[*BCM*] Re: All This Rubbish

[contraelolvido at riseup.net]

Yes, at critical mass lanes are indeed blocked as bikes drive by. Similiar
to how when a car takes up space, it blocks bikes from being on that spot.
It is neither courteous nor not courteous. It is simply transportation and
traffic.

Critical mass is the expression of the desires of the city's bikers for a
both a more bike friendly city, as well as a the long term elimination of
personal and excessive car use and other such pollutents. Critical mass is
people actively living out and creating the type of transportation system
that they want. How will we create a city with widespread bike use in the
future if we're afraid to even ride two-fold today?

And once again, critical mass is neither a procession, a protest, or a
parade nor any other of those silly garabage. CM is a direct manifestation
of the type of transportation system we want. It's a place where we can
both live out our dreams, as well as actively promote them. It's also a
place where bikers empower themselves to keep on biking.

Parades, protests and other such wastes of time are where bikers
disempower themselves by begging the state or appealing to the kindness of
drivers (who will somehow go against their status qou if you're nice
enough) to make biking better for us. If this is what you want, feel free
to hold a little placard as we bike by you.

-- 
"The only advice I can give is, if [anarchism]'s allowed to continue, hang
on. Once they get a foothold, they won't go away." - Capt. Thad Buchanan,
Eugene PD

Capitalism, in effect, constitutes the point of absolute negativity for
society and the natural world. One cannot improve this social order,
reform it, or remake it on its own terms... The only choice one has is to
destroy it. - Murray Bookchin