Critical Mass Tunnel Freaks

Thu, 8 Jul 2004 20:29:46 -0700, ,
(Tom Keats) wrote:

In article ,
Zoot Katz writes:

Thursday I've got an appointment with a claims adjuster.
Big deal

Today's Thursday. So, what's the upshot? I hope the
word is good, and also that you're healing well. And that
the velocidal maniac has been tracked down.

At the ICBC office I locked my bike to a sign post ignoring the cast
concrete slots provided for bike parking. The receptionist recommended
I park the bike in their "bike rack". I told her that thing wasn't a
bike rack, it's a wheel bender and we agreed that my bike was staying
where it was.

Upshot is the medical expenses are covered for sure.
Croaker took notes and X-Rays.

Liability hasn't been determined. If he doesn't admit to backing-up
then I'll need a to find a witless to prove liability.

Save receipts for repairs under $200. Need authorisation for repairs
greater than that amount. Itchy-bitchy was most interested in
establishing my level and sources of income and medical history
involving previous injuries to that hand.

The police aren't interested. There is no property damage over some
set amount, like if my luxury scud had suffered a broken grille,
lights and paint scratches. There was no serious physical injury and
Goonus stopped so it's apparently no crime to run down people you
don't see as long as you stop to ask if they're okay afterward. It
seems to not matter what they answer.

Healing, yes. Nothing broken. I was able to shave today but still
can't open jars or doors. I did manage to get the front wheel axle
loosened so I could fiddle with it to see if it was just knocked wonky
in the fork ends but it still pulls to the left a tad. I'll have to
get somebody at OCB! to put the forks back in shape. A couple tire
patches and a new rivet got the mudflap back on. The whole deal's
going to cost me less than twenty bucks including the spilt creamo.
I've managed to adapt and perform most job related tasks thourghout.

Since there's no way they'll license me to smack the idiot a few times
with a two-by-four, there will be no satisfaction in it for me.
--
zk

07 Jul 2004 16:51:36 GMT,
,
(Hunrobe) wrote:

Zoot's hateful namecalling.

At least I've never called anyone a "dilletante".
--
zk

10 Jul 2004 03:34:22 GMT,
,
(Hunrobe) wrote:

As always, C-M will be there. One year they had
almost 100 riders present. That's 100 out of 15,000+

Did you check their ID?
--
zk

(Tom Keats)

wrote in part:

At any rate, Critical Mass isn't nearly as bad as some make it
out to be, nor as bad as the impression some people have of it.

We agree yet again, Tom. Scary, huh? :-)
My real beef with C-M isn't that I think they are horrible, evil, nasty people.
My beef is the too frequent claims on one hand that they are a serious advocacy
group on one hand while simultaneously crowing that C-M is all just one big
rolling party on the other. If they'd ever make up their mind *which* they are
I might even support them.

Regards,
Bob Hunt

On 10 Jul 2004 03:34:22 GMT, (Hunrobe) wrote:


That's an awful lot of words to say, "Maybe it helps." ;-) You say maybe. I say
maybe not because exactly how many converts will be won by those that even Tom
described as being viewed as "only a bunch of flakes and kooks"?
Please note that Tom didn't describe C-M that way. He merely pointed out that
they are viewed that way by the majority. Mustn't we rely on that majority for
new "converts"?
BTW, there's a large group ride scheduled in Chicago this very weekend. It's
named the L.A.T.E. Ride (for "Long After Twilight Ends"). That ride will draw
in excess of 15,000 riders. As always, C-M will be there. One year they had
almost 100 riders present. That's 100 out of 15,000+ so if "knowing that there
are X numbers of fairly serious bikers" around is the measure of persuasion,
C-M is irrelevant at best.

Regards,
Bob Hunt

Yeah, I think I totally missed the C-M political component, and really was
thinking in terms of 'large group rides'.

Point taken. The 'misbehavior aspect' is definitely wrong, and if that's
C-M's agenda, then thanks for the heads up.

-B

On Fri, 09 Jul 2004 20:34:44 -0700, Zoot Katz
wrote:


Healing, yes. Nothing broken. I was able to shave today but still
can't open jars or doors. I did manage to get the front wheel axle
loosened so I could fiddle with it to see if it was just knocked wonky
in the fork ends but it still pulls to the left a tad. I'll have to
get somebody at OCB! to put the forks back in shape. A couple tire
patches and a new rivet got the mudflap back on. The whole deal's
going to cost me less than twenty bucks including the spilt creamo.
I've managed to adapt and perform most job related tasks thourghout.

Since there's no way they'll license me to smack the idiot a few times
with a two-by-four, there will be no satisfaction in it for me.
--
zk

Sorry to hear this has happened to you. Would it make any sense to go to a
'personal injury lawyer' and have them be your front man? You might be
surprised how much more 'oomph' you'd have in that case.

Yeah, I know, why let the lawyers make money. I'm just very upset for you
and you are not being treated right.

Hope things work out, sincerely, man.

Best,

-B

On 10 Jul 2004 03:45:53 GMT, (Hunrobe) wrote:

(Tom Keats)

wrote in part:

At any rate, Critical Mass isn't nearly as bad as some make it
out to be, nor as bad as the impression some people have of it.

We agree yet again, Tom. Scary, huh? :-)
My real beef with C-M isn't that I think they are horrible, evil, nasty people.
My beef is the too frequent claims on one hand that they are a serious advocacy
group on one hand while simultaneously crowing that C-M is all just one big
rolling party on the other. If they'd ever make up their mind *which* they are
I might even support them.

Regards,
Bob Hunt

Heh heh.... See, you seem to think that Critical Mass is some sort of
group with a shared agenda and objectives. It's a common mistake, and
understandable, but it is a mistake nonetheless.

Critical Mass is an event. Once the ride is over, Critical Mass ceases
to exist until the next ride.

Now there are lots of people who take part in CM who will be happy to
explain what they think it is about, but they do not speak for any
coherent group.

So as to whether CM is a serious advocacy group *or* a big rolling
party, maybe it's both and many other things? Be careful who you
listen to. Sometimes it's closest to the anthropologist's informant- a
marginal person within the group who needs to go outside to find any
status.

Sat, 10 Jul 2004 00:32:26 -0400,
, Badger_South
wrote:

I'm just very upset for you
and you are not being treated right.

Standard Operational Procedure #1.

Get used to it.
--
zk

On Fri, 09 Jul 2004 23:49:00 -0700, Dan Daniel
wrote:


Critical Mass is an event. Once the ride is over, Critical Mass ceases
to exist until the next ride.

....making it difficult, if not impossible, for even its own members,
however loosely-defined, to police themselves, eh?

-Luigi
still sentimental over Democratic Centralism

Zoot Katz

wrote:
(Hunrobe) wrote:

As always, C-M will be there. One year they had
almost 100 riders present. That's 100 out of 15,000+

Did you check their ID?
--
zk

No need to, Zoot. They (C-M) always go all out for this and the other truly
large rides in the area. Even if their use of megaphones and their parade float
trailer didn't identify them as C-M they'd be easy to pick out since they are
always the very last group to complete the ride. I'm not sure if they plan it
that way for maximum exposure or they simply can't manage to keep pace while
hauling all their junk. Besides, I attend those rides to *ride* not to ID the
mostly harmless pseudo-rebels.
BTW, the largest Chicago C-M ride I have ever seen consisted of about 250
riders. 250 riders is an impressive sight but here in the greater Chicago area
250 people is a microscopically small group and that of course was exactly my
point.

Regards,
Bob Hunt