Devils Advocate: Do You Have to Love Critical Mass?
Disclaimer: This post is probably contrary to the views of this blog. -Starmer
I’m not sure that Critical Mass is actually effective in accomplishing its “unofficial goals”. I understand that there is no “offical” message because the is no official critical mass, but I believe that most of the people who participate in critical mass want to bring awareness of bikes to people in cars.
Critical Mass is not led, and has no officially-stated message, though it is largely understood to be an effort to promote alternative (non-motorized) modes of transportation and to raise awareness about the safety issues that face commuters using non-motorized forms of transportation when sharing the streets with motor vehicles. wikipedia
How will you bring awareness to people if all you are doing is pissing them off? Lets say I’m trying to teach a child how to play basketball (ha), every time the kids takes a shot I slap it down in his face. Is that kid going to want to play the game? Is the kid going to think that what I’m doing is fair? While it’s a completely legal move in basketball to block someone like that, it isn’t an effective way to teach someone how to play the game correctly.
“Critical Mass is not an organization, it’s an unorganized coincidence”
I think this is the biggest problem with Critical Mass. There is no one leading it, there are loose standards, and the greater philosophy behind it is vague. I think Critical Mass needs a Ghandi or a MLK or if the days of those kinds of leaders are gone then maybe an organization. Something to give guidance and a more realistic voice to a movement. You never hear anyone talking about the basic guide lines for civil disobedience at a critical mass ride. Two examples of civil disobedience gone wrong at critical mass:
- A rider gets hit by a minivan so someone smashes the van’s window.
- When cops try to confiscate a bike and the rider gets irate.
Those who know me well will not be surprised to learn that I was not shy about expressing my anger and indignation at the incredible injustice.
I will admit that critical mass could be seen as an unofficial census of the bike population of a city. It’s a good way to show the governing body of a city that there is a large population of cyclists that are willing to take a stand on cycling issues. And it does bring a kind of awareness to the general population, even bad publicity is good publicity right?
oh and just so that I don’t disappoint, here is a bad youtube video with an even worse sound track:
John G wrote a post about bicycle activism a few days ago. Go check it out.
john wrote an article recently about this, you should link it/quote it or something @ empathytest.blogspot.com
Just read it and linked it.
That’s a good post John. You obviously need to give up your blog and start writing here. We have a large readership of riders. Yeah, they may be French and they may ride horses, but “le fe fe foo foo”, as I always say.
Critical Mass is a spoof of traffic jams that are common in many cities. A traffic jam of bikes, with no room for cars. It’s a “how to you like it” statement.
The problem with city traffic jams is that there is no one leading them. It’s an unorganized coincidence. (Like Critical Mass).
When the traffic is bumper to bumper in the city, with horns blaring and tempers flaring, there is no one in charge, and there is no stated message. (Like Critical Mass).
Is there any doubt that if the cops started randomly stopping cars, ticketing the drivers and impounding the vehicles, during morning or evening rush hour, the drivers would react any differently than the Critical Mass participants.
Critical Mass’ statement is very effective, loud, and clear. Critical Mass is nothing more than replacing a motor vehicles traffic jam, and all the nonsense that happens in the jam, with bicycles.