CriticalMass Feb 2010 Atlanta: Contact

[sirslice]

So let me get this straight, you break the law, you feel breaking the law is justified because it's being done in a large group and then you don't take any (including partial) responsibility for whatever happens as a result of your law breaking? How do you expect people to champion your cause (whatever it might be) with this type of stratedgy? In my opinion, you come across as bullies no matter how warm and fuzzy you appear to be.

[Nomasain]

Good motorist.

[freedomrock1]

Last month I was run off the road 3 times, while I was obeying the laws of the road. Two of these times it was clearly intentional. Mass is not only about a celebration of cycling in the city but also about showing the presence of cyclist to motorists and about protesting the way we get treated the other 29 days of the month. MLK said that we not only have the right to disobey unjust laws but we also have to obligation. (This is a stretch, but you get my point)

[wesleywhatwhat]

cyclists who ride in hhe ctreet and ignore traffic laws deserve to be hit, just like a car would.

grow up and obey traffic laws.

[jtoddmoeller]

If you want to ride on the road, then follow the same rules as the cars.

[matty5c]

well its one night a fucking month we get together and ride and cyclemech1977 you are a fucking tard wanna be bikers id say over half the people in atlanta critical mass in this video we ride our bikes every day i dont own a car so lets meet up and ride and see who is a wanna be you couldnt keep up you faggot as for drivers beeing pissed it was one night get over yourselves

[agenturge]

yeeeahhh.. those mixed up kids with their radical behavior and their malcontent.

some of you anti-bike people need to get a grip.

[pappastif]

I would have run all these Hippie fucks over... I wouldn't have stopped till the road was awash with blood and bicycle tires. I don't give a fuck what the so called law says...keep your gay little bike off the road and out of my way. I hope you all die in an earthquake of dead Haitians and your balls get eaten by rabid dogs. God Bless.

[genemz5]

I have seen at least two cars go through red lights and hit another car. Some people just never learn. I saw a car thrown around and onto a median. That was a car. A bike? This person tapping you was maybe doing you a favor. A wake up call. Or, are you craving to become a candidate for the annual Darwin awards?

[cyclemech1977]

good for nothing wannabe bikers. thinking your better than the rest of atlanta.. and yes him tapping one of you was kind of wrong, but at the same time why would u be stupid enough to stop a 2500lb car with a 50lb bike. common sense is something you guys should be learning and promoting.. this is why stuff happens, because someone always thinks i can do what they want.. then someone finally puts it into perspective and all you can do is complain.. learn the rules, ride right or get hurt.

[itsdahughes]

if you are going to stop in the middle of an atlanta intersection during a green light you are going to get hit. simple as that. i'm sure its that way in every city. stay on the sidewalk bicycles

[oboudreaux]

Sidewalks are much more dangerous to ride on, for bikers, drivers and pedestrians.

[sgtsnafu]

Fuck Reagan's rotting corpse!

[JillSky1976]

Are you kiddin me? I would react the same way as that driver. Follow the road rules if you are riding a bike. More power to that driver. I hate those bikers that take advantage on the road and they deserve to get hit when they break the rules like that. hahahaha.

[scoutsniper95]

following the rules of the road whether your on a bike a moped , a motorcycle or in a car, is THAT to much to ask ? He had no right to hit anybody, but then you guys had NO right to block an intersection simply for your own convenience, safety or whatever you want to call it . Two wrongs don't make a right ...

[GaMomofThree]

What a bunch of idiots! Learn the rules of the road or get off them. When someone hits your stupid butt they are going to feel bad about killing you but at least your stupidity will be to blame so at least they will not go to jail for it.

[cpltrainer]

Yes, I want you to stop for the light. Yes, I want you to obey all traffic laws. No, you are not entitled to break the law just because you have goofy outfits and two wheels.

[stouset]

@shadowink I find it hard to believe that honking familiar musical ditties is angry honking. I'm sure all the high fives are just drivers trying to pull me off the bike, right?

I'm equally amazed at the lengths you are going to criticize something you've clearly never actually encountered in real life.

[vegasilkit]

What a bunch of buffoons. The bump he gave the idiot going through the light was nothing compared to the pain of recovering from having had his ass run over.

Hopefully, the incident will give pause to these nitwits. To the guy saying "we make more people happy than we piss off". You make people "happy" how? By showing how idiotic bicyclist are; showing that bicyclists have no concern for the rules of the road? By showing that most motorists will give an idiot a break?

Wow!

[stouset]

@vegasilkit We make people happy by being an entertaining spectacle that breaks the otherwise monotonous passing of life in Atlanta. Judging by the cheering from the sidewalks, the high-fives I get from motorists we pass, and the playful, supportive honking from drivers, I'm convinced.

Seriously. The only people I ever hear bitch about Critical Mass have never actually encountered it.

[vegasilkit]

You've piqued my interest. Since you obviously have been part of the organization for a while, maybe you would know:

Would the majority of the CM folks be of the Democratic persuasion?

This smacks of the entitlement philosophy that is so prevalent in, oh, say, the last year or so.

[stouset]

rofl. Go back to watching Glenn Beck. We're done here.

[vegasilkit]

Awe C'mon! You're too easy!

Because I think people should obey traffic laws regardless of their vehicle, I'm a "Glenn Beck-er"

Silly, doncha know that everyone of those folks going against the light is legally owned by the guy in the multi-ton vehicle?

You get squished doing that and the best you can hope for is that the guy in the automobile doesn't sue your estate for emotional trauma, scratches to his paint and steam cleaning bio-hazards off the undercarriage.

Grow Up Babeee!

[shadowink]

How can you tell the difference between "playful, supportive honking" and annoyed, angry honking? I can tell you when someone runs a red light and keeps me stuck at a green I'm not honking out of support.

I'm amazed at the lengths you are going to justify your actions. You are making assumptions about the opinions of huge numbers of people with no way to back it up.

[65kyjeeper]

Stupid dumbasses. A couple need to get run down. Riding a bike does not make you immune to the law or even common sense. I kept hoping he would put it in gear and go on thru the intersection.

And people wonder why most motorists don't respect cyclists? This is a perfect example of why.

[stouset]

@65kyjeeper Again, we don't go through red lights unless they change in the middle of the mass, at which point we cork simply so the rest can go through and stay together.

You want us not to? Cars get interleaved between bikes, have no idea what to do, and people get hit. Cars behind the mass have to wait while everyone waits for those who are left behind. It's a mess, and every city that has tried to crack down has learned exactly why we do it, and they let it go.

Even Atlanta. Google it.

[jyarchin]

What a bunch of jackasses! Red means stop.

[rtison]

He wasn't RUN OVER. That's dishonest of you. What the cycleists were doing was DANGEROUS and ILLEGAL.

[screamingcockatoo]

Run a red light and expect the world to stop?

One day a cyclist will die from their stupidity.

[frenzyhunter]

I don't mind cyclists, but if they want drivers to "share" the road, then they need to obey the laws of the road...mostly for their own protection.

The guy nudging, not hitting, the cyclist was assault and also wrong. Him showing some kind of badge to intimidate the cyclist was just lame.

If I were a judge, I'd give the cyclists all tickets and the driver would be fined for endangering a human life, or whatever that crime is called.

[plantyhamchuk]

The masses do not love you. They do not admire or respect what you are doing. They do not think it is a fun spectacle. Events and footage like this are not endearing. Instead of raising awareness of the plight of the bike commuter, nationwide CM has managed to bring resentment to the entire biking community. Congratulations.

[hwaara]

If cyclists want to share the road they should do exactly that. Want to be treated like traffic, obey traffic laws. This is bullshit.

[gttim]

I hope the police are seeing this video. This cop needs to lose his badge if he is really a cop- I suspect he is not. You are not allowed to run over people if they are breaking a traffic law.

[glensuttonatl]

Did he actually run him over? I clearly saw the cyclist fall over and get up and walk towards the motorist with aggressive body language until the guy flipped open his badge. It seemed to me all his bravado disappeared at that moment. Maybe it was just his pride that got run over. Again, had the rules of the road been adhered to, I doubt this altercation would have happened. The cop's action, right or wrong, was to make a point, one the cyclist survived. The cop could have made an arrest.

[stouset]

@glensuttonatl Heh. I didn't actually know it was a cop until after we left. I was pissed off, but Angel (one of the guys there) grabbed my shoulder, told me it wasn't worth it, and started yelling at everyone to be happy. So I checked my bike for damage, didn't see any right off hand and left.

If the cop wanted to, he could have given us tickets. That would have been reasonable, and hard to argue with. Instead he resorted to attacking us, which is just inexcusable.

[glensuttonatl]

Angel P. by any chance? Long curly hair? If so he is a friend of mine and a very decent person. I have a lot of respect for him. As for the police, yes, well, just like any of us they are human beings and make mistakes, and can often over react. I know a few officers with the APD and those I know are really kind and decent people, yet I have met a few who should probably seek psychiatric attention.

I am glad nothing worse happened to you and that you are ok.

[stouset]

Yep, the one and only. We actually met up with him earlier today. WSB interviewed me and some of the others who were there — he was hoping to be interviewed, too, but had a work conflict.

He's the guy yelling HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY in the video.

[glensuttonatl]

I looked at the video again and could recognize his voice. Hope the interview went well. In regards to the critical mass event- I have yet to encounter it as i am usually still at work up near the perimeter until after 6 and head for home in midtown through GA400 and 75/85S traffic which is pretty gnarly. Last thing I want is to be held up at a light by anyone - especially if I have to pee. :P So I can understand the frustration of other motorists, but i still try to remain a courteous driver

[glensuttonatl]

What is sad in situations like this is that by corking it is possible to back up traffic causing it to be too dense to allow emergency vehicles to get through. Imagine if that cyclist was actually hit, and in calling 911, the ambulance could not get through because of the very event that caused the accident. What if it were on its way to a loved one or a child? Do they really care about these things when corking? I say organize, get a parade permit and let the law to stop traffic legally.

[chiology]

Ironically, we'd cause more traffic on the road we're traveling down, blocking the thoroughfare, rather than the side street.

Also, in cases of emergency, we're not going to block any intersection or road and will quickly get off of the road to clear the way when we hear emergency sirens. We're much easier to condense and get out of the way due to our mobility than most of the motorized vehicles on the road. It's very easy for us to get on the sidewalk and get completely out of the way.

[stouset]

@glensuttonatl There have been several times during previous Critical Masses where emergency vehicles have tried to get by. In every single instance, the news has traveled from the back of the group to the front extremely quickly, and everyone condenses to let the emergency vehicle pass without it even slowing.

[glensuttonatl]

I have seen emergency vehicles trying to access or get through congested side streets have to climb up on the curb or sidewalk to get through in every day circumstances, so I am just wondering why make it any more difficult?

[glensuttonatl]

I think that if the true intent of CM is to demonstrate that bikes are "traffic" then they should definitely obey the law, and demonstrate the appropriate adherence to local laws as traffic. To do otherwise negates their supposed intent. To argue that the officer hit the cyclist is ridiculous. The officer had the right of way, and warned the cyclist of his intent to drive through. If it is a question of courteousness, I think it would not have happened had the cyclists obeyed the traffic light.

[glensuttonatl]

As a motorist I obey traffic laws, and allow cyclists in front of me to travel at their own safe speed and give them a car's length between their rear tire and my front bumper and should they look back I try to let them know I am not rushing them, regardless of the idiots honking behind me. If I need to pass, I only do so when there is an open lane to my left and I pass at no more than 10mph - If not, then I guard the cyclist from those behind me until the cyclist turns off or I do.

[shadowink]

First, he didn't run them over. He bumped into them, knocking them down. It's not nice or legal, but it's definitely not running over them.

Second, when you are corking, you are breaking the law. When a driver is stuck at a green light because there are 100 people riding through the red, they are not thinking about respect. They are getting pissed at cyclists. It's building resentment that will make them more likely to treat riders as unequal in the future.

[chiology]

We're usually able to get through an intersection within 1 to 3 minutes, which I believe is perfectly reasonable. I'm not advocating or defending breaking the law, though.

[shadowink]

Yes you are. Your comments here are offering justifications and excuses for the behavior. It all adds up to an implicit endorsement of the behavior. All your rationalization doesn't excuse the fact that what you do makes people angry at cyclists and hurts their cause.

[chiology]

You're right, it does make some people angry, which isn't ideal. Not very many people have problems with what we're doing.

I believe the end result is generally positive, despite some of the negatives (corking, a few angry people, etc). I'm OK with this tradeoff.

[stouset]

@shadowink It's safer and less disruptive to motorists. I've been in large rides of 100+ people with and without corking. Motorists get angry when we do it, but they're even angrier when we don't.

The sad truth is that the same motorists who get pissed off by Critical Mass are the same ones who get pissed off by cyclists simply being in the roadway to begin with.

[shadowink]

Arguing that this is the lesser of two evils doesn't change the fact that you are doing something illegal. Also, you are wrong about who you are pissing off. I have no problem sharing the road with cyclists, but it's exactly this kind of attitude and antagonism that makes me and my cyclist friends hate Critical Mass. What's the point of this if all you are doing is making people hate cyclists?

[stouset]

@shadowink That's not all we're doing. The huge majority of people we encounter love us — It's Atlanta on a Friday night, and it's a spectacle with hundreds of bikes passing. I've seen people in tears from laughing so hard, and I've gotten countless high-fives from cars I've passed.

I think all of us firmly believe that we're making more people happy than we piss off.

[glensuttonatl]

Why can't they just obey the traffic law? I see pedestrians crossing busy streets against the light every day in Atlanta and at the same time I can't tell you how many times I've seen cars speed through clearly designated pedestrian crosswalks while people were in them trying to cross lawfully (especially on Monroe near the Park). Laws are typically in place to keep every one safe, regardless if they are on bike, foot or in a motorized vehicle.

[swoodard2004]

Is CM supposed to demonstrate bikes as traffic? If so, obey the rules of road... corking is out. If the point is to piss off motorists, then expect more confrontations. "Share the road" applies to cyclists as well as motorists.

[depro9]

Dude your cam is amazing! Nice footage.

[chiology]

It's the GoPro Motorsports Hero HD with the vented helmet strap to mount to my cycling helmet. Would recommend it!

[stouset]

From my experience in large rides of 100+ bikers with and without corking, corking intersections is far safer and causes much less disruption to motorists.

Letting the mass go through takes 2 minutes. Letting the mass get broken up causes traffic behind the cyclists to be screwed as cyclists up ahead have to wait for those left behind. Cars get stuck inbetween groups, don't know what's going on, and it's a nightmare.

Is it legal? No. Is better than the alternative? Undeniably.

[GaMomofThree]

Instead of corking why not try what most people do in cars? Everyone one that makes it through the light slows down or pulls off and waits for everyone else to catch up. Your "corking" is illegal and going to get someone killed.

[stouset]

@GaMomofThree Read my comments on this thread for a full response. Yes, it's illegal. However, it is safer for us, and less disruptive to traffic and motorists. If police want to issue us citations, we accept that as a result.

Believe me or don't. But those are are motivations, and me and many others firmly believe it's better for _all_ involved. We're not just monkeying around for the sake of being assholes to cars.

[dasheswithdots]

Wow. I can't say how the law works around there, but here in Orlando a green light does give anyone the right to hit the gas. If the intersection isn't clear, you wait. Officers of the law included.

[icramer]

Well, On the one hand, he does have a point. Cyclists have to obey all traffic signals and laws like motorists do. However, does that justify him hitting a cyclist? Absolutely not. How about a Courteous Mass next time.

[Nillan]

This fulfilled a lifelong dream of mine- seeing stouset get hit by a car. :P

[stouset]

I was _trying_ to get out of his way, and he hits me. :/

[downfader2]

Whilst I dont agree with critical mass I think the driver's behaviour far outweighed that of the CM here.