Critical Mass 10/10/10

Ahh, after popular demand and like a bad rash, I'm back! Seems like life just took over and swept my writing under the carpet for a bit. I'll make no promises to be regular, just appropriate.

Today was a whirlwind of a day, starting out with a great ride to Big City Coffee for breakfast then home to prep for the Critical Mass ride celebrating 10/10/10 and 350.org world work party. There was a tree planted at Camels Back park and a bevy of bikes. We rode around downtown en masse which was fun and what I want to talk about today.

I've not been involved in any true critical mass bike rides, but thought I had read enough and heard enough to understand them so I was really looking forward to this ride. I learned a few things today and I'm not sure where I stand anymore. Being a huge bike safety advocate, I feel like a critical mass might not show the car drivers what we want them to see...riders who know how to share the road. When we're traveling down a three lane one way, I would expect us to stay in a clot for safety. Today there were several riders choosing to ride down any lane of the road and away from the main pack. This is just dangerous and makes drivers mad.

I researched critical mass on Wikipedia and learned the interesting term "corking" which is when one or more cyclists hold up traffic so that the pack can move through red lights and stop signs. Really I feel that it would be very powerful for a critical mass to move in a mass observing traffic laws and showing the car driver that we really do respect our DUAL right to the road. I'm conflicted. Do we stand up and shake our fists or sit down and just do the right thing, hoping for the best.

No one heard much about the cyclist that got hit two weeks ago. The rider was traveling westbound on McMillan and was hit by an eastbound car turning left. The rider suffered a broken neck and has spatial paralysis at this time. He does have some limited movement of the limbs but no one is sure of what will happen. Why wasn't this in the news?

This crash rattled me and I've been extra cautious on the road. If only we had eyes in the back of our head! Here's one thing that recently happened to me...I was riding south on Americana and have no recollection if I was passed by this car or came up on this car, but whatever the matter, I was on its left side when it stopped to allow peds to cross...but not me to scoot around. At first I was mad, then I realized, I might be wrong. If I were to come up on a car waiting to turn, I have to yield to the car, no matter that there's a bike lane there. If they came up on me, then of course they should yield to me. Some of us have probably experienced the rider coming up on the left when we are making a turn and have had them shake a fist or yell to watch out. But these cyclists, if they're coming up on a car waiting to turn, need to also wait for the car to turn...as you would if you were driving the car yourself. It is important to think these things...it will help you reach your destination safely.

You may not agree with me tonight and that's okay. I'm again enjoying my freedom of speech and you should too.

I made it in the Sunday paper today and you can find my article here.

Until we ride again, Ciao!