Critical Mass Tunnel Freaks
 

Sat, 28 Jun 2003 13:57:21 -0700, ,
"Just a Cyclist" wrote:

They are not road cyclist......the are rogues and disruptors........that
all.

They're also potential votes for bicycle friendly politicians. The
smarter mayors of some major cities recognise this by participating in
those cities' Critical Mass rides. They know we aren't going away and
in fact, our numbers are growing as more people realise they do have
the power to transform urban space from the stinking filthy killing
ground that it becomes when automobiles are predominate.

If what you said were true it couldn't explain how, in just over 10
years, the movement has spread across the western world without any
funding from the usual suspects or any organisation beyond informal
discussions among individuals who, everyday, ride their bikes to their
real-world destinations on the roads paved with their tax dollars.

It's largely only the self-righteous redneck yokel factions in their
pathetic jerkwater jurisdictions that are still resisting.
--
zk

Critical Mass Tunnel Freaks
 

"Robert J. Matter"

wrote in part:

Of course we don't expect it to gain legitimacy amongst the status quo car
culture (and car culture's cycling bootlickers) any more than the founding
fathers gained legitimacy with the Crown or the underground railroad gained
legitimacy with slaveholders. This is a revolution. A revolution is not a
bed of roses. A revolution is a struggle to the death between the future and
the past.

---snip---

I don't think inconveniencing a few fat white little-dick
suburban republicans making a fashion statement in their single occupancy
behemoth SUVs does any harm to cycling. It's good character building for
cagers to experience the consequences of their decision to drive and endanger
the rest of society with their machines and pollution.

-Bob Matter

I've tried to address you civilly but first you call me a lazy ass and now
imply that I'm a bootlicker so you've lost the right to civility. You are an
idiot. Worse yet, you are a delusional idiot. All those positive things in
Chicago that you claim C-M was/is responsible for, from bike racks and bike
valet parking to the Bikes On CTA programs were accomplished, not because of
some lame C-M rides but because Mayor Daley likes cycling. Anyone with more
than two functioning brain cells that has any familiarity with Chicago politics
can vouch for that.
You may think you are manning the revolutionary barricades in a life and death
struggle. Luckily for you, there is no life and death struggle. If there were,
you'd be a greasy spot on the road courtesy of some evil SUV driver. That would
be a tragedy for you but it wouldn't make a damn bit of difference to cycling
in the Chicago area because someone just like you would jump up to replace you.
That's one sure thing about fools. There's a virtually unlimited supply of
them.

Bob Hunt

Critical Mass Tunnel Freaks
 

Eric Sande wrote:

As a responsible cyclist I can't expect anything more than equal
treatment under law, and as a human being I won't tolerate anything less.

All considered, cyclists get better treatment under the law than motorists do.
And then there are the extra-legal unwritten rules that benefit cyclists:
rolling through four-way stops and traffic lights in the presence of other
vehicles, or weaving through traffic jams, etc. Be careful what you wish for.
You could ruin it for everybody. Equal treatment under the law would suck.

Robert

Critical Mass Tunnel Freaks
 

09 Jul 2003 04:19:24 GMT,
,
(Hunrobe) wrote:

Zoot Katz

wrote in part:

In the overall scheme, CM has little, if any, impact. It's not as bad
as others and the media make out.

There's too few drivers who are actually affected by the rides. The
impact CM has on rush hour is negligible. It's blown out of proportion
by the media and the participants own egos. It generates bad news only
when the police are involved. Usually it's ignored as a non-event.

Isn't this pretty much what I said back in message #
"?
Damn, we agree! g

yep. And I responded by asking how the different disruptions were
objectively quantified and compared.

I also suggested, without correction, that the focus of the media was
different regarding the demonstrations.

Without objectively derived results, the media's spin is the only "big
picture" some shmoo stuck in traffic is going to get. They could
easily ascribe responsibility to the demonstrations for every other
delay as well. Repeat it enough times and we believe it.
--
zk

Critical Mass Tunnel Freaks
 

07 Jul 2003 21:17:26 GMT,
,
(Hunrobe) wrote:

Self powered people are all welcomed to join the rolling party that
then becomes a product of, and an implement for further, social
change. A political party pays lip service to social change while its
real interest lies in maintaing the status quo.
--
zk

In order to be an "implement for further social change" C-M will first have to
effect some initial social change, something that they have failed to do to
date. I don't have any real animus toward C-M. They just seem to me to be
totally ineffectual in improving conditions for cyclists.

Regards,
Bob Hunt

In ten years the movement spread xerocracy worldwide without an
advertising budget, embargo or bombing campaign.
That's different.

For the participants, who are largely cyclists, (~800 in Vancouver's
last mass) the conditions improve dramatically for about two hours
every month.

We make it so because there's enough of us that we can.

A society that tolerates daily traffic jams and gridlock, are never
going to be revolutionaries.
--
zk

Critical Mass Tunnel Freaks
 

Wed, 09 Jul 2003 01:53:57 -0700, ,
Bernie wrote:



Fabrizio Mazzoleni wrote:

"Bernie" wrote in message
...

All they expressed to me were youthful good feeling and high spirits.

You haven't met bitter old Zoot then, he is however high on
spirits and other drugs most of the time.

I don't know if he's high on anything else, but I suspect "bitter old Zoot"
is sweetened by those same youthful spirits!


Chivas is only 12 years old.
--
zk

Critical Mass Tunnel Freaks
 

Fri, 11 Jul 2003 01:17:54 -0400, ,
"Eric S. Sande" wrote:

Only that it lowered expectations of how cyclists should behave in
traffic.

What was **** head's problem today when I stopped at the sign because
he was approaching the intersection and didn't have a stop sign.

He balked, he stopped, he stared and then got snotty when I told him
to move.

Do you really believe it's because of CM?
--
zk

Critical Mass Tunnel Freaks
 

What was **** head's problem today when I stopped at the sign because
he was approaching the intersection and didn't have a stop sign.

How do I know, do you think I'm a psychologist?

He balked, he stopped, he stared and then got snotty when I told him
to move.

Well, he probably had road conflict. He thought he was doing you
a favor to allow you to pass but wasn't properly socialized to believe
you had the same inherent rights he did.

He didn't see you as an equal, in other words.

Do you really believe it's because of CM?

I believe it's because of poor socialization and bad societal training
exacerbated by a car centric society.

--
--

_______________________ALL AMIGA IN MY MIND_______________________
------------------"Buddy Holly, the Texas Elvis"------------------
in.edu__________

Critical Mass Tunnel Freaks
 

Zoot Katz

wrote:

What was **** head's problem today when I stopped at the sign because
he was approaching the intersection and didn't have a stop sign.

He balked, he stopped, he stared and then got snotty when I told him
to move.

Do you really believe it's because of CM?

What makes you think that it would have been at all different if you had been
driving a car instead of riding a bike? I don't know of anyone that blames C-M
rides for every instance of bad behavior on the roadway. The only inconsiderate
and illegal things I blame C-M for are those that occur during those rides.

Regards,
Bob Hunt

Critical Mass Tunnel Freaks
 

Fri, 11 Jul 2003 02:12:40 -0400, ,
"Eric S. Sande" wrote:

He didn't see you as an equal, in other words.

Do you really believe it's because of CM?

I believe it's because of poor socialization and bad societal training
exacerbated by a car centric society.

Driver mentality is poison to socialisation while the nature of cars
and their required infrastructure physically discourages it.
--
zk