Amassing the Masses: CM 2.0?
I've been struggling lately to keep up with a weekly posting to this blog. I am still feeling this out, and just as my patience is short when waiting for the subway to move me around or for politicians to change my life, so too is my attention span. And time keeps moving forward! Damn!
Almost everyday my irrational obsession with Critical Mass is challenged by my friends, by the authorities, by the haters, and by common sense. One blogger recently put the question "Has Critical Mass run its course?" to his readers. The responses provide many good answers to the question, and I would encourage you to check it out.
Of course, pinning down a the purpose of an amorphous, non-hierarchical movement is tough to do. Every participant is in it for her or his own reasons. To me, at its most basic, CM is a celebration of non-polluting transport and community. At its best the Mass creates a space for diversity, spontaneity, creativity and fun that many folks rarely enjoy in this modern world. When we ride, we practice how safe, sustainable and fun our streets can be. How can we recover this space from decades of bad press, dangerous motorists, and harassment from the "authorities"?
In NYC the situation has been drastic, as the Mass has been thoroughly marginalized and repressed. Is there hope for the future? Obviously my answer is yes, otherwise I can't get up in the morning. But what form does that take? In the old days, a paper-dependent "xerocracy" was used to promote the mass. In our new digitized internet civilization, there is room for improvement on this model. Luddite though I may be, I decided to bow to the techno-deity and start this blog for that reason.
With spring in the air I have come to the joyful realization that there are many individuals and groups making plans for exciting rides all the time. Here, perhaps, is a solution! If we can open channels of communication, and open our minds to the possibilities, we can ride Massive all the time. Twitter (follow me @ critmasspanic) may be a good tool for this, but there are many others. A diversity of tactics is crucial to connect and maintain that which is most important: community. The only thing that prevents the normalization of mass bicycle traffic is the that we do not do it enough. The following report describes a small success in how we can merge the Masses.
April's !st fR!deay last week saw a historic meeting of the masses, as Staten Island CM, which also occurs on the first Friday of the month at 7pm, crossed the Upper New York Bay to join Manhattan's monthly celebration.
A diverse group of over a dozen riders made good time from Union Square North down Broadway to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. There they were joined soon after by a half-dozen bicyclists from "the forgotten borough." With a solid group approaching twenty, the ride enjoyed a tour of Battery Park and the start of the Hudson Greenway. One more cyclist, who happened to know one of the Mass riders, joined up.
The group was impatient to enjoy the safety in the streets such numbers afford cyclists, the Mass joined motor traffic and continued north. The SI CM participants proved adept at corking and keeping the group together. Allegedly, they have enjoyed support of borough officials and police in SI, rather than harassment, since they began riding. Apparently being frequently ignored by the central political establishment of the City has allowed the borough to foster a safe and positive ride. If the Bronx and Queens get a regular CM scene together, perhaps this more sensible policy towards cyclists can become the dominant paradigm, as opposed to re-enactment of the 2004 RNC which cyclists face on the last Friday of the month in Manhattan.
One !st fR!deay rider had a hot tip on a wedding par
ty at a midtown yoga studio, so the group headed in that direction at the promise of free food. As is often the case with Critical Mass, upon arriving at the "destination," many folks who were enjoying riding wanted to keep doing so. They no doubt had a blast. A massive 5 riders went in just in time to catch the nuptial vows.
A small and semi-traditional affair, the touching ceremony was followed by a massive buffet. Though having ridden for almost two hours at a leisurely pace, the riders could only put a small dent in the food-pile.
Fortunately, thanks to the power of community and technology, the wedding party was able to merge with yet another group, the
Time's-Up "Moonlight Ride". Over a dozen hungry cyclists arrived in the nick of time to further Time's-Up's environmental direct action agenda by ensuring that very little food would be headed for the dumpster. This brings up another positive argument for free-roaming group rides: they could be summoned in short order by any individuals or entities with too much food on their hands. I guess it is like using cooking grease from McDonald's to power a bio-diesel car, where the waste powers the transportation!
A good times were had by all as riders dispersed in smaller groups, with full bellies and tin-foil-covered plates of rice pilaf and brisket.
Perhaps nights like this can teach us how, if we just keep in touch with each other and be willing to take a chance with strangers, we can all reap the benefits of a healthier community and planet. I am certain to delve deeper into these "posi-core" solutions, so I'd recommend that if this bores you, maybe skip the reading in this blog and just look at the pictures of cyclists being beaten by police, who are still living in medieval times under King Bloomburg and Sir Kelly the Cycle-smasher, which will be produced in the coming warm months as people remember that public space is public and that cars are weak-sauce. Or perhaps we'll see a renaissance of enlightened thinking from the city.
Ride Safer! Ride Massive!
Almost everyday my irrational obsession with Critical Mass is challenged by my friends, by the authorities, by the haters, and by common sense. One blogger recently put the question "Has Critical Mass run its course?" to his readers. The responses provide many good answers to the question, and I would encourage you to check it out.
Of course, pinning down a the purpose of an amorphous, non-hierarchical movement is tough to do. Every participant is in it for her or his own reasons. To me, at its most basic, CM is a celebration of non-polluting transport and community. At its best the Mass creates a space for diversity, spontaneity, creativity and fun that many folks rarely enjoy in this modern world. When we ride, we practice how safe, sustainable and fun our streets can be. How can we recover this space from decades of bad press, dangerous motorists, and harassment from the "authorities"?
In NYC the situation has been drastic, as the Mass has been thoroughly marginalized and repressed. Is there hope for the future? Obviously my answer is yes, otherwise I can't get up in the morning. But what form does that take? In the old days, a paper-dependent "xerocracy" was used to promote the mass. In our new digitized internet civilization, there is room for improvement on this model. Luddite though I may be, I decided to bow to the techno-deity and start this blog for that reason.
With spring in the air I have come to the joyful realization that there are many individuals and groups making plans for exciting rides all the time. Here, perhaps, is a solution! If we can open channels of communication, and open our minds to the possibilities, we can ride Massive all the time. Twitter (follow me @ critmasspanic) may be a good tool for this, but there are many others. A diversity of tactics is crucial to connect and maintain that which is most important: community. The only thing that prevents the normalization of mass bicycle traffic is the that we do not do it enough. The following report describes a small success in how we can merge the Masses.
April's !st fR!deay last week saw a historic meeting of the masses, as Staten Island CM, which also occurs on the first Friday of the month at 7pm, crossed the Upper New York Bay to join Manhattan's monthly celebration.
A diverse group of over a dozen riders made good time from Union Square North down Broadway to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. There they were joined soon after by a half-dozen bicyclists from "the forgotten borough." With a solid group approaching twenty, the ride enjoyed a tour of Battery Park and the start of the Hudson Greenway. One more cyclist, who happened to know one of the Mass riders, joined up.
The group was impatient to enjoy the safety in the streets such numbers afford cyclists, the Mass joined motor traffic and continued north. The SI CM participants proved adept at corking and keeping the group together. Allegedly, they have enjoyed support of borough officials and police in SI, rather than harassment, since they began riding. Apparently being frequently ignored by the central political establishment of the City has allowed the borough to foster a safe and positive ride. If the Bronx and Queens get a regular CM scene together, perhaps this more sensible policy towards cyclists can become the dominant paradigm, as opposed to re-enactment of the 2004 RNC which cyclists face on the last Friday of the month in Manhattan.
One !st fR!deay rider had a hot tip on a wedding par
ty at a midtown yoga studio, so the group headed in that direction at the promise of free food. As is often the case with Critical Mass, upon arriving at the "destination," many folks who were enjoying riding wanted to keep doing so. They no doubt had a blast. A massive 5 riders went in just in time to catch the nuptial vows.
A small and semi-traditional affair, the touching ceremony was followed by a massive buffet. Though having ridden for almost two hours at a leisurely pace, the riders could only put a small dent in the food-pile.
Fortunately, thanks to the power of community and technology, the wedding party was able to merge with yet another group, the
Time's-Up "Moonlight Ride". Over a dozen hungry cyclists arrived in the nick of time to further Time's-Up's environmental direct action agenda by ensuring that very little food would be headed for the dumpster. This brings up another positive argument for free-roaming group rides: they could be summoned in short order by any individuals or entities with too much food on their hands. I guess it is like using cooking grease from McDonald's to power a bio-diesel car, where the waste powers the transportation!
A good times were had by all as riders dispersed in smaller groups, with full bellies and tin-foil-covered plates of rice pilaf and brisket.Perhaps nights like this can teach us how, if we just keep in touch with each other and be willing to take a chance with strangers, we can all reap the benefits of a healthier community and planet. I am certain to delve deeper into these "posi-core" solutions, so I'd recommend that if this bores you, maybe skip the reading in this blog and just look at the pictures of cyclists being beaten by police, who are still living in medieval times under King Bloomburg and Sir Kelly the Cycle-smasher, which will be produced in the coming warm months as people remember that public space is public and that cars are weak-sauce. Or perhaps we'll see a renaissance of enlightened thinking from the city.
Ride Safer! Ride Massive!
Comments
Post a Comment