[*BCM*] A report from the front lines of last night's CM

[Matthew Gilbert]

On Tue, Aug 9, 2011 at 9:22 AM, Mars <martian at mit.edu> wrote:

> I think it's fair to say that the message received (as as this action is
> the sole reason I stopped riding with CM) by motorists is a clear "ha ha
> fuck you". It is my opinion that this type of behavior is doing nothing but
> making cycling conditions in Boston MUCH worse. Thanks, and good job.
>

Some of us don't see it that way. Did you catch this?


---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Rebecca Albrecht <ralbrecht at speakeasy.net>
> Date: Sun, Aug 7, 2011 at 12:59 PM
> Subject: Re: [*BCM*] Bostoncriticalmass Digest, Vol 85, Issue 3
> To: list at bostoncriticalmass.org
>  I am
> uncomfortable with the circling at the intersection of Comm.Ave.&
> Harvard Street & I usually leave at that point since I am close to my
> home. It’s a big intersection that requires corking for about seven
> lanes of traffic so I understand the empowerment that is felt to have
> those streets for a short period of time. I found it interesting that
> the video clip of the corking at the July CM ride was 34 seconds long.
> My guess is that the bike riders were there at most for one minute. Not
> an awfully long time for cars to be held up except of course it was
> bicycles that were obstructing them. In general very few cars are
> affected by CM on the vast expanse of our city streets. There have been
> a few times when I had been in my car during CM & I had hoped that our
> paths would cross. Most people seem happy to see us and give us high
> fives or a friendly toot on their car horns. Car drivers need to chill
> out because CM passes fairly quickly but some car drivers are rude & hey
> they just ruin it for all of us more tolerant, fun-loving car drivers!



However you see the message, there is no way that a group of anyone drawing
attention to themselves and asserting their rights is going to lead to worse
conditions. Not unless we happen to live in a repressive fascist state,
which we don't.

And what would you have us do, then? Crowd on to the road alongside the cars
like we do every day? Split the ride into small, un-assertable groups at
every stop light? What is your vision for a better, bike-friendlier Boston
and how do you propose we get there?
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