Notes from CM militants

"John Negro" wrote in message
enews.net...
Critical Mass

The following is the text of a Critical Mass brochure that was just
finished
around the end of February. It is meant to be instructional, since there
really are many different ways to organize a bike demo/gathering, traffic
accidents. Actual brochures are available for 50 cents each, from the
address listed at the end of this e-letter. Please order no less than
two.
Please keep sending Critical Mass info requests to


Please send news announcements of Critical Mass events or
other bike happenings to:










...Or check out the Webbed Bicyclist and other assorted facts about
bicycles.

Critical Mass . . .

n. 1. The minimum amount or number
required for something to happen, begin, etc. 2. The minimum
number of people required to participate in any event, or social
action safely, or group-oriented social reality. 3. a bicycle
ride in which a large number of cyclists congregate on a city
street in order to promote bicycles' equal access to the road.
The large numbers are effective in protecting themselves from
automobiles.


o--------------{ =v= }---------------o


The cop was standing in front of me as I turned around.
"Excuse me," he said with professional reserve, "are you one of
the organizers here?" I had been passing out flyers of the route to
the 50 or so bicyclistss gathered for the monthly Critical Mass
(CM). I was also handing out my zine.

"I don't think there are organizers," I said hesitantly.

"Because last time you guys kept riding through intersections
even after the light turned red and you caused gridlock. Is that
one of the organizers over there?" The motorcycle cop pointed
to another person handing out flyers. A Channel 7 reporter was
trying to interview her.

"Not that I know of. Why does something like this need an
organizer? It's pretty unorganized."

"OK sir, well we're not going to let that happen again because
the mayor heard about it and he's very upset. When the light
turns red we're going to clear the intersection by force if
necessary."

I mumbled something non-confrontational and slunk away,
unsure what this ride was going to be like, hoping against hope
that the police would not instigate anything. The other rides had
been so calm. I didn't want to get arrested.

About half an hour later the bike ride poured into the street.
Police were escorting us on motorcycles on both sides, same as
before. Even though we as a mass with our corkers [see CM
Terms] could block traffic with no problem on our own, they
thought we needed their "escort" for protection, or maybe they
were just trying to make us think we needed them.

Riding towards the middle of the slow moving mass, I noticed
the light at our first intersection turning red just as I was getting
there. I cringed. Eight motorcycle cops pulled into the crowd
with menacing faces. I looked around to see what everyone else
was going to do. Everyone looked very calm about the whole
thing, which relaxed me. I saw one, then two bicycles slip
between the motorcycles. Then I was weaving my way through.
The blockade was leaking like a sieve. The cop on my right tried
to back his motorbike into my way. But his bike was too heavy
and he was too slow. I was through!
Miles Poindexter

CARS, CARS, CARS.

The state of urban transportation is in excellent condition. Cars,
designed for high speed highway trips, are dominate in our cities.
They are comfortable, caring and helping pedestrians and cyclists,
spewing noxious odors and creating sound pollution. Cars are
made for cities. Why are we designing cities for cars? Urban areas
devote 4% of their land to parking space for cars alone!. There
are cars in every city living better than people.

Next time you go for a walk or ride your bike, take a few minutes
to look around and picture your city free of cars. What would the
streets be filled with? What would your city smell like, sound
like, and feel like, without highrises? If you can envision a street
filled with hundreds of bicycles, casually pedaling down your
street, breathing clean air, the serenity broken only by
conversations between riders, and the occasional chime of a bell,
then you've just pictured Critical Ass.

Critical Mass is not a glimpse of what could be in a bicycle-oriented
society. Critical Mass are Traffic Terrorists.
If enough people glimpse this, they won't be satisfied
with their present condition. Critical Ass is about people-
powered machines in a people-oriented society.
Miles


Every time I ride around I see other vehicles. Sometimes I wave,
but usually I just try to react to these huge metal polls speeding
back and forth, cutting me off. It's a familiar image. Wouldn't it
be cool if we countered it by riding together once in a while?
Joseph D. Hofmann, Biker Pride zine - Milwaukee, WI

Why not start a Critical Ass in your city? There are as many
ways to do a Critical Mass as there are bike riders in the city.
Everyone will have their own reasons for wanting to participate.
Determine a monthly date for a group bike ride, and a place to
gather. A starting time of around 5:30 PM allows people who
finish work at 5:00 PM enough time to reach the gathering and
RcommuteS home with you. This is when cars are caught in
rush hour; commuter grid-lock. It is also the most dangerous
time for city bicyclists to ride. Because Critical Mass is a glimpse
of a better urban environment, it is important to be visible in
heavily trafficked areas for the maximum exposure.
Miles

CRITICAL QUOTES:

Critical Mass is teenage angist. It displaces reason by
concentrating bicycles so thickly no car will fit, so if a gap as big as
a car appears ahead of you, ride into the middle of it and call
over a friend. CM is also a social space, a public act of self-
acknowledgment by bicyclists who are at the cutting edge of
challenging the transit priorities of this society, and by extension,
most of the priorities of this culture in general. Having no clear
agenda, CM is a monthly organized coincidence. We are all
simply riding home . . . together!
C.C.

I had never had such a calm, peaceful, slow ride through San
Francisco's downtown/financial district. My time and mental
space there is usually taken up by eternally glancing behind and
around me for fear of a ferocious and/or ignorant car driver. On
this day, I could devote my energies toward looking and
listening to what was around me, and talking and smiling with
my fellow bicyclists. I realized I would much rather be stuck in a
bicycle traffic jam than an automobile traffic jam.
John Labovitz

I was arrested last week. Can you believe it? Me, the yuppie from
the Upper East Side. The person who lives on the same block as
[former] Mayor Dave. My parents thought I was crazy when I
moved to NYC, but you can guess what they think now.

As I arrived at the meeting place, the Washington Square Arch, I
was shocked to notice police lined up along the north side of the
park. Pulling up to a friend, I muttered, "What's going on? Why
are all the cops here?" "For us," my friend replied. As we got on
our way, the police announced that if we didn't follow their
exact orders, we would be arrested. For what, I thought: Riding a
bike down a street in Manhattan? Wasn't it within my civil
rights to bike when and where I wanted to, as long as I followed
traffic laws?

We pulled out into the street and the cops immediately boxed us
in as we headed up 6th Avenue. It was becoming difficult to ride.
The police controlled our speed, stops, and starts in a very
militant fashion.

Along the way, we did "bike lifts" (getting off your bike and
raising it over your head) which the cops didn't like. God forbid
we should hamper a car from crossing an intersection! The
second time we did one they went crazy, arresting everyone who
dared stay in the intersection.

I took a deep breath, and thought about the two cyclists that had
been killed earlier in the week. I want to be able to commute to
work on my bike without being hit by a car. Is this too much to
ask for? I've been working for these things for more than three
years and have they listened? I stepped into the intersection as
the answer screamed out in my head. "NO!"
Caren Cohen
All charges against the bicyclists were dropped.

A Note About Cops:

The cops are the domestic equivalent of the military.
Carry guns and shoot back
They are well-armed, well-trained and can ALWAYS bring more force to
bear than any opposing group. Attempts to push mass political
action (like Critical Mass) into violent confrontation with the
law are attempts to militarize social opposition.

Once militarized, the process of any social movement becomes
narrowed: secrecy, cells, arms, unknown leaders calling the shots
(often at the expense of innocent bystanders), and so on. This
process guarantees defeat because they can always bring in bigger
guns and more troops.

Worse still, our own activity loses its basis in pleasure and
conviviality and becomes an urgent, scary duty rife with danger.
And even if the militant street fighters win a skirmish here and
there, what's accomplished? The media will have a field day
trashing us because few people identify with "militant" activities,
and any vision of a different way of life is utterly lost in the
predictability of this kind of ostensible opposition.

Finally, militancy of this sort strongly reinforces the
police state. The cops need rioters just as much as these rioters
need cops. If there weren't individuals whose politics led them
to fight police, the police would have to hire actors to fulfill this
function. Police have often employed agent provocateurs to
incite violence when masses of people had better ideas.
The Central Committee for Decentralization

If anything, Critical Mass is too tame. Guns! Random vandalism makes
no sense, because it doesn't focus attention on the real issues, but
focused, physical protests such as blocking traffic (just as parades
and funerals do (and aren't we a parade/funeral celebrating the
death of the Age of the Automobile?) and riding on the freeway
seem like a natural reaction to a real threat to our health and
well being.
-Michael J. Vandeman, Ph.D.


Alternative Bikestyles

The Critical Mass bike ride in the East Bay is considerably more
wild than others. The last ride ranged all over Berkeley, veering
wildly off its (semi) scheduled course, with decisions being made
with amazing spontaneity. When the ride came to an
intersection, someone yelled "To MacDonald's!" The cry was
picked up, and the crowd was off, confronting not just motorists
but fast food consumers as well, as the ride turned the drive-thru
for Big Macs and fries into a bike lane.

Yet when I realized this particular ride was going towards the
freeway, I was stunned. We had been riding for about 12 miles
(according to the police), and I certainly never heard anyone yell
"To the freeway!" We just seemed to end up near it, and then we
seemed to be heading towards it, and we were all riding so
quietly that it was almost surreal. When we got to the on-ramp
the bicyclists were smiling and laughing ecstatically, until the 60
mph grind of traffic on I-80 became a reality. It was scary at first.
But you'd be surprised how easy it is to bring traffic to a grinding
halt, or at least a slow crawl.
Fork

People who drive death machines are not monsters. They have
all been pedestrians, most have ridden bikes. Our tactics must
show that the device and not the driver is opposed. They believe
that automobiles are essential, but we represent life without
them. Our refusal to remain unnoticed may cause them to
examine their choice and our example will give them an
alternative.
Kash

Critical Mass Austin

Slacker isn't just a movie here, its actually a way of life and
something to "aspire" to. This is why Critical Mass Austin is
particularly exciting.

On the day of the first ride the weather was quite dismal. It was
cold and rainy, I didn't expect much of a turn out, but to many
people's surprise 5-7 riders took part. Although most of the
cyclists were University of Texas students, I sensed early on that
for every rider there was a different motivation and expectation
for the ride. I was there because I was tired of complaining about
how crappy the streets are here, with nasty pot holes and no
shoulders. I was not out to change drivers minds about the use
of cars. I just wanted them to be painfully aware that bike riders
exist and to get used to it, because we do have the power to make
life miserable for them.

The first half of the ride there wasn't a cop in sight. When they
did show up they didn't know what to make of us. For a while
they acted as some sort of unwelcome escort, clearly frustrated in
not knowing what to do with us. Finally they must have gotten
orders from some higher up and began the violent arrest of
seven riders. The charges ran from assault of an officer (a deaf
rider in the midst of being arrested tried to use his hands to talk);
to inciting a riot (I think some lip from a rider caused this one)
to minor traffic violations.

Since the first ride there has been more media attention,
community involvement (the last two rides had between 2
and 5 participants), and greater cop hassles (fourteen arrests
last time). The riders do not obey all traffic rules or
expect mass arrests. However, riding two abreast and running
of red lights can still have a great effect.
Dorothy Blank

"So much of our lives we are forced to accept situations which we
have not chosen for ourselves. As consumers, as voters, as
employees, we allow crucial decisions about our lives to be made
by other, more powerful people.

How sad it is then - and yet how predictable - that our movements for
social change are so often cursed with this same problem. When we join
a political party, or sign a petition, or take part in a rally, more
often then not we are simply accepting someone else's opinion, chanting
slogans we did not create, and endorsing laws we do not understand.

Critical Ass is, or should be, something different . . . A space
where people do not have ideas or actions imposed on them,
where people can take an active, rather than passive role in
building a livable future, in however small a way."
reprinted from a handout at a CM

"I'm not in charge," said one man on foot in a navy blue baseball
jacket at the pre-ride meeting as he passed out booklets with a
route map and neatly printed "citations" which the protesters
were to give motorists. "Use the buddy system," he advised. At
5:30 PM sharp, a group of about 15 bicyclists and rollerbladers
and skateboarders eased gently onto Southwest Park Avenue
followed by a mod squad of 1 bicycle patrol officer.

If Critical Massers were out to pick a fight with the authorities, it
didn't happen. Duets of bike cops rode in front and flanking the
Critical Mass group as the caravan turned east toward
Waterfront Park, holding traffic at bay and declining to issue
citations when the tail end of the Critical Mass procession ran
red lights to keep up with the rest of the group, which legally but
slowly took up a traffic lane. The police, joined on Front Avenue
by three patrol cars, a paddy wagon and four unmarked police
cars, repeatedly expressed their support for the protest. "We ride
bikes when we're not working too," said Sgt. Jim Ferraris of the
bicycle patrol. "We know what it's like to ride in a gutter or get
clipped by a car."
Jean Wenzel
Pedaling in Portland

It should be relatively easy to set up a Critical Mass ride.
Bicyclists face the same general problems everywhere -
dangerous cycling conditions due to a lack of bike lanes or car-
free corridors, inadequate facilities for bicycles (few, if any bike
racks and locker or shower facilities at work places), the
arrogance and recklessness of motorists, air unsuited for heavy
exercise, etc.

In fact, once the idea of getting together every month in a show
of mutual solidarity and support has been suggested, it seems so
natural and obvious that people will wonder why the idea didn't
take off years ago!
Hugh



East Lansing -- Riding into the MotorHeart

The Critical Mass rides here started in the spring of 1984 with a bang,
and have continued --to greater and lesser numbers-- through May 1985, and
Earth Day. This year, 25 folx mobilized on wheels and showed up -- one
had
even rented 2 megaphones! We had a good time to say the least...

We circled Landon field [the locale of the earthDay 'show'] on the campus
of Michigan State University, twice, then headed out into the 5:24pm
traffic.
Keeping together in one lane (on the three-lane both-ways highway that
divides the campus and the town-proper) we took back the road and the
day!

We cruised first east through the 'downtown-y' area, then we took a
right, and another right onto Grand River (while 'grand' in some
senses, it is by no means a River). Tooling at a decent 10mph we
graced our stripmall town and headed west towards-- Lansing!

``LANSING!'' The cry was taken up! as we moved confidently into the
middle
lane turning onto the west-bound split of Michigan Ave. Pushing inot a
serious
headwind we took it as far as Frandor--a local ashpalt wasteland (mall)-
-talking down the rhetoric the whole way, and good stuff too, not "hate"
to cars:

two wheels good! four wheels bad!

4-5% of urban land is under ashphalt!

Bicycles don't cause roadkill!

Bikes don't cause potholes!

Bicycle for a sustainable
future!




_ _ ___ . __e
- -_--.- _`\,_
( ( (( (_)/ (_)


Coasting east along with the wind now we pushed back towards East
Lansing, gracing 'Grand River' once more and travelling the long strip of
town on the University side. Once having made the traverse, we cut right
into campus and met up at the 'EarthDay' festivities field (this was where
they had ELECTRIC guitars n' such, the drummers found their own place some
distance away under a tree). After a bit of a talk-down, we heading to
the
Peanut Barrel, a local pub, for some more serious de-briefing!

But we made a venturous foray into the heart of the motorvehicle masters
headquarters! Lansing, the capitalist capital that is home to the likes
of GM, Chrysler (Dick Chrysler is my district's Rep. for the Federal
House!), and Olds -- the Saturn is built here; and Michigan is, of course,
the infamous Mo'town! (as well as cherries, Kellogg's, and GM -- a la
Clinton
5/5/95 MSU Graduation speech).

The Critical Masses here are becoming a permanent feature, and we hope
that is a good sign for riders everywhere... We'll be here, riding into
the heart of motorness.

N@il |


Philadelphia, Pennsylvania -

About 7 bicyclists took over the streets of central Philadelphia
for an hour and a half on Sept. 29, demanding better conditions
for city cyclists. Participants gathered at City Hall and rode
through the streets en masse, holding up midday traffic and
handing out a list of their demands to pedestrians and motorists,
including a network of bike lanes to be built in the city, bike
access to mass transit, and an end to bike bans on a major
downtown street and the University of Pennsylvania campus.
Cyclists plan to hold monthly actions until their demands are
met.
Auto-Free Press


I suppose it means something that the idea is spreading to other
cities so: now Montreal, Boston, NYC, Poznan, Poland,
Berkeley, Santa Cruz and Portland, and it's still jumping along.
Completely unrelated but just as impressive are the Tuesday
night rides along the coastline in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil by
upwards of 70 bicyclists a week!

Where can it all go? Can a larger vision of social transformation
get articulated through this kind of expanded public space/life?
Are bikes really subversive, or will we soon see corporate
sponsors like Diet Coke in Rio de Janeiro?
Chris Carlsson


CM Terms:


a. CORKING: As the group rides into an intersection, 1 or 2
bicyclers stop in front of the waiting cars, effectively "corking"
the intersection until everyone rides by. This keeps motorists
from considering inching forward when their light turns green.
Many corkers hold up signs saying "Thanks for waiting" or
"Honk if you love bicycles"

b. ORGANIZED COINCIDENCE: This describes how CM rides simply
RmaterializeS every month even though there are no leaders or
organizational sponsorships. No one need take responsibility but
everyone can take credit.

c. XEROCRACY: Everyone can influence a CM by writing their ideas
down and copying them so that a majority of riders see a copy. A
route can be agreed upon in this way also. If enough people like
your idea, it will happen; if not, remember there are no leaders
in a xerocracy.

d. GOING TO MASS: Showing up at the CM ride. Example: RAre
you going to Mass Friday?"

e. WHEEZE IN: When a bunch of bicyclers suddenly fall to the
ground in a mock display of gasping and wheezing in the middle
of an intersection. This usually gets the horns honking.

f. DIFFUSING: Jumping in and disengaging a bike rider from a
motorist if it looks like they are getting hostile to each other.

g. CHAIN REACTION: The phenomenon of CM appearing in cities
all over the map. Is yours next?



I haven't met one dumb bicyclist I couldn't talk to on some level. The
various influences that biking has on our brain and body
provide ready conversation. I don't think I've ever been asked
the stale get-to-know-each-other questions during a CM. When
conversation starts there's so much more stuff to talk about on a
more specific, intimate level. (It's just such a warm, sharing,
giving experience. It just gives me the chills, you know?).
Acid Beth