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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>E</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>So are you saying it's better in other
cities? And if so, how did it get better?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>A couple points:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The ride on Friday was more positive than
usual. Unfortunately, that is how the Boston ride is.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The members of the list are NOT the exact group
that rides CM, there is some overlap, however. You will need to
communicate your good intentions to the actual CM riders at the
ride.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=transmogrifer200@yahoo.com href="mailto:transmogrifer200@yahoo.com">E
O Altman</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=list@bostoncriticalmass.org
href="mailto:list@bostoncriticalmass.org">list@bostoncriticalmass.org</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, April 27, 2008 11:24
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [*BCM*] Critical Mass in Boston
- April 2008</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: bookman old style, new york, times, serif">
<DIV>Dear fellow riders:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I have ridden in Critical Mass Rides in other cities.</DIV>
<DIV><BR>I have circumnavigated the world on a bike (see <A
href="http://www.new-millennium-ride.org">www.new-millennium-ride.org</A>).</DIV>
<DIV><BR>I am an advocate for biking and sharing the road: sharing the road
with motorized vehicles, pedestrians, ox-carts, camels, etc. I ride 250
to 300 miles a week. I usually get in one century a week, often
two. I spend a lot of time biking and, obviously, many hours on our city
streets and country roads.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Last Friday I joined Greater Boston Cycling/Outdoor Fitness Group and
several hundred other bicyclists on Boston's April 2008 Critical Mass
Ride.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Critical Mass is not about usurping the peace and disrupting the laws of
the road. It is about making a statement: there are a lot of bicyclists
out there and once a month we get together to ride through our city
streets. Ours is a parade to celebrate bicycles and bicycling. We
want drivers and pedestrians to see us. We want to affirm that we too
have a right to use the roads. We must demonstrate that we can do so in
a civil manner. We can cheer and smile. We can have a good
time. We can make it pleasant for those who are being briefly
inconvenienced by our parade.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I was amazed at the hooliganism that was displayed during Friday night's
ride. No wonder automobile drivers get pissed off at bikers. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Once the flow starts through an intersection, it is a good idea to
station sentries on the cross streets to let the parade pass. It is not
a good idea to race to the front of a queue of vehicles waiting at a red light
and then block their "escape ahead of the parade" when the light
changes. It is also poor show to push into an intersection when the
light is red and traffic is already moving on the cross
street. When the lead riders reach a red light they should
wait for the light to change before letting the parade move forward. It
is also very rude and dangerous to ride in the on-coming traffic lane or to
bounce on and off the sidewalks. We have to show we can ride
responsibly. We should not resemble a plague of locusts swarming through
the town. On Friday we did. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Critical Mass is an opportunity to show the world that “bikes on our
roads” is something worth tolerating, that it is a good idea.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Everett Briggs<BR>Cambridge<BR></DIV></DIV><BR>
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