and take up cycling?
if history teaches anything it's that well-behaved people never make a difference.
Well don't stay nice and ignorable. Ride so you are noticed early.
There are many places/times where riding away from the margins is required for safety. However there are also many places/times where moving to margins is safe and allows for better traffic flow. Don't abuse full use of the road when you don't need it for any good reason.
Al
http://bikehugger.com/2007/10/critical_mannerds_ride_report.htm
I've read that someone has started a Cm somewhere, which stands for Critical Manners. It's where they all obey the laws, and nobody gets hit or run over, they show that there are bikes on the road. Would any of you CM'ers like that sort of proposition?Absolutely.
It's been held in San Francisco so far, not sure if it's been picked up elsewhere. The topic was brought up on Bikeportland, but people lost the plot right away-- started talking about corking intersections so people could blow the lights, etc. It died stillborn in Portland.
if history teaches anything it's that well-behaved people never make a difference.
What about Ghandi and Martin Luther King? What about the Dali Lama? If you want to rationalize poor behavior, that's just fine, but don't tell me that's what history teaches me.
SO is it ok for the weekend road warriors who ride in packs when the practice to take up the whole lane? I've witnessed this many times.
No, its not okay, but its not as bad as some of the CM events that have been described because the volume of traffic that is obstructed is much lower because:
1. Its not during rush hour.
2. Its usually held further away from city centers.
That said, both are examples of groups behaving badly. In this thread, however, the focus is on CM.
In essence this argument is silly. If I get pulled over for speeding, and respond to the officer..."So it is okay for those other cars to speed and tailgate and swerve?" How far do you think I will get? Something about everyone else and bridge jumping....anyway, you get the point.
What about Ghandi and Martin Luther King? What about the Dali Lama? If you want to rationalize poor behavior, that's just fine, but don't tell me that's what history teaches me.
er... in what respect were ghandi and mlk "well behaved"? remember that the key to "civil disobedience" is "disobedience". these are the people that invented the concept of holding up traffic to make a point.
http://bikehugger.com/2007/10/critical_mannerds_ride_report.htm
Very cool. What is this bike boxing method he speaks of?
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