Critical Mass Tunnel Freaks

Mon, 05 Jul 2004 13:51:53 -0400,
, Luigi de Guzman
wrote:

It
results in more ill-will towards me, and gives motorists justification
for their abuses.

Perhaps you can explain how this acclaimed increase of "ill-will"
manifests itself. How do you differentiate it from the normal level of
"ill-will" these caged scum demonstrate toward other road users?
--
zk

On Mon, 05 Jul 2004 16:03:01 -0700, Zoot Katz
wrote:

Mon, 05 Jul 2004 13:51:53 -0400,
, Luigi de Guzman
wrote:

It
results in more ill-will towards me, and gives motorists justification
for their abuses.

Perhaps you can explain how this acclaimed increase of "ill-will"
manifests itself. How do you differentiate it from the normal level of
"ill-will" these caged scum demonstrate toward other road users?


Provocative CM riders project a negative image of us cyclists to
non-cyclists. Does it matter to us cyclists individually? no, not
really. We get crap from motorists all the time; big deal.

Does it win us any support? ah, well now THERE'S a question.

-Luigi

Luigi de Guzman

wrote:

Provocative CM riders project a negative image of us cyclists to
non-cyclists. Does it matter to us cyclists individually? no, not
really. We get crap from motorists all the time; big deal.

Does it win us any support? ah, well now THERE'S a question.


You put it very well, Luigi. Just as in every other protest, demonstration,
what have you there are some C-Mers that participate solely to thumb their
collective noses at "The Man". For them, provoking anger is what its all about
because it validates them in their own eyes. Those of us that were around in
the '60s and early '70s remember their type well. The usual appellation used to
describe them was "dilletante".

Regards,
Bob Hunt

Mon, 05 Jul 2004 19:14:52 -0400,
, Luigi de Guzman
wrote:

Does it win us any support? ah, well now THERE'S a question.

What sort of support and from whom?
We live in a car centric culture and car centric economy.
We don't count.

I just got slammed by a dozed out scud jockey (the bike's ride able
but I ache) Right now I'm even less than my normally well disposed
self toward our societies' blind acceptance of driver's blatant
stupidity and flagrant deadly impunity.
--
zk

On Tue, 06 Jul 2004 00:03:03 -0700, Zoot Katz
wrote:

Mon, 05 Jul 2004 19:14:52 -0400,
, Luigi de Guzman
wrote:

Does it win us any support? ah, well now THERE'S a question.

What sort of support and from whom?

I want motorists to respect me. I want people to get out of their
cars and think that, hey, cycling may not be such a bad idea after
all.

That's support. And I'm not going to get it by being an asshole to
them, thereby giving them carte blanche to continue justifying their
aggression towards non-automotive traffic.

I just got slammed by a dozed out scud jockey (the bike's ride able
but I ache) Right now I'm even less than my normally well disposed
self toward our societies' blind acceptance of driver's blatant
stupidity and flagrant deadly impunity.

Ouch. How did they get you?

When something similar happend to me in London, I was so dazed, my
mind fell back to what it thought were priorities:

1) get my road rash patched up. Luckily, I was nudged right in front
of a hospital.
2) Get my bike going agian. No biggie here--straightened the bars,
retightened the stem (lucky I was carrying the appropriate allen key
in m bag)
3) Get to the library to return the books I'd borrowed. (The original
reason for the trip)

In hindsight, I should have insisted on the police arriving and filing
an accident report. I seem to remember a bunch of passers-by asking
if I wanted to do that, but I was dizzy and buzzing on adrenaline, and
wasn't thinking right.

-Luigi

Luigi de Guzman wrote:
In hindsight, I should have insisted on the police arriving and filing
an accident report. I seem to remember a bunch of passers-by asking
if I wanted to do that, but I was dizzy and buzzing on adrenaline, and
wasn't thinking right.

yep. call the police. if someone goes all road-ragey on you call the cops
as well .. at the very least it'll make ya feel better.
--
david reuteler

Tue, 06 Jul 2004 14:23:10 -0400,
, Luigi de Guzman
wrote:

On Tue, 06 Jul 2004 00:03:03 -0700, Zoot Katz
wrote:

Mon, 05 Jul 2004 19:14:52 -0400,
, Luigi de Guzman
wrote:

Does it win us any support? ah, well now THERE'S a question.

What sort of support and from whom?

I want motorists to respect me. I want people to get out of their
cars and think that, hey, cycling may not be such a bad idea after
all.

That's support. And I'm not going to get it by being an asshole to
them, thereby giving them carte blanche to continue justifying their
aggression towards non-automotive traffic.

Even the so-called cyclists posting here find ready made excuses for
not riding. I doubt you'll get many stunned lumps out of their cans
just by smiling and being Mr. Niceguy.
Drivers like making excuses for their aggression towards other
motorised traffic. We're the bottom of the pecking order.

As cyclists we're always going to be marginalised because we're
surrounded by a society that worships its stinking cars.

Vancouver's CM prides itself on being non-confrontational and fun
oriented. We just take back our streets for a couple of hours causing
less delay than the daily traffic jams they create for themselves.

If they can't deal with that then fukem. They deserve no respect from
me

I just got slammed by a dozed out scud jockey (the bike's ride able
but I ache) Right now I'm even less than my normally well disposed
self toward our societies' blind acceptance of driver's blatant
stupidity and flagrant deadly impunity.

Ouch. How did they get you?

One that Eric's seen up close.
Nailed flat-footed in broad daylight by a backing van.
I can report that my recommendation to him at that time didn't work
quite well enough in this instance. The driver was oblivious to my
presence and backing at a determinedly rapid rate.

This one stopped at the sign. Heavy cross traffic had a green light.
His wheels were pointed straight ahead but I guessed he was turning
right and moved toward the left tire rut as he put on his right
signal. I was dabbed about 6 feet behind his van's back windows when
he put it into reverse, looked past me and started accelerating. I
screamed and back kicked about 2 bike lengths when he hit the front
wheel and knocked me down. The POS stopped rolling just before
crushing the rear wheel as I was desperately crabbing away.

Scumlump, to his credit and no little risk to his life, got out and
asked if I was okay, I said "NO". He asked if I wanted an ambulance.
"NO". He asked if my bike was okay and I said "NO, I don't know". That
was a mere formality fulfilling his legal obligations. Then he starts
with "Where'd you come from? I didn't see you. You shouldn't have been
there". His deserved response from me was a steady stream of insults
tying to incite the puke so I could choke him to death in self
defence. When I said, "I ought to sue your stupid ass" is when the
fukwit started claiming I ran into him!
Now that made me angry.

Long story short, cross-traffic stopped so he got back in his truck
and drove off. I phoned the police with the plate number and vehicle
description. Now I guess I'll have to wait and see if there's any
investigation. Nobody's even shown any interest taking a statement.
(Should I blame that demonstration of "respect" on CM?)

Thursday I've got an appointment with a claims adjuster.
Big deal
Ripped the mud flap off the front mudguard and feels like a tweaked
fork. Soaked and smashed some groceries in the pannier.

Took a piece of meat out of my ankle and I'm typing left handed.
My right wrist hurts from the knuckles to the elbow.
It keeps swelling and throbbing so I guess I'm going to have to go see
the croaker.

When something similar happend to me in London, I was so dazed, my
mind fell back to what it thought were priorities:

1) get my road rash patched up. Luckily, I was nudged right in front
of a hospital.
2) Get my bike going agian. No biggie here--straightened the bars,
retightened the stem (lucky I was carrying the appropriate allen key
in m bag)
3) Get to the library to return the books I'd borrowed. (The original
reason for the trip)

In hindsight, I should have insisted on the police arriving and filing
an accident report. I seem to remember a bunch of passers-by asking
if I wanted to do that, but I was dizzy and buzzing on adrenaline, and
wasn't thinking right.

The main thing on my mind was killing the big stupid ******* who'd
just run me down with his truck. The pain didn't even start until
after the adrenaline wore off.

--
zk

06 Jul 2004 20:32:36 GMT,
, David Reuteler
wrote:

yep. call the police. if someone goes all road-ragey on you call the cops
as well .. at the very least it'll make ya feel better.

I told the asswipe to call a cop but he decided to leave instead.
--
zk

Zoot Katz wrote:
06 Jul 2004 20:32:36 GMT,
, David Reuteler
wrote:

yep. call the police. if someone goes all road-ragey on you call the cops
as well .. at the very least it'll make ya feel better.

I told the asswipe to call a cop but he decided to leave instead.

put your u-bolt through his window, he'll call the cops.
--
david reuteler

Then he starts with "Where'd you come from? I didn't see you.
You shouldn't have been there".

=v= When they say, "I didn't see you," they are admitting to
their own incompetence, negligence andn fault. Unfortunately,
our society is set up to accept that as an all-purpose excuse.

=v= Which is part of the reason we need Critical Mass.
_Jym_

http://www.critical-mass.org/