Budapest Critical Mass.
 

Makes London CM look like a bunch of compliant wimps. Notice the
reference to 'World Car Free Day', something the London doesn't seem
to recognise, unlike loads of other cities. That is because the car is
King here.

"Hungary’s cyclist community will once again hold the “Critical Mass”
mass bike ride to “promote one of the most environmentally friendly
forms of travel and raise awareness about the need to improve cycling
conditions in the city”. On the annual World Car Free Day of 22
September, cyclists will start at 5.30 p.m. Budapest Town Hall, near
Déak tér, where they plan to encircle the building with thousands of
locked bikes. The demonstration is to protest the council’s and Mayor
Gábor Demszky’s decision to abandon one of the cycle paths promised as
part of the renovation of the Margit Bridge. The riders will then
begin with a customary bike lift at 6.35 p.m. and end with another at
City Hall Park at 8.00 p.m. In the meantime cyclists will circle the
Nagykörút (Grand Boulevard). This year police are not closing any
roads to motor traffic, but expect delays."

--
Critical Mass London
http://www.criticalmasslondon.org.uk
"More bikes, fewer cars!".

Budapest Critical Mass.
 

On 20 Sep, 05:07, Doug wrote:
Makes London CM look like a bunch of compliant wimps. Notice the
reference to 'World Car Free Day', something the London doesn't seem
to recognise, unlike loads of other cities. That is because the car is
King here.

"Hungary’s cyclist community will once again hold the “Critical Mass”
mass bike ride to “promote one of the most environmentally friendly
forms of travel and raise awareness about the need to improve cycling
conditions in the city”. On the annual World Car Free Day of 22
September, cyclists will start at 5.30 p.m. Budapest Town Hall, near
Déak tér, where they plan to encircle the building with thousands of
locked bikes. The demonstration is to protest the council’s and Mayor
Gábor Demszky’s decision to abandon one of the cycle paths promised as
part of the renovation of the Margit Bridge. The riders will then
begin with a customary bike lift at 6.35 p.m. and end with another at
City Hall Park at 8.00 p.m. In the meantime cyclists will circle the
Nagykörút (Grand Boulevard). This year police are not closing any
roads to motor traffic, but expect delays."

--
Critical Mass Londonhttp://www.criticalmasslondon.org.uk
"More bikes, fewer cars!".

....yawn

Budapest Critical Mass.
 

Doug wrote:
Makes London CM look like a bunch of compliant wimps. Notice the
reference to 'World Car Free Day', something the London doesn't seem
to recognise, unlike loads of other cities. That is because the car is
King here.

"Hungary’s cyclist community will once again hold the “Critical Mass”
mass bike ride to “promote one of the most environmentally friendly
forms of travel and raise awareness about the need to improve cycling
conditions in the city”. On the annual World Car Free Day of 22
September, cyclists will start at 5.30 p.m. Budapest Town Hall, near
Déak tér, where they plan to encircle the building with thousands of
locked bikes. The demonstration is to protest the council’s and Mayor
Gábor Demszky’s decision to abandon one of the cycle paths promised as
part of the renovation of the Margit Bridge. The riders will then
begin with a customary bike lift at 6.35 p.m. and end with another at
City Hall Park at 8.00 p.m. In the meantime cyclists will circle the
Nagykörút (Grand Boulevard). This year police are not closing any
roads to motor traffic, but expect delays."

--
Critical Mass London
http://www.criticalmasslondon.org.uk
"More bikes, fewer cars!".

Hardly spontaneous.

--

Tony Dragon

Budapest Critical Mass.
 

On 20 Sep, 06:07, Doug wrote:
Makes London CM look like a bunch of compliant wimps.

I'm not sure what event I was held up by on Friday, however a bunch of
hooligan criminals were causing major delays for both cyclists and
public transport users by blockading the west end on roller skates,
with accompanying "music" blaring out at unsafe levels.

Police were nowhere to be seen. A tripwire across the road would be an
appropriate response.

Budapest Critical Mass.
 

On 20 Sep, 15:47, Paul Weaver wrote:
On 20 Sep, 06:07, Doug wrote:

Makes London CM look like a bunch of compliant wimps.

I'm not sure what event I was held up by on Friday, however a bunch of
hooligan criminals were causing major delays for both cyclists and
public transport users by blockading the west end on roller skates,
with accompanying "music" blaring out at unsafe levels.

Police were nowhere to be seen. A tripwire across the road would be an
appropriate response.

I think they hold their roller skating events every Friday. They have,
of course, as much right to use a public road as you and perhaps that
is why the police were not interested. As for music, how often do we
hear car stereos thudding away loudly?

Why is it that motorists often decry the very sort of behaviour they
themselves are guilty of, like holding up traffic and playing loud
music?

--
World Carfree Network
http://www.worldcarfree.net/
Help for your car-addicted friends in the U.K.

Budapest Critical Mass.
 

Doug wrote:
On 20 Sep, 15:47, Paul Weaver wrote:
On 20 Sep, 06:07, Doug wrote:

Makes London CM look like a bunch of compliant wimps.

I'm not sure what event I was held up by on Friday, however a bunch
of hooligan criminals were causing major delays for both cyclists and
public transport users by blockading the west end on roller skates,
with accompanying "music" blaring out at unsafe levels.

Police were nowhere to be seen. A tripwire across the road would be
an appropriate response.

I think they hold their roller skating events every Friday. They have,
of course, as much right to use a public road as you and perhaps that
is why the police were not interested. As for music, how often do we
hear car stereos thudding away loudly?

Why is it that motorists often decry the very sort of behaviour they
themselves are guilty of, like holding up traffic and playing loud
music?

I do wish you'd make you mind up Doug. One minute your complaining about
motorists teararsing around like lunatics and highly dangerous speeds and
the next you're going on about them deliberately causing congestions. Now,
which is it Doug?

Budapest Critical Mass.
 

Brimstone wrote:

I do wish you'd make you mind up Doug. One minute your complaining
about motorists teararsing around like lunatics and highly dangerous
speeds and the next you're going on about them deliberately causing
congestions. Now, which is it Doug?

Make "lunatics and highly" into "lunatics at highly".

Budapest Critical Mass.
 

Doug writes:

On 20 Sep, 15:47, Paul Weaver wrote:
I'm not sure what event I was held up by on Friday, however a bunch of
hooligan criminals were causing major delays for both cyclists and
public transport users by blockading the west end on roller skates,
with accompanying "music" blaring out at unsafe levels.

Police were nowhere to be seen. A tripwire across the road would be an
appropriate response.

I think they hold their roller skating events every Friday. They have,
of course, as much right to use a public road as you and perhaps that
is why the police were not interested.

Doesn't sound much like the regular street skate to me, from the
description. The Police know all about it and are informed of the
proposed route each week in advance. They have at times asked for
alterations, which the skaters are happy to make, but usually they have
no problem. The skate is explicitly non-political, the marshals are
selected and trained to avoid the issues of "have-a-go corkers" with
grudges, and they make all efforts to avoid causing unnecessary
congestion or delaying anyone else for longer than needed to get past.
No stopping in the middle of the road, no bike lifts (skate lifts?), and
no "three times around parliament square at walking pace". Also, unless
last Friday's event was unprecedentedly huge (and I mean, ten times the
normal size) then it is rare for any delays to other road users to
exceed a couple of minutes and usually much less than that.

Paul, when and where did you meet them? What happened? How long were
you held up for?


-dan