Comments on: Critical Mass Louisville

By: Allan Hough

Allan Hough — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:08:45 +0000

Well thanks dude, you’re right. I think I have been reading too much Curbed.

By: mcas

mcas — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 09:26:55 +0000

Allan: I respect what you do and you do it well– which is why I was surprised by this post.

Continuing the meme of cyclist vs. car conflict only increases the animosity, and we should work to perpetuate more god than harm. We all would like to share the road and feel safe, whether we are pedal or petroleum powered.

By: chalkman

chalkman — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:34:24 +0000

I was just more stunned that CM missed Dolores Park, or at least 18th Street, this time.
“Where’s the bike parade?” my kids asked…

By: Allan Hough

Allan Hough — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 19:16:35 +0000

mcas, I misspoke before, in an effort to be snarky. I didn’t literally go looking for something incendiary. I read milkyboots on a regular basis, so when that post popped up in my reader just a few minutes after SFist’s post about our CM being peaceful, I went to work.

By: jimbeam

jimbeam — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:39:15 +0000

I hadn’t even read they got out of a car. All the accounts I saw just said there was an argument and the guy got shot.

I guess people have a certain expectation of CM resulting in some sort of throw down. Hell, I have half that expectation every day during my bike commute. Also, people love reading about conflict.

I guess they probably did it because they know the Mission loves bikes and CM? It’s been a slow Mission news day? One can only have so much of Zinzin ranting about poop?

By: mcas

mcas — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:12:09 +0000

jimbeam: exactly my point on 1– just because a few people act like jerks at CM doesn’t mean everyone there (or on bicycles) are… As for McKay’s death- it is unknown why he was killed. He was on a bike, they yelled about something, guys got out of car and shot him. That sounds like a pretty logical conclusion that it involved a traffic incident, but hopefully the police will solve it and we’ll know for sure.

2) The second point is intended to be snarky– the first point, about everyone’s safety isn’t. And I just don’t get why this blog– about Mission life– would say ‘well, our CM was peaceful, so let’s find something incendiary in another state…’ — that sounds more like something CurbedSF would do.

By: jimbeam

jimbeam — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:56:37 +0000

1. You could also say, Jordan McKay was shot and killed by people who own guns- what does that say about people who own guns. Or, Jordan McKay was shot by men- what does that say about men?

Also, your facts on McKay’s death involve a lot of speculation.

2. A critical mass of cars is normal, a critical mass of bikes (who don’t happen to be following traffic laws) is relatively abnormal, hence the difference in coverage.

I’m actually a CM supporter and non-car owner, but both of those points are not exactly correct.

By: mcas

mcas — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 08:22:16 +0000

1) Jordan McKay was shot and killed by people driving a car for riding a bike in the Richmond last week– what does that say about people who drive cars?

People on different modes of transportation are sometimes mean to each other and sometimes tragedy strikes in really horrible ways be it by accident or intentionally.

2) Asking (or forcing) people to wait a few minutes for CM to ride by is for everyone’s safety.

…what do you call Critical Mass of cars? A traffic jam. …curious you don’t write about those like they are wars between urban factions– why?

By: Jen

Jen — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 02:47:37 +0000

That’s too bad. I wasn’t in this month’s mass (broken collar bone from a week earlier; thought it might not be the best idea), but absolutely would have participated.

I like that she mentions that everyone was in the wrong, at least. Anyone who’s ever ridden mass has had to deal with cars. Admit it: we’re taking back the streets and making a statement and whatnot, but we’re also being dicks. And I can see how someone in a car would get angry – hell, I get angry every day when I need to get somewhere and traffic is keeping me from it, so I can absolutely see how someone who has to wait for a giant group of cyclists would get pissed. It’s “their road”, after all…

But seeking revenge on someone just because they got pissy is a little ridiculous. It doesn’t appear that the guy in the car did much more than bitch at the cyclists – it doesn’t say anything about anyone getting hurt or anything. We’re looking up people’s addresses and stalking them down to deface their property because they wanted to get through? It’s a little ridiculous.