Originally Posted by
randya
you're just another know-nothing spewing a bunch of conflated hyperbole. CM is simply a monthly celebration of bikes, and a demonstration that other alternatives to SOVs are possible. It's not trying to 'win anyone over' or convince anyone of anything otherwise, it's just a bunch of normal people together on a bike ride. Despite the over-the-top police and medial responses, the vast majority of motorists respond positively. Your average motorist is much more likely to encounter and be enraged by a weekly lycra roadie club fred ride on a suburban/exurban road than by a two-hours-a-month critical mass ride in the urban center.
Hi Randya - your little smiley does nothing to negate an ad-hominem attack. Nice try, though.
My points have been about how the perception of CM and their rides are affecting us - the rest of us. The title of this thread is "The Critical Mass Effect" - how CM is affecting us.
To call me "know nothing" is patently insulting and lowers, not my rep, but your own. If that's all you can do - insult someone who gives reasoned and thought-out posts - please go back to Facebook or Myspace. That's the appropriate venue for immaturity.
However, if you want to discuss this in an adult fashion, then try actually answering my points.
The REPUTATION and PERCEPTION of Critical Mass' aggressive activism is causing us, the normal, law-abiding, respecting, and non-aggressive riders, harm. Instead of promoting the good things about cycling, CM, by it's reputation and perception, is telling those with the ability to KILL US that we are nothing but thugs.
Answer that. . . Answer me how blocking all traffic in an already congested area - DELIBERATELY - does anything but turn away those who may be on the fence, those that we want to convert to our side. . . How does antagonizing someone CONVERT them? I will tell you - it converts me AGAINST you, just seeing it.
I don't have to RIDE in a CM ride to know the perception it gives people.
Here's a great analogy for you - you're in a group of people and SOME start acting like ass-hats. Using terroristic actions like pulling someone out of his car, like blocking all traffic, or even worse. Do you stand up against it? If not, then you're a PART OF IT - you're a part of the worst of it.
all of the innocents within your group get hurt because of what the perception to the rest of the world is of what YOU do.
Rather than call me "know-nothing" - why don't you actually DO SOMETHING.