And now I realize I posted in the pit thread and woke a zombie, so here goes with my post in this current thread.
We have a certain subset here in Southern California, notably Glendale, that hails from the Middle East and tend to drive AMG Mercedes and Beemers, and they must have very short penises or some other mental problem, because they anger easily and are willing to drive in a reckless manner to prove some kind of point. For this reason, I stick to the residential streets and bike paths, and only ride recreationally. Again, if you are bike commuting in Los Angeles, and taking major thoroughfares, you are a fool, and run a very high risk of being mangled or killed. Get a metro pass or buy a damn car, and do your riding where the cars can’t hit you.
I am not saying this is a good thing, I am just saying it is a realistic attitude, at least here in LA.
I’ve never heard of this phenomenon. So what happens while they’re tying up traffic if an ambulance or fire truck needs to get through? Has anyone died because they couldn’t get to the hospital in time?
Not that I know of, but I imagine they would make way for an ambulance. Or maybe not. Dumbasses. It’s only a matter of time before someone accidentally plows through a bunch of them because they have the green. It won’t bother me when it happens.
The people that I had a run in with were trying to make a confrontation with a motorist in order to make drivers seem like violent assholes. What happened with us was that, as we were driving down the street, a bunch of them cut directly in front of us. As we slowed, two of them moved their bikes so that we “hit” them. Then they all started punching our car and challenging us to a fight. When we wouldn’t fight them, one guy picked his bike up and slammed it down on the hood of our car. Later he was showing people his damaged bike as evidence that we hit him.
In Lexington, KY, at least, it apparently did used to be a fun group ride. We had some friends who had been a part of it and quit the night that we got into it with them. According to them, there were two or three guys who were gunning for the group to be more confrontational.
It would be amusing if, in the middle of a CM ride, a group of a few hundred pedestrians decided to walk back and forth in a narrow road crosswalk. To draw attention to driver/walker/biker issues, of course.
That would be wonderful. I was thinking something a little more aggressive: lots of angry people lining the tops of buildings along main routes, pelting the bikers with ink-filled water balloons.
Critical mass is no longer about bicycle rights (if i ever was).
It has thoroughly devolved into a moving mob who just “want to have fun”.
The fact that their “fun” is at the expense of others is of little to no concern for them.
They are the epitome of childish, reckless, selfish behavior.
I remember that incident. I have nothing to say in defense of that officer – his actions were inexcusable. I believe he’s since been dismissed from the department.
That said, CM riders go out of their way to provoke the police, and everyone else who has the misfortune to find themselves in the path of a CM ride. I’ve been observing these rides for years here in New York (although they seem to have lost a little steam lately), and I really believe that at least a significant minority of people on the rides intentionally provoke the police, hoping to create an incident that will allow CM participants to present themselves as victims. While I do not, of course, condone police violence in any way, I’ve gotta say that I admire their restraint. It must be a real temption to beat the living shit out of every single person on these rides. I know I’m tempted.
CM? Fuck 'em. Yes, police violence is wrong. Still, it warms my heart to see one of these dipshits get his ass kicked.
A common tactic is for a cyclist to ride real slow in front of a car, then “bump” the car and act like the car hit them. Which of course brings on the indignation of the mass (i.e. “mob”). Allowing them to self-righteously pound on the car or worse.
Seriously - how anyone can defend Critical Mass is beyond me.
Is the OP talking about bicycles or motorcycles? Because my understanding is that “Bikers” refers to motorcyclists, whereas “Cyclists” is the term for people using bicycles.
At any rate, I’m very anti-cyclist. When they pay registration and road use fees on their bicycles (and none of this “but lots of them own cars that they pay fees on!” bullshit), then I’ll look more kindly on their views.
And this “Critical Mass” look like public nuisances of the highest order, to me.
You really think that car registration costs cover road building, maintenance, and upkeep? Here’s a fucking clue: they don’t. Everyone pays for that shit, even people who don’t own a car and who take public transit everywhere. You’d probably be whining a lot more if you actually had to pay for the full cost of roads in your car registration.