[*BCM*] Somerville/Cambridge Critical Mass Ride

[Thomas John Vitolo]

I live on the Boston/Brookline line, but would certainly ride in both the Boston
and the Cambridge/Somerville CM ride.

The fact is, I can't always make the Boston ride, so having more choices would
probably result in me riding in *more* CMs, not fewer.  There is a chance of
dillution, but there's also the chance of more exposure, more new riders, and
more opportunities to get our "message" of riding bikes out.

I'd ride in it, although I won't volunteer to post fliers.

As for the politics crap, since there is no person organizing CM, there is
certainly no pre-defined political bent, be it neo-con, lefty, or anarchist. 
The fact is, if you're prepared to ride your bike with the group and be civil
with the rest of the group while understanding that it really is a collection of
individuals with at least one uncommon viewpoint, then you're very welcome to join.

In fact, I'd love it if some neo-cons or otherwise conservative folks joined us.
 They might have fun, enjoy the ride, and recruit new riders -- who might also
begin to think about the relationship that cars, foreign policy, domestic
policy, and the environment have -- and might share those thoughts with their
like-minded friends.  What better way to spread the message of better living
through bikes than by preaching to the "unsaved"?



 - stomv
Support a few technologists in Washington.  Go to:
http://actblue.com/list/stomv


Quoting Jym Dyer <jym at econet.org>:

> > Has there ever been a Somerville/Cambridge Critical Mass ride?
> 
> =v= There ought to be.
> 
> > I just moved here from New York and they had Manhattan the
> > last Friday of every month and Brooklyn the second Friday
> > of every month.  I guess it would just be a matter of me
> > advertising it, but I am wondering if there is any history
> > of this.
> 
> =v= Dunno about the Somerville/Cambridge side of history, but
> you could join the fine tradition of having the 2nd Friday of
> the month devoted to the smaller yet in some ways hipper city
> across the water.
> 
> =v= It took only 3 people and 1 flyer to get the Brooklyn
> Critical Mass started.  It helped that 2 of us had independently
> thought up the same starting location and date (2nd Friday of
> the month!).  We flyered the bridges that people biked across,
> bike shops, Food Coops, biker bars, etc.
> 
> =v= Totally easy!  I highly recommend it.
> 
> =v= As for history:  We didn't know whether there'd been a
> previous Brooklyn Critical Mass.  I later dug up evidence of
> a short-lived ride by that name from 5 years earlier, but it
> didn't really matter.  The one we've got going is excellent.
>     <_Jym_>
> 
> 
> P.S.:  I just had to change the subject line, so that this idea
> wouldn't be buried under a spinoff of a thread that some people
> may have bailed out of at the part about the hegemony of quote
> non-violence unquote being bothersome.
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