Originally Posted by
spock
You know what's just plan wrong? When a motorist buzzes a cyclist at 50 mph and gets away with it. When a motorist passes by you and lays down their horn or yelling obscenities and telling you to get off the road without fearing any repercussions from the law, which BTW is harassment. When a motorist hits a cyclist from behind and gets only a ticket for "ohh sorry, I didn't see him/her". When a person in a motor vehicle passes a cyclist and steps on a gas full throttle so you can eat their fumes. When a motorist passes a cyclist and immediately takes a right turn. Amongst many other things that make things so much harder for us than they should be.
Yes, all of that is wrong, but doing wrong in return does not make you better than them. If you want them to behave safely and legally, then you should do the same, or you're a hypocrite.
You know what else is wrong? Cyclists who think that doing nothing about our problems will solve one thing about the way some motorists and the law treat us. Which came first, intimidation and harassment form motorists and the lack of laws protecting cyclist ,,,,,, OR CM rides? That's what I thought. Did you know that when Civil Rights movement started, many of those who were being maltreated actually opposed those who started those protests in fears of retaliation from the oppressors? Yea, and look where we are now. I believe those protests abstracted traffic as well. That is a different matter, but similar in many ways to our predicament.
Apples to oranges. You can't act like people who oppose Critical Mass are opposing all forms of bicycle advocacy. You also shouldn't imply that people are opposing Critical Mass out of cowardly concerns of retaliation.
Are any of you aware of the fact that there would be many, many, more cyclists on the road in the US if it weren't for their being scared to death of being on the road with motorists? Is that CMs fault?
I was not aware of that, probably because you're making unsubstantiated claims. Most of the people I know who don't want to bike places don't do so because of other reasons.
We have to do something if we want to remain on the road and get more rights for ourselves, and just following all the rules of road ain't gonna cut it.
People are doing things that are not CM that are much more helpful and effective than CM is, without creating the animosity that leads to things like the Brazil incident. For instance, private organizations like Planet Bike fund groups who advocate bicycling rights and help build infrastructure. There are numerous organizations set up to help the cause: Safe Routes to School, Complete Streets, and the Alliance for Biking and Walking are but a few. In my town, there is an organization that builds and maintains MUPs to provide a safe place for people to walk and bike to school, including young children who might be unable to safely bike to school on their own in busier parts of town. All of these groups are more useful, legal, and friendly than Critical Mass. They are all doing a better job, and if you really want to do something for the cause, then you should invest your time into helping them instead of taking part in a childish joyride that causes unnecessary conflict and resentment between cyclists and motorists.
It's been proven time and time again.
Where? When?
Cycling organizations don't seem to be powerful enough to make any real changes in the law department soon enough before driver arrogance and intimidation chases away more and more cyclists who are on the road while stopping those who want to be, and before you know it, cyclists could be banned off the road completely.
Cyclists being banned from the road will not happen, and thinking that it could happen and stay that way is pretty dumb. The trends right now are of increases in cycling infrastructure and cyclists. Look at Portland, Minneapolis, and NYC, all of them are building streets that are safer for cyclists and pedestrians. I don't see them banning cycling any time soon. If anything, I think it proves you wrong. I expect that as cities like NYC who have been notorious for police acting poorly towards cyclists develop this infrastructure that gets more cyclists out on the streets and creates an environment that is obviously designed to have cyclists, we will see less incidents of unnecessary conflict between cops and bikers.
Sorry to break it to you, but those motorists who maltreat us, don't want us on the road,,,,,PERIOD. It's not CM or scofflaws who piss them off. It just you being on the road and there are powerful pricks out there who are trying to stop you because cycling is just not so profitable for them. Deny it all you want, but it's where we are at.
Some people are just dicks, no matter how they get around. The type of people you describe, despite the way you act like its a huge amount of motorists, are the minority. Almost all of the problems that I have with drivers are people who behave unsafe without doing so for an obviously hostile reason. The ones who are really bad are few and far between. Block off the streets for Critical Mass and who do you think you are inconveniencing? The drivers you have issues with? No, you're indiscriminately inconveniencing people. That's a dick move in my book.
If picketing is not something you like to do, you don't have to show that you are against it.
Not all advocacy is created equal. I would argue that in communities where it causes conflict, Critical Mass is doing more harm than good. I reiterate: use your time and energy helping one of the groups who is working to actually create positive change.