If I was a motorist, critical mass would anger me

DonDaddyD

Coming home late on Friday, I find myself cycling over Waterloo bridge, scalps are flying and pedestrains to my left find their vision momentarily blurred as my speed bends the very light before them, but that is another story.

As I perform my sprint I notice on my left a critical mass collection of cyclists taking up the entire width and length of Waterloo bridge, they're pootling. This was Friday, and though I'm up for a good protest, we don't protest enough and in someways have lost a large portion of our rights to do so. Those rights however, I suspect won't matter when the London Riots of 2012 happen once the Conservatives get settled in and start butt screwing the poor to feed the rich. Anyway, I'm up for a good protest, mass march and revolution but had I been a motorist wating behind those cyclists I'd have been annoyed.

Having seen one in the flesh, I'm not actually sure they serve any purpose that benefits the greater majority of cyclists.

Headhuunter

I agree, I've never taken part in CM but I caught up with 1 one Friday as I cycled back from the gym. I caught up with a mass of cars and motor traffic honking coming through the City and across the 1st half of London Bridge, which was unusual at that time of the evening. I wound my way through the traffic and at the front realised that CM was blocking the entire side of the bridge. It just made me feel very guilty as a cyclist and I could feel other road users' anger. I pushed quickly through CM and turned off down Tooley Street to get away from it...

Salsamander

It is meant to anger motorists though isn't it? It is supposed to get them talking about cyclists, as opposed to just ignoring them (or so I thought)

gtvlusso

Hmm - we have CM in Bristol on Friday at 5:30 - never made it down there to protest, but my ex-wife got caught in the backlog when she was coming home from work. It really annoyed her as she had to pick up kids.....

I suspect some of the have to cycle slowly, just incase their dreadlocks get caught in the wheels......

Eau Rouge

Salsamander wrote:

It is meant to anger motorists though isn't it? It is supposed to get them talking about cyclists, as opposed to just ignoring them (or so I thought)

It is, but if we were on Muppet Driver Radar and I wanted to organise a demonstration to make the point that cyclists (tax and insurance dodgers) shouldn't be on the roads I'd organise a mass cycle to block the roads on a Friday rush hour in London once a month.

nich

I had a dream about this the other night. I've never been on one, but imagined myself cycling against the flow of critical mass as they took up both lanes, I was angry, until I woke up and realised it was all just a dream

andrewc3142

Yes, well. CM is one evening (after office hours) per month and, it is true, does inconvenience motorists in a section of central London for a fairly short while,

However, every day I cycle in the first 20 miles is on mostly traffic free roads and then through Richmond Park. After this, coming into the centre, my progress is markedly slower due mainly to there being a lot of cars, and all the infrastructure and hold-ups associated with dealing with large volumes of traffic.

Some of these cars may indeed be on essential journeys. But I'd be willing to bet that the majority are on school runs of less than a mile and commutes into work that could be by bike or public transport. Just an observation, not a rant.

Similar story when people get in their cars to pursue other herd-like activities (football matches, bank holiday trips to the coast), again in many cases quite possible to do without resorting to driving.

I can understand people get frustrated about being held up. But it seems to me there is a tendency to think that bike holds up car equals bad, but car holds up bike is OK. Because of the widespread assumption that roads are meant to be for cars.

Just my 2 cents

Stevo_666

DonDaddyD wrote:

pedestrains to my left find their vision momentarily blurred as my speed bends the very light before them, but that is another story.

Not sure how you manage that - every time I cross Waterloo Bridge in either direction (but especially Southbound) I am met with the headwind from hell...don't doubt the scalps were flying as everyone would have the same headwind to deal with.

BTW were you headed Northbound on Waterloo Bridge about 7.45.7.50 this morning?

Robstar24

as a recently new motorist and cyclist since the dawn of time I have to say I really can't see the point of CM. As cyclists we have to recognise that the best we can aim for is SHARING the road, not hogging it all for bicycles, and CM does not aim to share the road, indeed they hold it up while a bunch of people (many of whom don't appear to be society's elite) hold their bikes above their heads and make lots of noise, and then ride off through traffic signals while deliberately blocking in cars.

I'd say CM does a massive disservice to most cyclists, as most motorists will take away the impression from seeing a large group of cyclists that all of us are idiots intent on causing the maximum impediment to others and thinking that rules of the road don't apply to them. events like CM only serve to stoke up resentment against cyclists as a whole. when i'm out on my own in the countryside on twisting lanes i try to help out cars behind me by signalling if it's clear for them to go through and i've seen the road ahead before them, it's more likely they will go past considerately and will also see cyclists are not out to ruin their journeys. on club runs we single out on busy roads, it's all about sharing road space, rather than one form trying to do over the other.

Eau Rouge

andrewc3142 wrote:

Some of these cars may indeed be on essential journeys. But I'd be willing to bet that the majority are on school runs of less than a mile and commutes into work that could be by bike or public transport. Just an observation, not a rant.

None of them, however, are there to intentionally block the road to hold up cyclists to demonstrate that cars belong on the road too.

vorsprung

One day a month there is a small bike jam somewhere in London

All the other days there is a massive car jam

Why can't these car drivers be more considerate?

DonDaddyD

Vorsprung, its perceived cause. If I can see a bunch of inconsiderate cyclists causing the jam then I can hate them. If I can't see the cause of the jam, then I simply hate driving in London.

Stevo 666, you need to see me sprint. I can't do it for long but when I do, I can bend light.

I don't see, without Council support, the benefit of a critical mass bike ride. If it had support, prior warning and it was made official then yes I'd be all for it.

However, if the ride was in response to the death of a cyclist and the lack of due process (i.e. the motorist did kill him and it could be proved but the sentence was a joke - queue Spen) and it was a protest then I'd be all for it.

amnezia

I expect most of them don't have to deal with motorists on a Monday morning which would explain why the cycle like a bunch of inconsiderate morons.

The Rookie

Alieniting motorists in an attempt to get them to agree with you doesn't really follow normal diplomacy!

I don't live near London, so have never seen one 'live' but most I've seen on telly for one reason or another look like most the attendants rarely cycle themselves anyway.

A bit of give and take and compromise is what is more likley to succeed.

Simon

PBo

DonDaddyD wrote:

Coming home late on Friday, I find myself cycling over Waterloo bridge, scalps are flying and pedestrains to my left find their vision momentarily blurred as my speed bends the very light before them, but that is another story.

Physics FAIL.

Mass bends light, not speed.

So this just proves you are a REALLY fat ba$tard

Kieran_Burns

DonDaddyD wrote:

Stevo 666, you need to see me sprint. I can't do it for long but when I do, I can bend light.

I thought it was only really massive objects that could bend spacetime (light)

DDD are you trying to tell us you are in fact a bit of a porker?

He has always come across as a bit of a MACHO type... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massive_co ... alo_object

I'm REALLY glad I don't live in London right now :P

jonginge

Depends quite how fast DDD was going. In general relativity you have mass dilation. At speeds close to that of light he'll be even more massive but thinner*


* longitudinally, anyway

Headhuunter

vorsprung wrote:

One day a month there is a small bike jam somewhere in London

All the other days there is a massive car jam

Why can't these car drivers be more considerate?

I suppose the issue is that car jams are unintentional and just a side effect of too many cars and not enough road space however CM intentionally clogs up the road

rjsterry

JonGinge wrote:

Depends quite how fast DDD was going. In general relativity you have mass dilation. At speeds close to that of light he'll be even more massive but thinner*


* longitudinally, anyway

DonDaddyD

Curse my wide frame.

I'll have you all know that I have infact lost weight. The scales claimed that I come in at around 15.5stone. Used to be 16stone at the beginning of this year (and most of last year). I'm climbing like an obese goat, but a goat nontheless and underneath my stomach I can feel the lumps of a sixpack more now than ever.

Last time I had several beers was probably more than a month ago.

I think I'm now at the point where I've put on enough muscle and now my body is fit enough to burn fat.... (Don't get all 'Logical Dave' let me dream that I can reach 12stone).

Still, you see Star Trek where the ship stretches as it hits warp speed, I'm 7ft long when I get going!

iPete

CM bugs me, they stand for nothing and just bug everyone.

I'd like to see some organised cycle protests to actually highlight some issues and get some decent backing. Things like the need for change to HGV hours in London.

vorsprung

iPete wrote:

CM bugs me, they stand for nothing and just bug everyone.

I always thought the idea of critical mass was to show if everyone cycled, cycling would be safe for everyone

If you talk to mr average why they won't cycle to work occasionally on a sunny day and they will say "it is too dangerous"

Cycle commuters are not stopped by this fear and concern and so may not appreciate this aspect of the critical mass thing

If you asked mr and ms average why they don't take the car they will say they don't want to waste their time in a jam

lost_in_thought

vorsprung wrote:

iPete wrote:

CM bugs me, they stand for nothing and just bug everyone.

I always thought the idea of critical mass was to show if everyone cycled, cycling would be safe for everyone

If you talk to mr average why they won't cycle to work occasionally on a sunny day and they will say "it is too dangerous"

Cycle commuters are not stopped by this fear and concern and so may not appreciate this aspect of the critical mass thing

If you asked mr and ms average why they don't take the car they will say they don't want to waste their time in a jam

And how exactly does any of what you've just said relate to critical mass being a Good Thing?

Anyone in a car in a jam caused deliberately by a bunch of cyclists is going to become more anti-cyclist, not less.

iPete

From the horses mouth...

We are not sure, opinions seem to differ. There are probably as many aims of CM as there are participants. Each individual comes there with his or her own idea of what it's about, and the sum of this makes up the Mass. We have no organisers and no planned routes.

I'm not sure how that helps anybody...

Headhuunter

DonDaddyD wrote:

Curse my wide frame.

I'll have you all know that I have infact lost weight. The scales claimed that I come in at around 15.5stone. Used to be 16stone at the beginning of this year (and most of last year). I'm climbing like an obese goat, but a goat nontheless and underneath my stomach I can feel the lumps of a sixpack more now than ever.

Last time I had several beers was probably more than a month ago.

I think I'm now at the point where I've put on enough muscle and now my body is fit enough to burn fat.... (Don't get all 'Logical Dave' let me dream that I can reach 12stone).

Still, you see Star Trek where the ship stretches as it hits warp speed, I'm 7ft long when I get going!

According to the Wii Fit I've gained 1 pound since Feb....

PBo

Headhuunter wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

Curse my wide frame.

I'll have you all know that I have infact lost weight. The scales claimed that I come in at around 15.5stone. Used to be 16stone at the beginning of this year (and most of last year). I'm climbing like an obese goat, but a goat nontheless and underneath my stomach I can feel the lumps of a sixpack more now than ever.

Last time I had several beers was probably more than a month ago.

I think I'm now at the point where I've put on enough muscle and now my body is fit enough to burn fat.... (Don't get all 'Logical Dave' let me dream that I can reach 12stone).

Still, you see Star Trek where the ship stretches as it hits warp speed, I'm 7ft long when I get going!

According to the Wii Fit I've gained 1 pound since Feb....

Come to hilly sheffield - I've lost a stone from 14.5 to 13.5 since July. Plays havoc with the ability to bend light.....

PBo

Kieran_Burns wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

Stevo 666, you need to see me sprint. I can't do it for long but when I do, I can bend light.

I thought it was only really massive objects that could bend spacetime (light)

DDD are you trying to tell us you are in fact a bit of a porker?

He has always come across as a bit of a MACHO type... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massive_co ... alo_object

I'm REALLY glad I don't live in London right now :P

Ha!!! Out-geeked you by 4 minutes!!!!!

Kieran_Burns

PBo wrote:

Kieran_Burns wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

Stevo 666, you need to see me sprint. I can't do it for long but when I do, I can bend light.

I thought it was only really massive objects that could bend spacetime (light)

DDD are you trying to tell us you are in fact a bit of a porker?

He has always come across as a bit of a MACHO type... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massive_co ... alo_object

I'm REALLY glad I don't live in London right now :P

Ha!!! Out-geeked you by 4 minutes!!!!!

Only relatively speaking....

Clever Pun

DonDaddyD wrote:

Stevo 666, you need to see me sprint. I can't do it for long but when I do, I can bend light.

Carry a mirror?

davmaggs

I can't say I support CM, but I was pleased that they won their court case against the Police.

There seems to have been a growing view within the Police that if something is inconvenient to them, or they don't like it for some vague reason then there's grounds to ban it.

I wouldn't support a lot of protests, but I think that people should be free to make them and wherever they want as long as they behave. Once you start arresting war widows for reading out lists of names, then groups like CM or Mark Thomas who make a mockery of the system get my support.

Radioactiveman

I really like my hard earned taxed going towards policing a bunch of hippies on bikes. I personaly would solve it with a super sized stinger followed by me in a a steam roller. Then I would scoop up the mess seperate out the metal and recycle it and feed the hippie remains to the animals at london zoo.

How do they expect motorists to respect them by behaving like a bunch of tits