BIKE PARTY!

I was in San Jose last week and got to be part of their monthly bike party. Some strange things about bike party…

1. 1500 people, no joke this thing is huge
2. people stop at stop signs and red lights (mostly)
3. people in cars are nice to the party members
4. all ages (family, child, old, college, high school etc)
5. people love their cruisers/low riders/choppers/old shitty mountain bikes out there.
6. it is done at night
7. music is provided by several bike trailers, and a musical couch
8. BIKE PARTY!!!!
9. seriously…BIKE PARTY!!!!!

The nice thing about this, and I am not sure it would work here, is that everyone (cars/bikers/pedestrians) seem to be having a great time. No one was yelling, or screaming, and it was a nice experience. The critical mass in Boston should try doing it a couple hours later some month and see if there are less conflicts, they might be happy with the results.

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Courteous Mass? Critical Mass?

So as of late there has been a bit of a stink a brewin’ on various bicycle related message boards about town. Let me boil it down for you:

Side one: Critical Mass is stupid and horrible
Side two: Critical Mass is great and awesome

If you are not familiar with Critical Mass, let me attempt to sum it up (its rather hard to summarize a group with no stated goal, no leader, and no actual group organization). Critical mass is the last Friday of every month, people meet at Copley square and then ride around town. It is usually a really fun and light time that you should check out at least once if you live in Boston. They do not follow traffic laws, but the ride is usually orderly, and usually gets around places with a minimum of hassle. Car drivers are often pissed because it is Friday night and they just want to get home, but as often they enjoy the parade like atmosphere of it all. Like I said it’s hard to summarize.

Now I am not really sure what side I come down on, as I can see it from both points of view, the main contention seems to be people getting pissed that traffic is slowed, and laws are broken. The whole NYPD cop shoving a kid off his bike and then lying about it thing during this last critical mass didn’t help either, not to mention the crazy people in Seattle that tore a car apart after someone hit a biker.

Tension is high, and both sides are making good points. So it could have ended there but Jon (whoever he may be) is trying to organize a “Courteous Mass” or a Critical Mass that follows the law. I will be interested to see how this goes. Here is the email I got below.

So if you are a normal Critical Masser and want to see what it’s like to stop at those red lights give it a go, if you are a normal roady that wants a small taste of what a Critical Mass ride is about go for it. I will let you debate the merits/drawbacks of Critical Mass in the comments.

Courteous Mass
Friday August 8th – 5:30pm – Copley Square

Just like Critical Mass, only this ride will obey traffic laws 

Spread the word. (or in this case, email)

– Jon

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