A Cycling & bikes forum. CycleBanter.com

Go Back   Home » CycleBanter.com forum » Regional Cycling » Australia
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Critical Mass - Fundamentalist Plonkers?



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #221  
Old December 6th 07, 11:05 PM posted to aus.bicycle
Tomasso[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 116
Default Critical Mass - Fundamentalist Plonkers?


"Theo Bekkers" wrote in message ...
TimC wrote:

Unless the mass is of zero value.


Isn't that what this whole thread is about? :-)


Close, but no cigar.

It's about the value of hot air.

T.
Ads
  #222  
Old December 6th 07, 11:31 PM posted to aus.bicycle
scotty72[_86_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1
Default Critical Mass - Fundamentalist Plonkers?


A motorist must bear much more responsibility on the roads because
his/her mistakes have far more consequence than a cyclists.

Motorists break the law pretty well every time they drive. Every time
someone sets us a radar gun outside a school zone (eg. newspaper, local
P&C group) they invariably note about 90% of drivers speed. Motorists
come up with all sorts of "it wasn't my fault" / "the devil made me do
it" excuses. "I didn't know the time", "the huge signs and painted
yellow boxes on the road were too subtle". Try this, stand at an
intersection for a while and see the vast majority of drivers also stop
over the line. See how many don't quite stop at the stop sign. See how
many accellerate through the yellow light.

When I'm riding on a multi-lane road where I take the left lane, MOST
cars squeeze past without fully changing lanes (illegal).

There is probably little difference in the rates of bad behaviour
between cyclists and motorists (incl motorbikes). What is different - is
the consequences of the behaviour. A motorist is very likely to kill
someone whereas a cyclist is likely to injury him/her self and annoy
others. I'd rather be annoyed by someone than killed.

Yes, all raod users should learn to respect and behave. However, where
bad behaviour leads to death - that needs to be prioritised over that
which only annoys.

SCotty


Zebee Johnstone Wrote:
In aus.bicycle on Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:21:56 -0000
Baka Dasai wrote:
And that's what this is all about - a minority of ratbags who get
incensed and subsequently violent when their car gets caught within

the
mass. That's the rationale for corking as I see it, and corking is

the
only significant law-breaking in CM, and it's law-breaking supported

by
police, and occasionally performed by police.


Is it supported because of 4 wheeled ratbags or because of 2 wheeled
ratbags? Do the cops allow it because they agree there are 4 wheeled
ratbags or because they know that otherwise riders will do it anyway,
or do silly things, and because riders can't be easily called to
account it is better to manage them this way?

I also dispute that corking is because there is a huge chance of
problems with aggro drivers getting caught between 2 masses of law
abiding, careful, riders....

However... few cyclists will admit there are 2 wheeled ratbags,


Nah, ratbags are everywhere, even astride bicyles. One big

difference
though is how much more dangerous a car-driving ratbag is than a
bike-riding ratbag.


IT is one difference, but then bike riding ratbags tend to rely on car
drivers to behave well.

As someone who doesn't identify as "cyclist" any more than as
"pedestrian" or "motorcyclist" or "eater of apples", I have no problem
in noting that there is a really strong sense of entitlement amongst
the cycling activist community that casts all others as unworthy, and
a strong feeling of "I can so I will" amongst many riders of bicycles
which they would condemn in anyone else.

That there's a difference in kerb weight is undeniable. That there's
no difference in ethics is also undeniable....

Zebee



--
scotty72

  #223  
Old December 7th 07, 01:00 AM posted to aus.bicycle
Brendo
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 130
Default Critical Mass - Fundamentalist Plonkers?



And that's what this is all about - a minority of ratbags who get
incensed and subsequently violent when their car gets caught within the
mass. That's the rationale for corking as I see it, and corking is the
only significant law-breaking in CM, and it's law-breaking supported by
police, and occasionally performed by police.


And how do you get caught in the mass?? By the two masses moving
together in a dangerous fashion. That's what it's all about. If they
didn't move together, then there would be no problem, and no reason
for corking. Police support it because it's the lesser of two evile.
Rider will do it anyway, so maybe this way we can make it safer. Like
giving syringes to heroin addicts. ( in a roundabout way)

Brendan
  #224  
Old December 8th 07, 01:00 PM posted to aus.bicycle
Resound[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 177
Default Critical Mass - Fundamentalist Plonkers?


"TimC" wrote in message
...
On 2007-12-05, Brendo (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
On Dec 5, 4:29 pm, Zebee Johnstone wrote:
In aus.bicycle on Tue, 4 Dec 2007 20:28:03 -0800 (PST)

Brendo wrote:

If the group has stopped at an intersection due to red lights, why
would the car get inside the mass? This can only happen two ways

Presumably turning into the road the mass is on.


Sure, but the argument he gave was that this was a reason for corking.
You can't turn 'into' the mass unless the mass is still crossing the
intersection. And you wouldn't turn unless the lights were green.
Generally, car's follow traffic light rules. So if you drive onto the
road when the light turns green, why would there be the mass on it
unless they were running the red?


Um. A mass doesn't have zero length?

When it gets split at the lights, you get cars coming in from the
intersection, that will be sandwiched between two half masses. If
there are sufficiently few vehicles sandwiched, then there are
problems as the mass comes back together as they naturally would tend
to do particularly if there's only one lane of car and the bikes are
able to overtake.

I'm afraid I'm not understanding where either you or Zebee are coming
from...


Why is it a problem for the remainder of the mass to overtake the car or
cars involved? I overtake cars in the city daily. Mind you, I actually am
traffic at that point.


  #225  
Old December 12th 07, 02:09 PM posted to aus.bicycle
Aeek
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 457
Default Critical Mass - Fundamentalist Plonkers?

I acheived
  #226  
Old December 12th 07, 02:13 PM posted to aus.bicycle
Aeek
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 457
Default Critical Mass - Fundamentalist Plonkers?

I acheived Critical Mass last night. Normally, riding out to the crit
at Stromlo ACT via Cotter Road there is one dickhead who has to
overtake with more space in the lane to their right than to the left.
With 3 others riding entirely independantly to the Crit, this did not
happen!
 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Police win powers to control Critical Mass cycle rally - FW: Don't be taken for a ride: Critical Mass has NOT been banned Fod UK 2 May 27th 07 03:06 PM
Critical Mass = Critical ASS Jan Mobely Social Issues 0 July 12th 05 07:09 PM
[critical-mass] Promote Critical Mass in NYC This Friday! Jym Dyer Social Issues 3 March 26th 05 10:14 PM
Critical Mass mass arrests. Stephen Baker Mountain Biking 24 September 2nd 04 09:22 PM
Critical Mass on a uni? onewheeldave Unicycling 13 February 15th 04 12:21 AM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 02:01 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 CycleBanter.com.
The comments are property of their posters.