Go Bananas

robotindisguise:

A little off topic from the point but, I hate critical mass. It’s Friday!!! Poeple just want to get home and enjoy their weekend just like everyone else. Critical massers aren’t going to get people to stop driving to work from long distances (which is a ton), or get drivers to care more about bikers. They just won’t.

I ride my bike and I love riding my bike but, I also drive sometimes. So what?

I’m sure it’s fun to bike on the road with tons of people but, personally I would enjoy a ride by myself or with a few friends.

blownspeakers:

Disobeying traffic signals… but it gets a pass under the Charter (freedom of assembly/association), which was ironically touched on in another article in the Province… which proves that their editorial staff doesn’t look into such things, even when it’s right in front of their face.

That said, I really fucking hate critical mass.

jakemadison:

Other than possibly the “corking” technique, is there actually anything illegal about critical mass?

skinnyghost:

This was the cover story of the Province today.

The Vancouver Police Department advised drivers to avoid downtown Friday afternoon due to an illegal “critical mass” bike ride.

Thousands upon thousands of cyclists will be breaking the law and the VPD solution to this problem is simply this:

“Don’t get in their way.”

It doesn’t matter that the start of Pride Week and the start of the World Police and Firefighter Games makes this Friday the busiest of the summer downtown.

It doesn’t matter that tax-paying business owners who hope to reap the full benefits of Pride Week and the Games will lose clientele as a result of this police warning to “stay away from the downtown core.”

It doesn’t matter that law-abiding motorists who want to get the heck out of downtown will be stuck in traffic a lot longer than usual.

What matters in the minds of the VPD and, by extension the mayor and his councillors, is that this “critical mass” bike ride go on unopposed.

This bike ride is illegal.

The police must do something about it beyond telling law-abiding taxpayers to stay away.

word for word jacked from the Province

I saw it this afternoon. I must say, cycling is awesome, but not when it comes to such a disorganized and chaotic point. I love the biking crew, but to really deliver a positive message with an event like this, it needs a lot better organization and planning in order to prevent opposite impact.