FlatMaster

I did my first critical mass here in Huntsville Alabama. Afterwards, I was approached by a man who didn't agree with the ride. He knew what critical mass was. I didn't talk with him that long, but his main argument was about the illegality of what we were doing. He was also concerned with the blocking of traffic not in huntsville, but in larger cities where this event is on a grander scale. I was at a loss for words of what to say. Mainly, I argued that we inconvenienced a few people at 7:00 pm on a friday. I find myself wondering what I should have said.

uke

I wish I lived in a city with enough of a cycling population for CM. Not because I'd join in, but for the company on the roads.

MnHillBilly

Maybe part of the problem is that the majority of people who ride CM can't really articulate "why" CM exists with a clear, unified voice?

Just a thought.

Once upon a time it was about making people aware, but somewhere along the way it became "something to do" and has only succeeded in confirming most lay-person's bias about bikes in traffic.

Can't speak for other cities/regions, but here in my neck of the woods - the #2 bike-friendliest city in the nation with in-road bike lanes and bike-only greenways with bikes-only commuter stations (parking, showers, repair shop, cafe) in the heart of downtown - CM comes off more like a trust-fund baby marching to protest low savings interests rates. Cycling to "fight the man" kind of loses its impact when "the man (the taxpayers and city council)" has bent over backwards to accomodate cyclists and their ability to get around town safely and with equal ease. There's never going to be 100% perfection. CM is never going to succeed in getting the individual jerky drivers to stop and contemplate sharing the road. There are too many bike-supporting drivers who get inconvenienced by it here than drivers who the message is intended for actually seeing it.

xenologer

I would have simply asked the guy:

If its legal for 1 person to ride a bike, why is it illegal for 1000 to ride?

Then to really confuse him, toss in an analogy about minorites moving into white neighborhoods and how when its just 1 no one complains, yet...

MrCjolsen

I've had a very evil and sinister ideal for critical mass recently.

Everyone should ride to a crosswalk where there is no stop sign or light. They they should dismount, and start walking across the street in the crosswalk, spaced about three feet apart.

After all, isn't that exactly what drivers want us to do? Get on the sidewalk and be like pedestrians. OK. We can see how much that slows THEM down when we do exactly what THEY want us to do.

Another, even more sinister, idea would for people to use the crosswalk spaced far enough apart that drivers can get through but close enough that it's illegal for them to do so. Have police on hand to ticket drives who go through the crosswalk when a pedestrian is in it.

Dchiefransom

Are any of those bike lanes the unsafe door zone bike lanes?

MnHillBilly

No, they're not. They're in the middle of the road with their own seperate white lane markers specifically designed to NOT be bothered with parked cars on either side of the road.

One example: https://www.bikexprt.com/bikepol/minn...s/hennepin.htm

It's not by accident or default that we're at the top of the list. Bikers are taken seriously here.

dobber

So what is the answer?

Piss poor analogy. Do the minorities move into the neighborhood and protest? Do they break the law and engage in conduct detrimental to others?

IbikezLA

If the mass is broken up by red lights then the traffic will be slowed significantly more than if the mass stuck together and rolled on by in just a couple minutes.

Sticking together is also for safety. When large groups start breaking apart people get confused and do really stupid things in an attempt to catch up with the main mass. Plus, when the group breaks apart and slows down traffic even more then drivers get very angry and try to pull stunts to be on their way. These stunts are usually pretty reckless and dangerous to the cyclists.

Dchiefransom

That's a pretty cool concept in those pictures. I'd have to learn all over again with those bus lanes, though. Out here, if there is parking, you're in the door zone in the bike lane, pretty much without exception. I'm out in "The 'Burbs" though, so we have a lot of bike lanes with just the curb and no parking.

UCP

Here in Dayton, Ohio, we have a "Courteous Mass" ride on the first friday of each month. Riders are encouraged to know and follow the local laws, as well as be nice in general to others not taking part.

The idea being to showcase bicyclists to an area that RARELY sees them, as well as grow and develop the barely existent cycling community in the area. At the same time our goal is to not drum up harsh feelings toward us.

The group is ran, more or less, by the gentleman that oversees cycling development for the regional planning commission.

It may sound "lame" to some, but all in all, I've found it to be a genuinely positive experience.

no_xqcs

I would have argued that cars inconvenienced me every time that i ride, so what is 15 minutes going to hurt, ALSO bikes ARE traffic

hairnet

Yes, that's what I love about Critical Mass. We are the traffic.

degnaw

Critical mass is tantamount to a crowd of pedestrians surrounding bikes on a path and meandering along at 0.5 mph.

xenologer

Of course its a terrible analogy. The point isn't to actually prove anything by saying that, its merely to confuse the belligerent pedestrian so you can walk away with the last word instead of walking away feeling at a loss as the OP described.

You take the issue where you're currently at a disadvantage, and tie it into something only remotely related but is hard to attack without looking bad. It's a great technique to use in debates, try it.

GodsBassist

This sounds really great, and is also probably closer to the original thought process behind CM.

Mr Danw

There is no need to win an argument when all you have to do is confuse your opposition.

xenologer

Exactly!
Especially considering he is on a bike and the other guy is just an angry pedestrian. Just get a good last word in and ride off.

Mr IGH

I love Huntsville (travel there on biz a few times per year)! Here in Chicago, no one would come up and have a polite conversation about your actions/views. Count your blessings, you live in a great city

genec

Did you ask about the twice daily blocking of traffic that occurs when 98% of our population chooses to use the auto?

Did you ask if he ever chose to car pool or take public transit?

Did you ask how far he commuted?

GuttingJob

fight the power

degnaw

Joyriders meandering along with no destination and no effort to travel faster than walking speed, purposely blocking every lane of the road, are not traffic, regardless of whether they're in cars or on bikes.

xenologer

Yes they are.
PWNED

degnaw

ouch. wait, how?

kabersch

Maybe you should have just agreed with him. He is correct. When I was living in Portland, OR I would not ride my bike to work on the last Friday of the month. I didn't want to be connected in any way with the critical mass confusion people. I think CM does more harm than good to the bicycling community. They block traffic when the light turns red so they can continue through an intersection, take up the whole street (bicycles are only supposed to be 2 abreast), and generally make a mess of traffic downtown. Some of them deliberately get into it with the police. Someone is arrested almost every month. They certainly do not 'share the road', they completely take it over. This is not the way to promote respect between bicycles and motorists.

If we want to be respected, we have to earn that respect by following the rules and being respectful. Some motorists are always going to think we don't belong on the road. OK, that's life. Being belligerent doesn't change his mind, and it certainly doesn't make me feel better. I will continue to follow the rules and try to avoid being hit (I have been successful for 20+ years).

Remember; Share the Road.