[dc-critmass-list] DC critical mass culture

Mon Oct 3 09:32:16 EDT 2011

Agreed!
I really love the cardboard car idea!

I think I just might have to make one for this month... :)
~MP

On Mon, Oct 3, 2011 at 9:28 AM, RRev <xxxrichierevolution at gmail.com> wrote:

> Great comment, Nadia.  Thanks.
>
> On Mon, Oct 3, 2011 at 9:24 AM, nadia mercer <nad.nadia at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I would also like to stay together during CM.  It is not a community
>> experience when the slower riders, the ones not as comfortable with running
>> red lights and squeezing between cars, are left behind and struggling to
>> keep up.  I was in a CM in Valencia Spain where families brought their
>> little kids and there was a lot of costumes and music.  One bike was even
>> dressed up as a cardboard car (very creative).  I want to encourage all
>> bicyclists to join with us on CMs to promote bicycle commuting as a
>> peaceful, safe and fun alternative to driving.
>>
>> Nadia
>>
>> On Mon, Oct 3, 2011 at 9:08 AM, <ken_mayer at comcast.net> wrote:
>>
>>> I agree with all the writers who want a more inclusive, unified
>>> less-confrontational, fun Critical Mass ride in DC.
>>>
>>> I did Critical Mass in DC in 2002-4 and did rides in Worcester, MA and
>>> San Francisco before that. In other cities the rides were not
>>> confrontational. Not always legal, but respectful of traffic and others.
>>>
>>> I agree that the DC Critical Mass ethos of "no rules" and "off the pigs"
>>> made the ride less fun for me, because I didn't feel like I was making a
>>> stand for bicycles as legit transportation--I was just randomly pissing
>>> people off. As I was waiting at a light on Independence Ave. while other
>>> CritMassers charged through the red light, a guy in a cab rolled down the
>>> window and said, "If you are trying to get bikes accepted as traffic, don't
>>> you need to follow traffic rules?" I had to agree.
>>>
>>> I know several DC people who went to Critical Mass rides and left
>>> completely turned off by the experience. They think Critical Mass everywhere
>>> is like it is in DC and they hate it.
>>>
>>> I don't obey every stop sign or red light or law when I commute on my
>>> bike. We all know that sometimes it's safer not to. I was also on rides
>>> where aggressive DC (or National Park) cops were trying to ram our bikes
>>> with their motorcycles to force us (me) onto the sidewalk. I know that the
>>> police at times tries to force a confrontation narrative. I just don't think
>>> that accepting the police narrative is fun or productive.
>>>
>>> Critical Mass should be *fun*. We should have a good time, be together,
>>> and *show drivers that we are having a good time*, not show that we are
>>> angry. We are not angry with them. Sometimes I drive a car too.
>>>
>>> Ken
>>>
>>> The act of which I speak is among the fruits of the American war%2C%97a
>>> war %0D%0Ain my humble opinion productive of many mischiefs%2C %0D%0Aof a
>>> kind which distinguish it from all others. Not only our policy %0D%0Ais
>>> deranged%2C and our empire distracted%2C but our laws and our
>>> %0D%0Alegislative spirit appear to have been totally perverted by it....
>>> %0D%0AI entreat you%2C again and again%2C neither to be persuaded%2C
>>> shamed%2C %0D%0Aor frighted out of the principles that have hitherto led so
>>> many %0D%0Aof you to abhor the war%2C its cause%2C and its consequences.
>>> %0D%0ALet us not be amongst the first who renounce the maxims of our
>>> forefathers.%0D%0AEDMUND BURKE%2C April 3%2C 1777.%0D%0AThe Works of the
>>> Right Honourable Edmund Burke%2C Vol. 2 of 12.
>>>
>>> ------------------------------
>>> *From: *"RRev" <xxxrichierevolution at gmail.com>
>>> *To: *"Burke Stansbury" <burke.cispes at gmail.com>
>>> *Cc: *dc-critmass-list at lists.mutualaid.org
>>> *Sent: *Monday, October 3, 2011 8:09:09 AM
>>> *Subject: *Re: [dc-critmass-list] DC critical mass culture
>>>
>>> Great comments, Burke.
>>>
>>> Maybe there's a way to be fun/educational/in cars' faces rather than
>>> nasty?
>>>  That's my personality, even though I'm a punk I don't want to do any
>>> harm.
>>>  So I like the guidelines of being cool and safe but you can run a red
>>> light
>>> with a smile and maybe that'll do more for the cause than being nasty and
>>> unsafe.
>>>
>>> On Mon, Oct 3, 2011 at 8:04 AM, Burke Stansbury <burke.cispes at gmail.com
>>> >wrote:
>>>
>>> > just to weigh in here... I haven't had the chance to go on many DC
>>> Critical
>>> > Mass rides but I've enjoyed the ones I have attended.  You can be
>>> > confrontational without going too far and that's the way I see the
>>> majority
>>> > of DC mass riders acting.  Drivers in this city - like all cities -
>>> need a
>>> > little confrontation.  we live in a culture dominated by the internal
>>> > combustion engine and Critical Mass is about challenging that paradigm.
>>> >
>>> > Frankly, trying to impose a rules or a 10-point plan is totally
>>> antithetic
>>> > to the spirit of Critical Mass.  The most effective Critical Mass rides
>>> I've
>>> > ever been a part of were in New York in 2003 and 2004.  hundreds,
>>> sometimes
>>> > thousands of people would come out and it was precisely the
>>> confrontational
>>> > spirit that made the rides liberating and ultimately led to a major
>>> > escalation with the NYPD that raised the profile of biking in the city
>>> and
>>> > brought lots of conversation, editorials, etc on the benefits of
>>> biking.
>>> >  Later I attended a Mass in another city where people stopped at every
>>> stop
>>> > light and obeyed all traffic laws.  It was boring and ineffectual and
>>> hardly
>>> > anyone was there.
>>> >
>>> > messing with pedestrians is another matter.  that's a bad idea.  But on
>>> the
>>> > whole I think it's possible to have fun, challenge the rules of the
>>> road,
>>> > bring a little confrontation, and raise awareness about the problems of
>>> car
>>> > culture... that's what critical mass is all about to me.
>>> >
>>> > -burke
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > On 10/3/11 7:09 AM, Mia Green wrote:
>>> >
>>> >> I have enjoyed these informative emails.  At this point and time I
>>> would
>>> >> like to be taken off the list.  Thank you.
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> Sent from my iPad
>>> >>
>>> >> On Oct 3, 2011, at 4:15 AM, boyan<fasttraffik at gmail.com>  wrote:
>>> >>
>>> >>  I was active in the Chicago Critical Mass and when I moved to DC in
>>> >>> 2009, I found it shocking to witness a different culture altogether:
>>> >>> the DC Mass ignoring traffic lights, not packing up, instead
>>> squeezing
>>> >>> in and passing between cars, etc.  The DC ride thus thinning out and
>>> >>> losing the whole effect of being a "mass".  This resulted in a group
>>> >>> that looked like a bunch of social outcasts who don't know how to
>>> >>> interact or fit in, provocatively and purposefully ignoring rules,
>>> >>> causing raised eye-brows or angry honking instead of  smiles,
>>> >>> cheering, jolly horns (and respect, as a result), the way it ha been
>>> >>> foe me in Chicago.  It seemed that DC Critical Mass was giving a bad
>>> >>> image to the bicycling community, to those who genuinely want to
>>> >>> propose and show that bikes are a good, fun, safe and practical
>>> >>> alternative to driving.  Some DC Mass bikers even acted like
>>> #@-holes.
>>> >>>
>>> >>> Also, where is it written that Critical Mass should lack civility,
>>> >>> break laws and be confrontational with car (or even SUV) drivers?
>>> >>> "Critical" doesn't have to mean being ill-mannered and disruptive,
>>> >>> criticism can be constructive and civil.
>>> >>>
>>> >>> I have been traveling in Europe this summer (still abroad at the
>>> >>> moment) and witnessed a completely different way of riding and
>>> >>> commuting.  European bikers respect the laws, ride at a normal to a
>>> >>> slower speed, nobody is racing each other or racing with cars.
>>>  Things
>>> >>> are not competitive but are more collaborative: both among bikers, as
>>> >>> well as between bikers and cars.  You should experience it
>>> yourselves,
>>> >>> but I think it is more fun this way.
>>> >>>
>>> >>> In trying to be constructive, at the next DC Critical Mass, let's try
>>> >>> the following.  It's essential especially for those folks *riding in
>>> >>> front*, thus being leaders of the the ride:
>>> >>>
>>> >>> 1) At red lights, stop and wait for the group to mass up.  Proceed
>>> >>> only *after* when the group has tightened up, even if it means
>>> missing
>>> >>> the green signal.
>>> >>> 2) When caught up with a line of cars, stop and mass up (instead of
>>> >>> squeezing in between)
>>> >>> 3) No riding in opposite lanes or sidewalks
>>> >>> 4) No U-turns at intersections (or any other unexpected moves)
>>> >>> 5) If necessary to pass, do it only on the left of a vehicle (3 feet
>>> >>> clearance, remember?)
>>> >>> 6) Riding at a slower speed
>>> >>> 7) No riding in the wrong direction of one-way streets
>>> >>> 8) Following traffic laws / posted signs
>>> >>> 9) Have fun and smile :)
>>> >>>
>>> >>> The strength of Critical Mass is namely in being a Mass, having
>>> Unity.
>>> >>> Let's try to get there.
>>> >>>
>>> >>> Gandhi's words comes to mind "I object to violence because when it
>>> >>> appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is
>>> >>> permanent."  And also, "You must be the change you want to see in the
>>> >>> world."
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>> On Mon, Oct 3, 2011 at 4:59 AM, John Stinson<stinson.jt at gmail.com>
>>> >>>  wrote:
>>> >>>
>>> >>>> Perhaps, but that video showed a lot of crass interactions between
>>> >>>> pedestrians and cyclists as well. I subscribe to this listserv
>>> because I
>>> >>>> believe in bikes, but I stopped going to these because I feel guilty
>>> >>>> running
>>> >>>> over pedestrians to keep up with the crowd. I would love to see the
>>> >>>> community maintain its anti SUV mentality while also respecting road
>>> >>>> users
>>> >>>> who happen to be lower on the food chain. Just my two cents; the
>>> video
>>> >>>> itself was rad.
>>> >>>> ______________________________**__
>>> >>>> From: Luke Kuhn
>>> >>>> Sent: Sunday, October 02, 2011 8:56 PM
>>> >>>> To: mb at blacknell.net; armtherhythmic at yahoo.com;
>>> >>>> dc-critmass-list at lists.**mutualaid.org<
>>> dc-critmass-list at lists.mutualaid.org>
>>> >>>> Subject: Re: [dc-critmass-list] Video and DC Indymedia coverage of
>>> >>>> Friday
>>> >>>> Sep 30 ride
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> This is NOT Critical manners,this is Critical Mass. For 30 days out
>>> of
>>> >>>> the
>>> >>>> month, bullies in SUV's push us off the road, on the last Friday we
>>> take
>>> >>>> it
>>> >>>> back. I have ridden with Critical Mass DC since it's current
>>> incarnation
>>> >>>> began in 2002, and we've never had anyone seriously hurt that I can
>>> >>>> recall.
>>> >>>> We HAVE had a couple bikes deliberately rammed by SUV drivers (this
>>> is
>>> >>>> an
>>> >>>> SUV thing, small car drivers rarely act like that) over the years,
>>> and
>>> >>>> caught one drunk driver (cops were more interested in his beery
>>> breath
>>> >>>> than
>>> >>>> his broken window), but that's about it.
>>> >>>> I did miss the mid 1990's rides that used to go to Beach Drive,
>>> >>>> something I
>>> >>>> would love to see happen again, given efforts over the years, even
>>> by
>>> >>>> the
>>> >>>> Park Service as well as so many others, to make the weekend car-free
>>> >>>> zones
>>> >>>> there permanent.
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> ______________________________**__
>>> >>>> Date: Sun, 2 Oct 2011 18:01:59 -0400
>>> >>>> Subject: Re: [dc-critmass-list] Video and DC Indymedia coverage of
>>> >>>> Friday
>>> >>>> Sep 30 ride
>>> >>>> From: mb at blacknell.net
>>> >>>> To: lukekuhn at hotmail.com; armtherhythmic at yahoo.com;
>>> >>>> dc-critmass-list at lists.**mutualaid.org<
>>> dc-critmass-list at lists.mutualaid.org>
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> How very democratic of you, Luke.
>>> >>>> Question to everyone else: am I correct in looking at this footage
>>> and
>>> >>>> understanding that the DC Critical Mass ride still makes no effort
>>> at
>>> >>>> all to
>>> >>>> comply with the law, or ride safely?  I know a load of people who'd
>>> like
>>> >>>> to
>>> >>>> support the general Critical Mass aims, but aren't interested in
>>> blowing
>>> >>>> lights and swarming cars every chance they get.
>>> >>>> On 10/2/11 5:54 PM, "Luke Kuhn"<lukekuhn at hotmail.com>  wrote:
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> ______________________________**_________________
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>>> dc-critmass-list at lists.mutualaid.org>
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>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> DC Critical Mass Unofficial website: http://cm-dc.mahost.org/
>>> >>>>
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