Bicycle Austin forum

coldassassin556

Member

From: Austin

Registered: 2009-03-28

Posts: 1

Austin Critical Mass

Ok before I say anything let me say this.
Personally I love to bike, I say if you're going to bike, bike! I bike everywhere, love doing it!  But I am also a CONSIDERATE PERSON!!! I don't run red lights, I OBEY traffic laws that are laid out for BOTH bikers and cars!

Having said this let me continue...

So Friday night it's me and my dad heading to go hear the University of Texas band play at Bates Recital hall, which by the way out of seats because they over sold tickets! But that's beside the point…

So here we are sitting at a light when a group of bikers start flying down the road right through the intersection! Sweet I think, starting to want to go biking after the concert....
Then more bikers go by, then it's just a stream of people flying by, which is all cool until the light changes....
I think to myself, should be done soon. Well they keep on coming! Then some guy pulls up on his bike and sits right in front of my car!!! Flashes me the peace sign and just sits there!!! I'm thinking, wow! You are the most annoying person ever!

I mean I really wouldn't have cared that much if all the bikers had just gone right on through, but stopping right in front of me and continually flashing me the Peace sign really ticked me off!!!

I'm sitting here, wishing for that you would just get the heck out of my way so I could just go enjoy the concert!
Then he slowly begins to pull away, still continuing to flash me the peace sign, with me thinking if you flash that one more time there's gonna be a little less peace on the planet boy...

Finally we get through the light, just to be stopped 2 minutes later at another light by the same group!  And another dude pulls up in front of me and just sits there!
At least he didn't flash me the peace sign!

I'm not against the Critical Mass riders biking and all that, just please try and obey the LAW.
I mean everybody has done it, what makes you guys so special that you can just exempt following the law?

dimson

Member

Registered: 2008-09-10

Posts: 7

Re: Austin Critical Mass

When will "critical mass" riders learn that there is more to red lights and stop signs than safety, they are a way of politely managing traffic in congested conditions, when you stop traffic from progressing on green you are being nothing but rude and impolite and will attract what rude and impolite behavior routinely attracts a big push back. Critical mass does not send the message that you say you want to send which is that bikes belong on the street and to watch carefully for them and to make room for them to safely operate. Critical mass is just rude and inconsiderate behavior. Now that the police have been dressed down to watch out for cyclists in traffic altercations they will also be targeting you for your misbehavior, that's a cop world baby. Jeez how dumb.

damicoaustin

Member

From: Austin, TX

Registered: 2008-05-27

Posts: 143

Website

Re: Austin Critical Mass

Talk about serious whining. How much were you really inconvenienced by the ride? This is only a once-a-month celebration, and traffic is usually so jammed at that time that it doesn't disrupt much anyway. What did you want the guy to flash at you, the finger?

I too was once stopped--with my wife and kids in the car on the way to meet friends in south austin--by CM. It probably made us about 5-10 minutes later than we were already. Big deal.

dimson

Member

Registered: 2008-09-10

Posts: 7

Re: Austin Critical Mass

We are one social minority with a point to get across if every social group with a beef decided that it would be a good idea to routinely (one Friday) disrupt traffic the results would be beyond maddening. I have heard it stated that CM is a form of civil disobedience, fine, the point of civil disobedience is to get arrested to publicize your cause it is legitimate political ploy but no whining when arrested unless police brutality is involved which it does not appear to be by the video I have seen of last Friday's CM.
If you want the APD to enforce the laws in regard to the operation of automobiles it is hypocritical to not expect them to do the same in regards to bicycle infractions. In the mean time bicyclists have no bitch as far as the laws as written, we have the right to the road in almost all cases, legally. Changing the attitudes of the general population regarding our use of the street and highway will not be legislated just a racism was not legislated out of existence with the civil rights laws.

rmonsees

Member

Registered: 2008-05-27

Posts: 39

Re: Austin Critical Mass

Suppose all street users behaved this way.  None of us would be getting anywhere anytime soon.  The point being missed is that this is just plain rude behavior, and doesn't project a positive image of cycling or cyclists.  If you were walking on a sidewalk, and I walked up and wouldn't let you pass for 5 minutes, would you think I was rude, or would you think you're a whiner to complain about a mere 5 minutes?

   We are a minority, and perhaps at one time it was useful to basically shut down normal traffic to get the wider public to notice that cyclists exist.  It is no longer useful, and is counter-productive to the wider goal of increasing the number of people who cycle.

damicoaustin

Member

From: Austin, TX

Registered: 2008-05-27

Posts: 143

Website

Re: Austin Critical Mass

"Rude behavior" is killing our planet with an obsessive pursuit of everything auto....and the consumerism that goes with it. CM is a happening, and will always happen. So let it happen, without the police making things more disruptive.

The only whining I've heard is from cyclists who have been inconvenienced by CM or who are afraid their reputations--which is already dirt and will be so regardless of CM--are damaged and that drivers might look at them badly. The CMers aren't whining....they're probably planning their next radical maneuver and then keg party.

I'm all for other street users to do once a month happenings. Bring it on. Peds walk in the streets every third Tuesday. Wheelchairs can have the first Friday. Rollerbladers....hmmm, I think they are a Monday crowd.

Remember the next time that your bicycle facility is shut down for construction--but autos get all the accommodations to keep moving--or the LAB is still unfinished after 9 years and even completed sections are ripped up, or parking continues in bike lanes, or they finish major road repairs in two months but it takes a year and a half to get the sidewalks complete, or they build sixteen flyovers around our town but can't manage to build one "flyover" over Caesar Chavez for bikes and peds, or they give developers massive incentives to build ritzy retail and residential, but can't seem to get them to put in adequate bike parking, wide sidewalks or other bicycle facilities...Remember all this when you sit around and worry about a couple hundred bicyclists taking to the streets to celebrate all that is bike on one freakin' Friday a month, and they block a couple traffic lights to try and do it safely. How's that for whining?

Last edited by damicoaustin (2009-03-31 09:09:38)

dimson

Member

Registered: 2008-09-10

Posts: 7

Re: Austin Critical Mass

Thanks for the childish rant my man, now tell me how CM is going to fix any of those things that you think should be done. Increased public awareness? Happenings, radical maneuvers, keg parties how freaking exciting I'm getting hard just thinking about it. I do not think that I am too worried about what anybody thinks of me or my bike or my car. You talking about whining is the pot calling the kettle black. Ride your bike it is legal the improved infrastructure may or may not come don't let it stop you either way. Keep your "happening", nobody wants to outlaw it but beware of being busted for braking the law when the cops are around.
There is always a price to pay for being an extreme minority in any culture, the majority generally sees catering to your needs as a waste of money, not my point of view but it is theirs and CM is not going to change it.

damicoaustin

Member

From: Austin, TX

Registered: 2008-05-27

Posts: 143

Website

Re: Austin Critical Mass

Your exactly right, my man....CM is not going to change anything. And it's going to happen. So leave it alone. It's like cops busting people at Eeyore's for smoking pot.

dimson

Member

Registered: 2008-09-10

Posts: 7

Re: Austin Critical Mass

Uhhh Eeyore's is a YMCA ? city sanctioned event. Smoking pot in front of cops will get you busted I am sure.
I will reserve the right to disagree with CM advocates at any opportunity, no room for dissension in the bicycle community?

tomwald

Moderator

From: 78722

Registered: 2008-05-27

Posts: 290

Re: Austin Critical Mass

I will reserve the right to disagree with CM advocates at any opportunity, no room for dissension in the bicycle community?

I think you're referring to what Rob said:

... it's going to happen. So leave it alone.

... but I think that Rob's not asking for *you* to leave it alone, but for the *cops* to leave it alone.  (I'm staying out of that cops discussion here.)

Maybe (?) Rob is also referring to the scapegoating of Critical Mass for so many bicycling woes:
"Some dude just honked at me today while I was riding my bike!  Gosh darn that Critical Mass!  And the fixie kids!  And the stop-sign rollers!  And red-light runners!  And that bicyclist with wrinkly clothes!  And that bicyclist without a helmet!  And that bicyclist without panniers!* And that bicyclist that made some minor mistake as humans do from time to time!  And that bicyclist who shouted at that motorist that one time!".... etc.

But I don't think Rob is saying that he doesn't want to hear different views about Critical Mass.

So, Rob, what do you have to say for yourself?

* Regarding "panniers", see:
http://bicycleaustin.info/blog/?p=61
http://bicycleaustin.info/forum/viewtop … d=380#p380
(How can a motorist be expected to respect a bicyclist who refuses to use panniers?)

dimson

Member

Registered: 2008-09-10

Posts: 7

Re: Austin Critical Mass

I am not opposed to the current CM paradigm because of the public relations image it may give some motorists about cyclists, current CM behaviors are just rude and impolite. I am more worried about provocative behavior provoking an immediate irrational reckless response (gun play maybe) which is common human psychology. The political point that CM makes is not clear to the people that you want to influence. I think that some of the recent suggestions about a totally "legal" CM ride would be a very efficient and profound political statement to make to the citizens of this city which is: we are here make room for us. Totally legal in the downtown area could realistically involve some two abreast riding when the speed due to congestion are very low. If it spoils the fun great, hardly anyone is having fun traveling on the congested streets of Austin, Texas. Well except for me on my bike but then I am not trying to make a political statement.

MichaelBluejay

Webmaster

From: Austin, TX

Registered: 2008-05-26

Posts: 1,455

Website

Re: Austin Critical Mass

Remember the next time that your bicycle facility is shut down for construction--but autos get all the accommodations to keep moving--or the LAB is still unfinished after 9 years and even completed sections are ripped up, or parking continues in bike lanes, or they finish major road repairs in two months but it takes a year and a half to get the sidewalks complete, or they build sixteen flyovers around our town but can't manage to build one "flyover" over Caesar Chavez for bikes and peds, or they give developers massive incentives to build ritzy retail and residential, but can't seem to get them to put in adequate bike parking, wide sidewalks or other bicycle facilities...Remember all this when you sit around and worry about a couple hundred bicyclists taking to the streets to celebrate all that is bike on one freakin' Friday a month, and they block a couple traffic lights to try and do it safely. How's that for whining?

Rob, will you marry me?

Tlep

Member

Registered: 2013-01-22

Posts: 19

Re: Austin Critical Mass

I just watched "bike like u mean it" tonight and I'd just like to say; viva la critical mass and the Austin Cycling Community. Ya'll have a nice almost last friday. see you next week at the fountain.