Critical Mass
Recent notes from the blog-o-web regarding Critical Mass:
Bike guru Dave Moulton suggests that Critical Mass simply needs to end:
The problem with Critical Mass is that it has no organization; it is a spontaneous form of protest. The danger is, with no one responsible for the behavior of individuals, violence can become just as spontaneous.
If no one is responsible, then everyone is responsible. It is time to protest against Critical Mass, to urge people not to participate. The idea has run its course and is no longer valid. It is no longer cool to be a part of a lawless mob that disrupts the normal way of life, pisses people off, and worst of all perpetrates violence.
And Seattlest calls for Critical Mass to follow the same rules that they ask cars to follow:
So, what should happen to Critical Mass? It needs to stop being used as a way to intentionally piss off the drivers in this city by flaunting the laws. (This also goes for you individual riders who routinely blow through red lights, cut down sidewalks, and jump curbs.) CM needs to become an organized ride with an announced route that respects the traffic laws to which we, as bike riders, are legally beholden. If it is safer to keep the entire ride together in one column rather than breaking it up when a light turns red in its midst (it is), then permits need to be applied for and vehicular traffic diverted. If bikes are traffic too (a core reason for many CM riders to take part in it, including this one), then it’s time we start acting like it.
Critical Mass does injustice to cyclists. It angers the drivers that we cyclists count on to keep their multiple-ton cars under careful control. That’s not smart. Let’s not do it. I’d be happy with either Dave’s plan or the Seattlest plan. Either way.
August 4th, 2008 at 1:52 am
Seattleist used “flaunting” rather than “flouting.” Otherwise, I approve of these sentiments.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:35 am
“Flaunting” sounds a lot like “flautas,” and there’s a certain something to that.