New Haven Independent

Posted by: Paul Wessel | June 20, 2008 9:25 AM

"Community" in "community policing" can be both a noun and adjective. This is great example of it, at once, being both. Congratulations to all.

Posted by: Steve Ross | June 20, 2008 9:28 AM

Hm.

Posted by: dwightstreetrenter | June 20, 2008 9:36 AM

at May's Critical Mass, we DID have a police escort! Two separate cruisers with a total of three cops provided front and rear escorts...the officer in front blocked the cross-streets when the ride was going through an intersection, and the rear car would speed up to cover the next intersection. At one point, one of the officers was asking "how long is this gonna last...I have other calls."
Cyclists were encouraging each other to thank the cops for their un-solicited help, and we were genuinely surprised at their positive participation. Leslie (named in the article) at the intersection of Elm and Church (where Elm was being blocked off by a cruiser) yelled to the cop saying with a smile: "I want your badge number, Thank you!"

there was an angry cop on foot by Shaw's on Whalley as the ride progressed back towards Broadway who was engaging the riders verbally, but he was quickly silenced when the rear cruiser sped by, lights flashing, zooming to the next intersection.

Posted by: Dave | June 20, 2008 9:39 AM

I think this is a great thing for critical mass and the commmunity now the question is can the cops get off duty after the ride so they can come to after party with us and have a few brewskis?

Posted by: Dave Pond | June 20, 2008 9:51 AM

This is great for the community and riders. People in cars don't understand that bikers aren't suppose to be riding on the sidewalks and that were suppose to be in the streets. A police presence would help make our cause look look stronger in the eyes of motorists and the fact that their cops on bikes is even better. I alsmost died because a stupid yalie was riding their bike on the sidewalk he came flying through a crosswalk while i was riding in the street I ramed him as i was going through the green light and fliped over. The safest place to ride is in the middle of the street where everyone can see you. Im happy the police are coming out in support of this. NOw will they be able to get off after the ride so they can join us at the after party for some beers?

Posted by: James | June 20, 2008 9:59 AM

I have a question for the Critical Massers, maybe somebody can help me out. Let me preface this with saying that I am very supportive of the use of bicycles in transportation for a number of reasons. I believe that all cities should be as easily cyclable as they are drivable and that motorists need to learn to coexist and respect cyclists.

That being said, what is the goal of CM? In every city I've ever lived in I find them to be disruptive and only serve to further antagonize an already antagonistic driving public. If the idea is to raise awareness, why does it have to be done in manner that is counterproductive to the goal? The idea of a citizen blocking an intersection and impeding traffic one their own volition seems pretty arrogant and thoughtless to me.

We need a better educated public here in New Haven. I want to see cyclists have safe roads. I think it's incredibly important. But the whole CM movement has always struck me a a little self-righteous and counter productive. Can you all please explain to me what the intent is?

Posted by: Ben | June 20, 2008 10:02 AM

Nice Solution Feiner and NHPD.

Posted by: Nestor Makhno | June 20, 2008 10:58 AM

Sounds like this celebration of so-called bike culture is soon going to be about as "free-wheeling" as a Shriners Parade. Is this consistent with the original spirit of Critical Mass?

It also seems like kind of a waste of police resources. Will the city be forced to revise the budget with a new entry, "NHPD: Leading Critical Mass"? What do the local balanced-budget hawks think about this?

Posted by: Ned | June 20, 2008 11:21 AM

"That being said, what is the goal of car commuting? In every city I've ever lived in I find them [cars] to be disruptive and only serve to further antagonize an already antagonistic public. If the idea is to raise awareness, why does it have to be done in manner that is massively destructive to the bicyclist/pedestrian? The idea of a citizen blasting their car stereo, polluting the air and water and supporting Islamic terrorists and fundamentalists on their own volition seems pretty arrogant and thoughtless to me." Heeheehee...

Posted by: JSJ | June 20, 2008 11:50 AM

I think it's great that more people are trading in their four wheels for two. I'm seeing lots more cyclists heading downtown-ward in the morning. New Haven has the potential to be a great bicycle commuting city.

That said, I find the Critical Mass attitude (as depicted here) to be selfish, self-righteous and potentially destructive to efforts to make cycling safer and more accessible in this city.

How about, instead of dominating the road and taking several officers out of action, focusing efforts on riding politely through neighborhoods, utilizing bike lanes or making the case for them, stopping at red lights- as required- and educating kids and teens about safe biking.

We already have a critical mass of selfish and unsafe drivers, pedestrians and cyclists in this city. That's the legacy of the SUV era: it's all about us, isn't it? This group has the power to be part of the solution. I hope they use it.

Posted by: JM | June 20, 2008 12:41 PM

Basically CM is a social club. They like to get together, they derive a slightly naughty thrill from holding up traffic and figuratively giving the one-finger salute to motorists, and then they all get drunk afterward. No coincidence that they do it on Friday nights.

Fine, have fun, but why not just be honest about it and spare us all the political babblement?

The notion that it is somehow "progressive" or raises "awareness" in anyone, other than an awareness of being delayed at a green light while you're trying to get home to your family after work is farcical.

How many motorists delayed by CM actually think: "gee, I never knew that riding a bike was an option", or "being held up at green lights on my way home is really
making me conscious of motorist-cyclist safety!".

Maybe a few, but for every one of them there are 500 who are either simply annoyed or don't register the phenomenon as any more than another mundane traffic delay tantamount to a construction backup or something.

Also endemic in their attitude is a presumption that the motorists behind them are all making a 2 mile drive somewhere because they're too lazy to bike or walk. As if none of the CM'ers drive to work. Sure.

I mean, lucky you if you are in grad school or have a job downtown and can pretty much bike anywhere you need to go, but that isn't the case for most people. And it's probably not the case for most CM'ers either.

CM'ers are fond of mentioning that they are "given support" during their rides. Sure, I've seen the drunks outside the bars applaud the sheer spectacle of it. But when the same person is in their car behind CM it is a completely different story.

Finally, they apparently have the support of the police and the right to do this. Fine. But I think that most people would have a better attitude to the group if they just called themselves "Friday Night Bikes and Beers" on meetup.com or wherever and dropped all of the attendant self-righteous political babblement.

Posted by: walt bradley | June 20, 2008 12:43 PM

you ever get stuck behind this moving circus while trying to make it home quickly so you can use your bathroom? well, i have, and it sucks. i'm down on critical mass, and someone's gonna get killed and the bike folks are gonna cry about conspiracy or some garbage because they didn't act responsibly.
Do they plan on riding the "Q" like San Fran's chapeter used to do on the Bay Bridge?
Much like PETA has turned off legitimate concerns for animal rights, these guys are doing the same to most of us who believe there should be a shift towards getting the automobile monkeys off our backs, and improving conditions for bicycle riders . They've done a much better job of drawing my ire than my sympathies.

Posted by: David | June 20, 2008 12:52 PM

I think the view of CM that some are showing here isn't actually indicative of the way it's being portrayed in the article. "Selfish"? It's just the right of people to ride 2 by 2 down a street, which is a legal right we already have.

The point of CM is education--which is what we're trying to do.

The response from cars is largely positive & friendly.

What's an extra 2 minutes on a 20 minute commute honestly?

Corking intersections increases the safety of all. There is simply no way that a large volume of cyclists can travel together otherwise.

It's just not common in this state (our country)--but it's modeled on China, where this exact thing happens every day.

The reality is that the current laws were drafted with cars only in mind, and need to be revisited.

Posted by: david streever | June 20, 2008 12:54 PM

Kudos to Feiner for taking something potentially destructive & making it work. I was skeptical that this could go anyway but poorly--but, I think that this is a good compromise & can ensure that CM in New Haven actually has a future.

I don't think it'll be the same CM, but I'm OK with that.

I think the view of CM that some are showing here isn't actually indicative of the way it's being portrayed in the article. "Selfish"? It's just the right of people to ride 2 by 2 down a street, which is a legal right we already have.

The point of CM is education--which is what we're trying to do.

The response from cars is largely positive & friendly.

What's an extra 2 minutes on a 20 minute commute honestly?

Corking intersections increases the safety of all. There is simply no way that a large volume of cyclists can travel together otherwise.

It's just not common in this state (our country)--but it's modeled on China, where this exact thing happens every day.

The reality is that the current laws were drafted with cars only in mind, and need to be revisited.

Posted by: Bruce | June 20, 2008 12:57 PM

For a number of reasons, I rarely go on the CM rides anymore. But in my experience I have found the "obstructive" and "confrontational" characterizations to be mostly unfounded. New Haven CM Riders go through great efforts to use a single lane so that cars can pass by. Intersections are blocked for maybe 5 minutes at the very most -- hardly a major inconvenience.

Why do people do it? You will hear many reasons about how it educates the public on bicycle rights, makes the bicycle population visible, cuts greenhouse gases, and so on. But I will cut through the bull and say that the reason most people do it is because it is fun. Lots and lots of fun!

There's nothing wrong with having fun. It's like a monthly parade or a big soccer game. Organized sporting events, concerts and festivals routinely tie up downtown traffic for hours and hours at a time. Is this even close to the disruption that the St. Patty's Day parade or Arts & Ideas creates? It's a great excuse to get outdoors and enjoy downtown and it's yet another reason to love New Haven.

If police officers on bicycles want to join the ride and help make things go smoothly, I say "welcome"! They have just as much right to be there as anyone else.

Posted by: JP | June 20, 2008 2:22 PM

I can confidently say I never see anyone in New Haven on a bicycle not break the law. In the 30 seconds it takes to pass a biker they will always do something illegal. I think biking is great but all of you need to get your act together. Also i think bicycles should be required to go within 5 MPH of the posted speed limit. That being said none of it would matter if this city would put in bike lanes.

Posted by: anon | June 20, 2008 2:42 PM

New Haven would be a great bicycling city, but only when bicycle routes have 20mph speed limits. 95% of the public does not feel comfortable bicycling to work every day unless speeds along major cycling streets can be brought down to the 15-20mph range (incidentally, that not only has a major impact on cycling, it also makes these streets far more walkable, raises property values, reduces noise and pollution, etc. -- kind of a no brainer if you ask any planner). Every other country in the world, and many other cities, have done that -- why not New Haven?

That's not to say that bicycle lanes, racks, etc., aren't a great first step, because they can help build a constituency (about 5% of the population) that can then help advocate for the above.

Posted by: fairhavendoc | June 20, 2008 3:48 PM

Great picture of all of the CM'ers not wearing helmets. Not one helmet in that picture! It makes me ill.

Posted by: James | June 20, 2008 4:39 PM

Yes, David, "selfish," as exemplified by your comment;

What's an extra 2 minutes on a 20 minute commute honestly?

My point exactly is that's not your call to make. Maybe for me 2 minutes is a big deal. Maybe I have to take a leak, or am late for an appointment. Maybe I'm just an impatient jerk with a bad temper and one of those throbbing veins on my forehead. The point is that your making that decision for me. Yes, it's your legal right to ride down the street. I don't know if 2x2 is legal, but if you say so, I'll go with it. But blocking the intersections so you all can make your point/have fun is problematic. It is selfish. Also, OK, here's a point, it's not legal. Many of you are obstructing traffic and running red lights. The fact that it's hard for you all to stay together on your ride doesn't hold water because there's no necessity to ride in a single group.

Look, the point is that you're not educating anyone. We all know that bicycles exist and that people are capable of riding them, sometimes in groups. Education would be getting people off of the sidewalks. Education would be teaching people how to ride safely and arranging small group rides so people don't feel so vulnerable on the street. What you are doing is exacerbating the problem by showing everybody that you have just as much contempt for a red light as they do.

So if it's just a big middle finger to us squares in our cars, just say so, man. But don't act like it's some sort of social crusade. And blocking the intersection doesn't make it safer for everybody. It makes it safer for you. And it's only an unsafe situation because you are creating it in the first place by riding against traffic.

I gotta go. My purple headvein is throbbing.

Posted by: Steve Ross | June 20, 2008 4:44 PM

These are my subjective assertions and I haven't any empirical evidence to back them up, but this seems to be the place for that sort of thing.

1. Cyclists break traffic laws because it's often safer for them to do so than not; I'm confident that a great proportion of bicycle commuters would agree with this statement. Ride Whalley or Whitney and revisit this point.
2. Downtown traffic sucks. We all have experienced this in our cars, on our buses, and on our bikes. If you're looking to get someplace quick, avoid downtown or leave earlier. You might use the bathroom before you get into your car.
3. It's possible to do something both politically active and socialize simultaneously. After all, we are humans, and humans like to hang out with like-minded folks. And, gee-wiz! some even do so without drinking, believe it or not.
4. The comment: "attendant self-righteous political babblement" is itself self-righteous and strangely recursive, which is comical.
5. New to the ride, the attraction to CM was for me the same as the recent bike breakfasts - it's cool to meet new people with whom you share a common passion or pastime with (see #3). Oh, and I got a bike specifically because I was stuck behind a CM ride in my car, back when I had one, so I'm at least one convert. I encourage everyone to try it out! It's communal, somewhat challenging (pack riding is weird and quite funny), and most importantly it is, in every sense of the word, free.

Love,
Stephen

Posted by: melinda tuhus | June 20, 2008 4:51 PM

Fairhavendoc:
You may be happy to know that that's an old photo, and that many more riders now wear helmets -- for New Have Critical Mass, the new Hamden Critical Mass ride, and other group rides. These individuals, of course, usually tend to wear their helmets when they ride alone as well.

After I experienced how much damage was done to my body after a collision with an 8-year-old on a bike lane I decided I don't want to find out what could happen to me if I collide with a car, so I always wear a helmet. Perhaps others have had similar thoughts.

Posted by: robn | June 20, 2008 5:28 PM

New Haven needs more good solid citizens like Matt Feiner!

...and lets not call CM a protest, lets call it a parade celebrating our Future Oil Independence...after all; if we can close ALL downtown daytime traffic for...

St Patricks Day Parade
Columbus Day Parade
Memorial Day Parade
Halloween Parade (personal fav)
Puerto Rican Pride Parade
Freddy Fixer Parade

...can't we accept five minutes of intersection closures once a month for the FOI parade? (FOI not to be confused with intrepid NHI's regular marches up to city hall to request information under the Freedom Of Information act.

Posted by: nfjanette | June 20, 2008 7:00 PM

1. Cyclists break traffic laws because it's often safer for them to do so than not; I'm confident that a great proportion of bicycle commuters would agree with this statement.
Is there no end to the long list of rationalizations offered by cyclists for breaking the law and creating situations that endanger life and limb? Just as I support a massive increase in traffic enforcement for drivers of cars and trucks (and school buses!), I hope a surge of ticketing cyclists will send a strong message to them as well: obey the law.

Posted by: Grace | June 20, 2008 11:15 PM

JM,

I think that your statements about critical mass riders being supported mostly by bar-goers, and being drunkards, is a total misstatement. I know for sure that many riders do go on with their Friday evenings at bars or drinking at private parties that don't affect you any way, but many riders don't. Some of them are even straight-edge, but either way I've yet to hear of some major incident involving post-CM drunkenness.

As for support from non-riders, I've seen and heard plenty of encouragement from drivers and pedestrians, not only "the drunks outside the bars." And since when does being a patron at a bar make you a drunk, any way?

Additionally, one doesn't need to live centrally to ride a bike as their primary transportation. I've been getting more used to the ride in from Branford, and am less and less tolerant of car traffic on every trip. This is not an uncommon distance to commute in other small cities and is becoming more popular around here.

When you are riding alone most of the time, dodging ignorant folks who "forget" to use blinkers, or who rage past you, honking for basically no reason, it's nice to convene once a month with other cyclists and feel comfortable on the streets. It's a community of sorts, not wholly a band of outlaws.

And I'll repeat--ONCE A MONTH. If you can't be okay with bikers taking one evening a month (an event with a predetermined time and date, so you can avoid it if you need to get home to use the bathroom, as someone was persistently mentioning), what are you going to do as the number of every-day cyclists continues to climb as do gas prices?

Good luck!

Grace

Posted by: mattuva | June 21, 2008 11:47 AM

1. Cyclists break traffic laws because it's often safer for them to do so than not; I'm confident that a great proportion of bicycle commuters would agree with this statement.
---
Is there no end to the long list of rationalizations offered by cyclists for breaking the law and creating situations that endanger life and limb? Just as I support a massive increase in traffic enforcement for drivers of cars and trucks (and school buses!), I hope a surge of ticketing cyclists will send a strong message to them as well: obey the law.

NFJ, I believe you're missing his point here. The next sentence reads, "Ride Whalley or Whitney and revisit this point." I'm guessing he's trying to point out that while it is illegal to do so, it is safer for cyclists to use the sidewalks on Whalley and Whitney.

While I wouldn't advocate the blatant running of red lights, I often roll through stop signs when it is safe to do so. It's much like when my car is parked across the street from my house and I don't walk all the way to the corner to cross the street. That's jaywalking, and it's illegal, but I'm a big boy and I listened to mom when she said, "Look both ways..."

I doubt ticketing cyclists is a possibility in the near future, as in New Haven we seem to have run out of ticket books for ticketing anyone. But when the blitz starts, you'll find me on State Street at that permanent speed trap trying my best...

Posted by: Westvillian | June 21, 2008 3:03 PM

Overall, I think the CM group is great. Unfortunately, David's comments actually support the perception of CM riders being arrogant and selfish. He says that intersections are stopped for 5 minutes at the most - that's selfish and rude bro. I agree you have rights to the road, but those rights don't include breaking traffic laws so you can stay in a big group with your buddies. How annoying is it when cars run red lights so they can say behind their friend in the next car? Here's an idea. Stop and wait for your friends to catch up on the other side of the intersection. I'd have a lot more respect for a group that voluntarily sacrificed their own convenience, rather than break traffic laws and force others to sacrifice their time.

Posted by: James | June 21, 2008 4:01 PM

Steve Ross,

1). Indicate one situation in which it is safer for a cyclist to break rather than obey the law. I'm an occasional cyclist, and I can't think of a single legitimate instance where your argument hold a drop of water. Except maybe riding on the sidewalk. But that just endangers pedestrians. Maybe they should have a critical mass walk in front of your ride.

2). Downtown traffic sucks. OK, agreed. What's your point? How does blocking intersection do anything but make this situation worse? Even if you're going to take the "if you're in such a hurry you shouldn't be downtown in the first place" stance, this still has nothing to do with CM. Traffic sucks and CM makes it worse. Once a month. What's your point?

3). I don't think that anybody has any problem with anybody being political in a social setting and you're childish sarcasm is both misplaced and counterproductive.

4). No need to comment as this adds nothing to the conversation.

5). That's great Honestly. I'm glad that CM got someone into biking. That's a good thing. It sounds like a fun, social activity that has a lot of positives. I still don't see how that justifies civilian bike riders to decide that once a month they in charge of directing traffic.

Ride. Have fun. Be social. Be political. Drink, or don't. Best of luck. But don't block traffic. You're hurting your own cause by showing motorists and official that you won't obey traffic laws and instilling the exact opposite behavior in riders (e.g. obeying traffic laws) that an educational group should be doing. Unless the "cause" is just a big f*ck you to the rest of us. In that case, well done.

Posted by: mattuva | June 22, 2008 3:30 AM

Maybe CritMass is just a big middle finger to motorists. It was for me when I rode. That's the beauty of an organized coincidence, everyone is there for their own personal reasons.
As was alluded to by a previous poster, the more time you spend on a bicycle, the less "tolerance" you have for motorized traffic. Riding within legal definitions does little to guarantee your safety, and to many drivers, we become "targets". For me, it was nice to get out once a month and TAKE BACK THE STREETS, even if it was in my own little CritMass bubble.
I'm sure I did my share of damage to bicycle advocacy (those who know me well can attest). My "tolerance" for motorized traffic has gone to the complete opposite end of the spectrum now, with a job that requires driving hundreds of miles per week. I now find myself swearing at people in the left lane who do 75 (not fast enough). Do I miss the kinder, gentler, nuisance-for-an-hour-per-month Matt Uva? Not as much as I miss fitting into size 30 jeans!

Moral of the story? Critical Mass will not go away. (Hamden just added themselves to the list of 2,200+ CM rides globally)
Bright side? It's New Haven, and we pride ourselves on being the "Kinder, Less-Critical Mass". You won't see us taking over the highway (as is the norm elsewhere) or riding 10,000 deep (many cities do) or flinging u-locks at SUVs (howdy, Austin, TX).

Cheers, and see you on the road!

Posted by: Bruce | June 22, 2008 9:04 AM

I think some of these complaints are really blown way out of proportion. I used to live and drive in Miami and we'd have to wait 3 or 4 light cycles to get through an intersection because of daily rush hour traffic. New Haven rush hours are a breeze.

Ditto on traffic violations (some, anyways). The very same things could be said for automobile drivers. Have you ever crossed the yellow line to get around a delivery truck? Driven more than 25 mph within city limits? Come to a rolling stop at a stop sign? Changed lanes without signaling? This list could go along for miles, but somehow bicyclists should be held to a higher standard. Let he who has no sins cast the first stone.

Critical Mass is fun and a minor inconvenience to those who don't participate -- just like every other event in the city. Stop being so cranky and join the fun!

Posted by: James | June 23, 2008 8:58 AM

Mattuva - awesome. Honestly. Good for you and those who share your passion and attitude. It's nice to hear somebody admit that it's just fun and a bit of civil disobedience. It's just a bit annoying to hear people try to rationalize it as some sort of beneficent social mission. Stir the pot, man. It needs stirring.

Bruce, people in this town drive like crap with no regard for traffic laws. No doubt about it. I just like to think that cyclists might be a more educated, enlightened crowd that would recognize the importance of a structured society. Again, you're right about it being a minor inconvenience. In truth, I've never even seen CM, let alone been stuck behind a ride. I just don't need to hear the self-righteous moralizing cyclists preach. Blocking up traffic isn't advocacy or education. CM really isn't either. But for what it is, it's great.

Honestly, I've lived in much larger cities with far more cyclists and I've never had a problem that a horn and a middle finger couldn't fix. Cyclists don't endanger anyone but themselves when they fly through a red light or weave in and out of traffic. And it's more feasible in other places because the general citizenry has at least a low-level understanding of and respect for traffic laws.

No, ticketing cyclists is ridiculous when you have people doing 50mph in a school zone, blowing red lights, and turning without signaling. Bad drivers endanger everybody. Bad cyclists are really only risking their own asses. EXCEPT when the ride on the sidewalk. If CM can get people off of the sidewalk and onto the streets, go for it. But I think most people who ride the sidewalks are not CM types. They're mostly just ignorant of the law or contemptuous of others safety.

Posted by: Steve Ross | June 23, 2008 10:16 AM

Wow, James, perhaps we got off on the wrong foot here. I'll concede that I reacted in a childish manner, but not that such a reaction is misplaced. It's warranted by the hostility being brandished by many of cycling's critics on this board; I meant to be playfully argumentitive rather than combative. I admit, my craft is weak! I'll resign to a more "mature" stance, then.

First, the only time I ride a sidewalk is after midnight on a street where there is no foot traffic -- I do this when I need to go a block down a wrong-way. It happens, and there's many places in town where walking your bike is a seriously bad idea.

I do run lights. One instance is pulling up to the intersection of Whally and the Blvd. The light is red. The right lane has mixed traffic turning right and straight and the left has traffic turning left or straight. I assume that at least ten of these drivers aren't using signals. I ride between the cars and approach the red. Now, I see that there is no cross traffic as visibility is good here and I run the light as the Blvd. lights turn red, prior to the Whalley light turning green, allowing me to get over to the right without having to take the lane from competing motorists. Although it is my right to do the latter, I've had enough close calls from aggressive drivers that I'd rather risk a ticket than a leg.

Occasionally, you can actually communicate with the drivers at the front of the pack and this sort of thing is obviated. Also, I wouldn't attempt this kind of thing on Chapel, say, in the nine squares district due to the pedestrian traffic. It's a block by block knowledge of the streets and intuition. The end result is that I'm not running lights for the sake of doing it, or to be a jerk, but to save everyone some grief. Such is my intent, in any case.

As far as the arguments for and against CM go, I can see how it's annoying. Many of my close friends and I disagree about the very topics we're discussing now and that both sides have valid points. I know that many of us enjoy the pseudo-anarchic, "fuck you" quality it has, and just as many of us like the simple, apolitical fun of a pack ride.

Please don't confuse me with someone who'd moralize about anything, much less bicycling. Personally, I just find it silly and liberating, and I love both of those feelings very much.

Posted by: JM | June 23, 2008 10:57 AM

Grace: I didn't say that there were any "major incidents" involving CM'ers drinking, I didn't accuse them of riding drunk, and I didn't even call them "drunkards". I just stated that most of the CM'ers (and evidently you agree) get together as a social thing and it's essentially a big party afterward.

I stated that I have no problem with that, but that the group should just be honest about it and drop the pretense to being politically progressive.

I think that the following statements encapsulate it best:

Steve Ross said: "I know that many of us enjoy the pseudo-anarchic, "fuck you" quality it has, and just as many of us like the simple, apolitical fun of a pack ride."

Bruce said: "There's nothing wrong with having fun. It's like a monthly parade or a big soccer game."

I agree that it's essentially like a sort of bike parade. The group would be better off just admitting that and sparing us the political lectures.

Posted by: James | June 23, 2008 12:23 PM

Hostility is pretty much the default in the NHI comments section (though the same could be said for the internet in general and the world at large). No hostility intended from me, and you make some valid points. There are certainly places in this city where I don't want to linger after dark any longer than I have to. And frankly if you can't run a few red lights, split lanes, and go around traffic you're losing many of the advantages of riding as transport. I still don't agree on the sidewalk thing, but I've come to grips with the fact that there are people in this world I won't agree with. Ride on, hombre. And be safe.

-J

Posted by: Bruce | June 24, 2008 9:46 AM

JM, It is important to note that Critical Mass is not a "group" that can make decisions about how to present itself. It's 100-200 individual riders making 100-200 individual decisions about why they want to ride.

Posted by: dana b | June 24, 2008 4:09 PM

As an avid cyclist, I can say that riding 2 by 2 down the street when cars are waiting to pass you is just plain rude. I don't care if it's "legal". We'd all be better off if drivers, pedestrians and cyclists would take a cooperative attitude toward negotiating traffic and one another.

For example, at a stop light, I'll communicate with the driver behind me to see if he/she wants to turn right. I'll get out of their way, so they can do that. I suspect that single courtesy has done more to better driver attitudes toward cyclists in New Haven than a single CM ride.

Posted by: robn | June 24, 2008 5:47 PM

If black people were polite about claiming their civil rights, they still wouldn't be allowed to vote. To all of you who think its rude for Crit Mass to claim lanes and intersections once a month, either work for change or GET OVER IT!

Posted by: Josh | June 24, 2008 11:48 PM

I'm coming in for the Saturday Century ride, and will partake of CM Friday night. Where is the meet up, on the lower Green?

Posted by: Steve Ross | June 25, 2008 9:10 AM

Josh,

Flagpole/fountain around 6:30. Let's hope it's a clear day!

Posted by: timecheck | June 25, 2008 10:46 AM

the time of critical mass is 530. lower green. we meet early and ride at 6. steve-- don't be late.

Posted by: Bruce | June 25, 2008 10:55 AM

That's 5:30 (PM) near the flagpole on the lower green.

Posted by: Bike-Walk-Bike | June 25, 2008 12:37 PM

I am hoping to make it out the the June New Haven CM ride!

BTW, for those that are interested, Hamden has Critical Mass rides on the 2nd Friday (July 11) of the month @ 5:30pm. Meet at Whitney Ave and Lake Rd (across the street from the Playwright). A group of riders from New Haven leaves Orange and Cold Spring at 5:15 to join the ride.

Now we just need the other 'burbs (North, East, West Haven) to take the 1st and 3rd Fridays of the month!

Posted by: Steve Ross | June 25, 2008 2:52 PM

I hate myself!

Posted by: Diana | June 27, 2008 9:56 PM

Ok. Has anybody noticed how white critical mass already is? Does it need to be even whiter?? Some people get harrassed by cops on a daily basis because of the color of their skin. Having cops escourting critical mass is like all of us holding up banners that say "White Bike-Riders Only". I sure hope that's not the intention. I percieve this as a racial issue and therefore everybody's issue, and, sorry matt, I think we need to find a better solution.

On that note (skip this part if you don't want a rant), as far as I can see, n.h. critmass doesn't do very much outreach in communities of color, to say the least. I seem to remember a time last year when some black kids on bmx bikes joined the ride popping wheelies and being sweet and somebody told them they were interrupting the ride. Some community celebration, huh? And then we go and ride through their neighborhoods innocently waving at people like we're some kind of spandex fixie sensation.

Posted by: Bruce | June 30, 2008 9:32 AM

Diana,

I think you're out of line. First of all, who are you complaining to? If you participate on these rides you are as much responsible for them as anyone else. What have YOU done to address the diversity issues??

All the rides I've been on have been pretty culturally balanced. They're open to everyone and I have never, ever seen anyone discouraged from coming along with the ride without a good reason.

Once back in 2001 or 2002 there was a group of kids on bmx bikes who joined the ride. One of the kids was doing a wheelie down a hill, lost control and broke his arm. This was heart-wrenching to witness. Maybe that's why someone told the wheelie kids to stay clear.