Comments on: Critical Mass Debate: Opposing Viewpoints

By: IDSA aims to censor TV shows under the skin | Cholesterol Health Guide

IDSA aims to censor TV shows under the skin | Cholesterol Health Guide — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 19:08:26 +0000

[...] Critical Mass Debate: Opposing Viewpoints « Mission Mission [...]

By: Inquell

Inquell — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 19:20:00 +0000

Oh my god this makes me so mad. Terrorism!?! Spending money on gas is terrorism. Critical mass is a good thing. Its not about FUN its about raising bicycle awareness and unity. Of course in every group there will be assholes who don’t let pedestrians walk or do other jerk things like riding on sidewalks, but that’s not everyone. Everyday as a bicyclist i wonder if i’m going to die. I get cut off by cars, buses, and taxis. The more bicyclists there are on the road the safer it becomes. CM is people standing up and demanding respect. Drivers assume they’re more entitled to the road and get impatient if they have to wait behind a bike to make a right turn (sometimes they don’t wait and fly in front of you). I believe pedestrians and bicyclists are more entitled to the road yet we have to sit and wait for the light to change so these lazy ass drivers can fly past us. The roads are dangerous folks, and CM is an abrasive way of living out our dream of a road dedicated to bikes. I don’t just ride a bike for exercise or because its cheap, i do it because i feel morally conflicted by driving. Fuck cars, I ride CM because its the only time i feel safe on the road. Power in numbers…

By: Kyle Madison

Kyle Madison — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 03:28:36 +0000

I wish they hit as many cyclists as you claim. Clean this city up of terrorists.

By: knees not so great, akshully

knees not so great, akshully — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 23:32:05 +0000

as someone with zero cartilage in my knee, walking on a cane, and too young for a knee replacement, i super appreciate it when the upstanding, responsible, and “we’re just here to have a great time why can’t we get along” folks of CM refuse to let me hobble across the street because those red lights don’t apply yo them. even better when i actually got hit by multiple bikes trying to make my way to my ortho appointment.

great impression kids.

By: pb&j

pb&j — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 22:52:30 +0000

As a handicapped person, telling me that owning a car is a dick move prompts me to say: go fuck yourself. Ever tried to get around this city when you can’t walk? Yeah. I thought not. Take your precious fixie and those stop signs you think don’t apply to you and shove them up your entitled ass.

By: Andy

Andy — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 17:08:55 +0000

The point of Critical Mass is not to “inconvenience others.” The point is to have fun. That’s why people come back to participate month after month. That’s why it’s remained an SF institution for nearly 18 years and why it’s become a global phenomena.

CM is hella fun. I suggest you don’t knock it until you try it. And like I said, the vast majority of motorists smile and wave. If CM is only about pissing off drivers, it’s not working very well.

And yes, part of the fun and a major reason why it is so successful is because no one organizes it. It’s not “unorganized” to cause more inconvenience, it’s unorganized because that’s how people want it — it’s beautiful anarchy and it’s proven to be a rather successful model.

And Doggy, I’m terribly sorry you find it “tedious” that people who are more enlightened than you, are telling you you need to stop driving. But it’s true — you do need to stop driving. For the sake of the earth and humanity we must transform the way we live.

How many dead people and dead wildlife is it going to take before you recognize this?

By: Rod

Rod — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 17:08:34 +0000

Critical Mass, like many things, gets demonized on the internet by people who haven’t had any real experiences with it. it’s definitely not terrorism, hell, there are small children and toddlers in trailers riding Critical Mass. it’s not an angry vibe at all from the cyclists. i’ve also never witnessed destruction of property, with the one exception a couple of years ago when a driver was deliberately in the process of running over a biker and someone smashed his windshield.

the thing about Critical Mass that ruffles feathers is that once the first cyclists goes through an intersection, they don’t stop coming until the last one is through, regardless of a change in signal. This can create traffic jams and delay drivers about 10-15 minutes, and delay pedestrians less than that.

i’m neither in defense of Critical Mass nor opposed to it, just trying to give the reality of the situation. i’m a cyclist, a driver and a pedestrian and i have mixed feelings. it really depends on where you stand on bicyclists having a party/asserting their presence vs. that 10-15 minute delay for some commuters. in general though, i think most of the people riding are just doing it because it is a fun ride. the reality vs. the way it’s described in most of these comments is night and day.

By: mistersmith

mistersmith — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 17:07:21 +0000

this is without a doubt the most well-reasoned anti critical mass comment on this post. where are hugh, rod, and allan to provide the well-reasoned counter?

By: Rod

Rod — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:22:23 +0000

have you seriously never witnessed a car run a stop sign? the selective finger-pointing is childish and tiresome . . .

By: Rod

Rod — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:16:57 +0000

“every time I see cyclist barreling down the sidewalk, yelling at pedestrians to get out of the way”

has anyone else EVER seen this? it sounds like a hilarious scenario but I don’t think it’s ever happened.

By: Rod

Rod — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:15:24 +0000

if you think 99% of people are good about sharing the road then there is no possible way you commute by bicycle in SF every day.

By: Allan Hough

Allan Hough — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 23:13:18 +0000

Motorists are in a constant cavalcade, day in and day out, breaking laws and wrecking property AND mowing down pedestrians and cyclists and animals all along the way. Play your tiny violin for yourself.

By: Kyle Madison

Kyle Madison — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 22:58:48 +0000

Cars don’t all get into a big cavalcade each month, all breaking common traffic laws and wrecking property. It doesn’t happen. Its just bully cyclists acting like victims when they are the most catered to group in the city. It’s like listening to Christians complain about how put down they are. Allow me to play my tiny violin for you.

By: Power to the Pedestrians! « Mission Mission

Power to the Pedestrians! « Mission Mission — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 22:34:51 +0000

[...] Our cranky old commenter Cranky Old Mission Guy might be on to something: [...]

By: Cranky Old Mission Guy

Cranky Old Mission Guy — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 19:35:25 +0000

My point exactly!

Pedestrians, let’s OWN the streets one day a month, and show the drivers AND the cyclists that they aren’t the only dicks on the street! Who fucking CARES if those loser pedal-pushers can’t make it to the pharmacy for their Motrin and Ace bandages? FUCK ‘EM!!!