They should ride in groups of 50 spaced out by five minutes, obeying all of the traffic laws along the way. I bet the drivers would LOVE that!
2010-03-04 17:43:30
15
San Franscisco to halt Critical Mass
http://www.good.is/post/san-francisco-might-shut-down-critical-mass/
Just my humble opinion... If they try and pull this, they will end up with 5,000 bikers instead of 50 clogging the streets.
I love how its OK to have a traffic jam every rush hour with CARS but it is not OK to have a traffic jam once a month because of bicycles.
2010-03-04 17:36:39
+1 rsprake. How about groups of four, spaced out a minute apart, going in every direction, taking the lane, and coming to an absolute feet-planted stop at every stop sign, every blessed one of them.
Maybe call it Critical Cloud.
2010-03-04 18:14:13
How about groups of four, spaced out a minute apart, going in every direction, taking the lane, and coming to an absolute feet-planted stop at every stop sign, every blessed one of them.
Absolutely, I would like to see this.
2010-03-04 18:33:09
Aren't you guys basically talking about a Critical Manners or a Tweed Ride?
2010-03-04 18:45:58
Yeah, except with actual participation.
2010-03-04 18:53:10
link above is broken
2010-03-04 20:02:05
And on an enormous scale.
2010-03-04 20:12:19
I was thinking about San Fran, not here. I know we're lucky to get 100 on a warm day here. But if SFO gets even a few hundred, groups of four (two pairs two abreast, taking the lane, approximating the real estate required by a car), and being everywhere, and riding around adhering exactly to every traffic law (assuming you can ride two abreast in CA), then that would clearly send the message that bikes matter. The small groups are as much for personal safety as to send a message. Anyone complaining, the immediate answer is, "Can you imagine if *we* were all in cars, too?"
2010-03-04 20:30:38
I think Adam's right, if they try to pull that, they're going to end up with the biggest CM ever, everyone who has ever been on one would come out of the woodwork. People love it out there. And the chief would be left holding a big bag of doo-doo.
2010-03-04 20:57:06
People are always willing to do things once "the man" tells them they are not allowed to anymore...
Look what prohibition did for drinking! I think way more people got into booze because it was illegal.
Either way, I think the biggest CM ride I've ever seen here are the July ones where BikePGH used to throw down the big ass after-party...
My favorite of all time was the after-party where 12 kegs of fine East End Brewing co. beer were DESTROYED by 11pm LOL HINT HINT!!!!
I remember like a tad over 400 showing up on those.
I would hope that if Pittsburgh tried to make it illegal or crack down hard that it would create the first 1,000+ critical mass ride...
That is if it would even be possible to get that many to turn out here.
2010-03-04 23:02:08
that's like trying to put a stop to rush hour traffic there. they regularly see 1000+ people per month
2010-03-05 18:53:33
I think the only way to get a REALLY big one here would be to reach out to nearby regions, I know last year some folks from Akron came over here to one. If you identified one month, like during Bike fest, and sent some feelers out to Youngstown, Morgantown, Johnstown, etc I bet you could get a few people from many different places. Entice them with a really enticing after-party.
2010-03-05 19:01:39
free beer, social, and non politicized will attract the most amount of people. the largest "organized coincidence" here has been the east end beer rides.
2010-03-05 19:06:57
The power of beer.
2010-03-05 19:15:31