I want to vent about critical mass
10-25-06, 02:02 PM
#26
more ape than man
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life is too short to try to control and regulate everyones behaviour if it's not your job to do so. i don't always agree with CM riders, but i'm not at the point of tears over it. I just don't participate. I don't suggest that everyone need licenses or a sheet of rules just to ride their bikes. remember when you were a kid and you could just ride without people breathing down your neck all the time? why breath down people's necks?
10-25-06, 02:15 PM
#27
Senior Member
I went on a mass bike ride though downtown San Diego last week, and people were cheering us on, laughing, and even flirting with the riders who were corking streets. Only one car felt the need to yell at us.
Granted, it was late on a Saturday night, so people driving there were in the mood to have fun and weren't on a tight schedule. The whole thing came across as a harmless spectacle, for the most part.
That's San Diego for you, though. YMMV.
Granted, it was late on a Saturday night, so people driving there were in the mood to have fun and weren't on a tight schedule. The whole thing came across as a harmless spectacle, for the most part.
That's San Diego for you, though. YMMV.
10-25-06, 02:17 PM
#28
Playing with the traffic
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Originally Posted by queerpunk
i ride critical mass because it's fun to ride with a few hundred people and because i don't think that blocking cars is a grave violation of common sense, decency, and public order.
Cars block themselves in all the time (rush hour gridlock?) and no-one cracks the sh*ts with them.
Sydney CM is fun and cool and a celebration of bikes and their diversity. There's little kids in child seats, MTBs (with gears, ugh), hipsters and everyone in between. It's like a carnival. We get loads of positive responses from the pissed up friday night public.
The only reason I'm not going on friday is cos it clashes with Bike Film Fest.
10-25-06, 03:01 PM
#29
or tarckeemoon, depending
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Critical Mass = herding cats on bicycles.
10-25-06, 04:27 PM
#30
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Originally Posted by powerames
I think Critical Mass is an incredibly fun way to transform urban space. What's up with everyone dissing it anyway? The inconvenience for cars isn't anything more than mild traffic (probably even less than rush-hour traffic).
I'm just wondering why some people are so defeatist about it. "It does more harm than good for the cyclists' cause." Exactly how, again? Drivers inconvenience eachother more than we do by riding, and every time I ride pedestrians and onlookers are smiling or cheering us on. The last ride I went on (September in NYC) was a great example of this. The group I ended up with rode through Times Square, and when I looked around at people on the sidewalks everyone looked delighted. I think people just like to see something spontaneous and unexpected, and I love being part of it; it's one of the most energizing, inspiring things to transform a usually hostile environment into something so fun. I commented to one of my friends I was riding with, "The last time I rode down this street it was a fight for my life", and it had been turned into a celebration of bikes. What wrong with that?
I'm just wondering why some people are so defeatist about it. "It does more harm than good for the cyclists' cause." Exactly how, again? Drivers inconvenience eachother more than we do by riding, and every time I ride pedestrians and onlookers are smiling or cheering us on. The last ride I went on (September in NYC) was a great example of this. The group I ended up with rode through Times Square, and when I looked around at people on the sidewalks everyone looked delighted. I think people just like to see something spontaneous and unexpected, and I love being part of it; it's one of the most energizing, inspiring things to transform a usually hostile environment into something so fun. I commented to one of my friends I was riding with, "The last time I rode down this street it was a fight for my life", and it had been turned into a celebration of bikes. What wrong with that?
IMO, pissing off motorists and cops (which you must've experienced riding CM in NYC) does not help progress any form of pro-cyclist agenda. You say you get a lot of smiles and encouragement, which is great but it is not true of all CMs. The one's I've experienced (in Milwaukee and Boston) result in a lot of pissed off motorists and cops and, imo, all that succeeds in doing is giving all cyclists a bad reputation.
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10-25-06, 04:38 PM
#31
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Originally Posted by powerames
The inconvenience for cars isn't anything more than mild traffic (probably even less than rush-hour traffic).
10-25-06, 04:46 PM
#32
fix the sticks
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When CM started in my town (frederick, MD) the only people who went where people who commuted or otherwise rode their bikes almost every day. Soon enough, a new crowd of people started showing up. These people would ride their bike at critical mass, then wouldn't touch their bikes again until the next CM. This was annoying and to me went against the very essence of critical mass. There were all these people who didn't care about bicycle rights co-opting CM in the name of being cool. But eventually, some of those kids started commuting on their bikes, and riding their bikes every day. So in that way, CM in my town has been effective. I use to be one of about 3 kids who commuted on bikes in my town, and now there are a bunch.
Then again some months CM can be a big "piss off cars" circlejerk... but some months it can be an actual ride. So here in Frederick it is a tossup.
Then again some months CM can be a big "piss off cars" circlejerk... but some months it can be an actual ride. So here in Frederick it is a tossup.
10-25-06, 04:49 PM
#34
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First of all CM is often during rush hour thereby worsening traffic when drivers are at their most anxious to get home after a week of work.
10-25-06, 04:52 PM
#35
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Originally Posted by progre-ss
Sounds like critical mess to me. I've never partaken in one (and I don't think I ever will) but
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10-25-06, 05:58 PM
#36
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Originally Posted by carssuck666
Critical mass accomplishes things. Espescially the fact that people shouldnt follow laws, which is true, laws are dumb. Why should we have to listen to some lazy american politicians that dont care about anyone without money or a job. **** THEM!
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10-25-06, 06:38 PM
#37
spectacular
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I have no illusions about a political agenda. I ride in mass when I feel like it because it's fun. That's it. I heard a girl say on the last one that it made her feel very empowered. She said that she always felt threatened by cars and that it was wonderful for her to be able to ride in a group and feel free and relaxed. Sure, she was probably a total rookie, but it was nice to hear someone talking about feeling empowered.
10-25-06, 07:41 PM
#39
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Originally Posted by sorsha6
corking = causing cars and buses to sit and idle, which = more pollution.
10-25-06, 09:44 PM
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back in the day, nyc critical mass meant something - getting *****.
on nice warm summer friday evenings, hot girls on bikes were everywhere. they always seemed to be getting topless and/or naked. there was that ride that ended with people skinny dipping in the east river (eew).
i met so many girls on those rides... the good old days.
RIP critical (m)ass.
on nice warm summer friday evenings, hot girls on bikes were everywhere. they always seemed to be getting topless and/or naked. there was that ride that ended with people skinny dipping in the east river (eew).
i met so many girls on those rides... the good old days.
RIP critical (m)ass.
10-25-06, 10:05 PM
#42
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I've got to say, I've only ridden in the Minneapolis Critical Mass and the Chicago one, and while the Minneapolis one always seemed like a bunch of stupid kids trying to **** with cars, the Chicago one is incredible fun. Tons of bikes of all kinds, and bikers just getting together for a great big fun ride. Nothing wrong with that.
10-26-06, 08:46 AM
#43
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I can respond to maxknee more directly because I ride in the philly CM every month... obviously it's different in every city, and there's nothing wrong with the philly one other than you complaining. i do not wish there was a bike license for "these idiots and yahoos" you speak of. if it gets too out of hand the police will get the idea to issue tickets to everyone for parading without a permit, and that could happen in the future, so start complaning about it to the authorities and maybe you'll get your wish. until then, keep complaining to people about it and stay home.
10-26-06, 09:01 AM
#44
Dances With Cars
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I don't know.... I'm all for making motorists as uncomfortable on the street as cyclists are made to feel on a daily basis simply for riding to work/school. It's not they are being dragged from their cars and killed or strung up on light posts, they are being slightly inconvenienced. If it was a renegade protest on foot, no cars would go barrelling through it I can't imagine. Sometimes you gotta stand up for your rights/ little strip of the street.
10-26-06, 09:42 AM
#45
so much for physics
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Who's brilliant idea was it that bikes shouldn't follow basic traffic laws anyway? Pure genius.
10-26-06, 09:54 AM
#46
aka mattio
Originally Posted by humble_biker
Who's brilliant idea was it that bikes shouldn't follow basic traffic laws anyway? Pure genius.
the idea that the safest way to bike is to follow basic traffic laws is foolish. basic traffic laws are meant to get as many automobiles through a road as fast as possible without piling them up. not exactly ideal conditions for a bike.
10-26-06, 09:59 AM
#47
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the police told me I could take the whole lane in DT traffic. No one told the drivers I was allowed though.
10-26-06, 11:14 AM
#48
dig dig dig
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Its 12 times a year... maybe 3 hours, say 36 hours total of the year. BOO F****** HOO. get over it.
Gives 'em more time to talk on their cellphones. CM doesn't help or hurt cyclists. Notice, the only bickering concerning critical mass is among us cyclists. Once all the poor drivers leave the Wendy's Drive-thru they likely forget we even exist.
Gives 'em more time to talk on their cellphones. CM doesn't help or hurt cyclists. Notice, the only bickering concerning critical mass is among us cyclists. Once all the poor drivers leave the Wendy's Drive-thru they likely forget we even exist.
10-26-06, 11:16 AM
#49
King Among Runaways
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Originally Posted by Moximitre
Notice, the only bickering concerning critical mass is among us cyclists. .
I mean, it's true of this moment, but this is a bicycle forum, so obviously the one's partaking in the bickering will be cyclists.
And catagorizing all drivers as fat (wendy's drive thru) is just idiotic.
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10-26-06, 11:17 AM
#50
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Originally Posted by Moximitre
Notice, the only bickering concerning critical mass is among us cyclists.