Vancouver Critical Mass
antiprowarpaper
Funny thing, the Vancouver Scum printed a little plug for Critical Mass:
Great picture and a nice inclusive caption. Kudos for picking up the story one of these decades. I think it is actually a picture of the bike the purple pirate and smiling yogi used to cycle across canada.
However, I can't help feel a little torn about being advertised in a publication that is so openly pro-war, especially in light of the current escalation of conflict in the middle east.
This ride is certainly open to all sorts especially trying to make queers and those on the margins to feel included this month. However it is also about Peace. As tired as the word may be. Many will call on the Canadian and us governments to end their support of this war. Oil wars do nothing to service the needs of people who are self-propelled and only help a desperate few.
---
Speaking of Peace in the streets, it is important for us as cyclists breaking the norms and reclaiming the common public space to make it peaceful and inclusive. Last month at the giant ride there were some incidents of road rage and unfortunately also some overly aggressive cyclists contributed to that in one perticular incident. That kind of behavior is not welcome. Just because we are cyclists we aren't always right [just most of the time]. Remember that inside every car is a person trying to get out. And ALL people deserve some respect. Even if they are being obnoxious. Remember, from their view, we probably seem obnoxious, because we are queer troublemaking cyclists afterall! I think the reason for that happening [as much as one can find reason in our crazy land] had to do with a bad combination of inexperienced riders and those inevitable few aggressive personalities coming together unchecked due to such enormous numbers. So we really need to ride watching out for each other and if there is an altercation we should try and calm the situation down. If a car driver really is threatening you with a vehicle then fighting is not worth it: take down the license# and call 911 immediately. That is what it is there for [even if it doesn't always work perfectly that way]. No arguement with someone made from being trapped in a car [cager] is worth getting hurt that way for. [or hurting someone for]
Hope that long thing that needs to be said didn't scare anyone off. Road rage altercations are few and far between. I always wish I had numbers, but my impression is you actually get less incidents on CM than normal riding, just as a commuter cyclist in the city. I guess the dirrerence is so many at once concentrates things and the disagreements are a little more obvious and not ignored because the tables are turned a little and people can see that anger that usually hides in some car driving jerk cutting you off in that 50ft. race to the stop sign. [you know the one] And, the other incidents of road raging this June [several in a group of 2000] were handled very well by very smart CMassers who difused the situation in the face of violence so that in fact people didn't get hurt and it ended happily.
This should be a really fun ride!
Summers are sooooooooooooooo gaaaaaaaaaaay!!!
---
details as promised on the party following the ride:
Velofusion: A celebration of Vancouver's vibrant bicycle culture.
Pizza, Bands, Dj's, Movies, Bike Art and much more dancing.
Bands and Performers:
Carnival Band, Timothy Wisdom (Dj), Ruggedly Handsome (Dj), Ifny (MC), DAXXX (Performer), Ian Patterson and Jim Hoehnle (Bicycle light sculpture)
Cost: $3 if you come in a costume - Any costume, go nuts go wild, be as creative as you like. $5 otherwise. Funraising for the price of the space and for continuing activism.
Where: Anza club 8th and Ontario
When: Friday July 28th after Critical Mass
8pm -> 1:30am
Flyer: www.worldnakedbikeride.org/pedalfusion/
Audio PSA velofusionPSA.wav
Great picture and a nice inclusive caption. Kudos for picking up the story one of these decades. I think it is actually a picture of the bike the purple pirate and smiling yogi used to cycle across canada.
However, I can't help feel a little torn about being advertised in a publication that is so openly pro-war, especially in light of the current escalation of conflict in the middle east.
This ride is certainly open to all sorts especially trying to make queers and those on the margins to feel included this month. However it is also about Peace. As tired as the word may be. Many will call on the Canadian and us governments to end their support of this war. Oil wars do nothing to service the needs of people who are self-propelled and only help a desperate few.
---
Speaking of Peace in the streets, it is important for us as cyclists breaking the norms and reclaiming the common public space to make it peaceful and inclusive. Last month at the giant ride there were some incidents of road rage and unfortunately also some overly aggressive cyclists contributed to that in one perticular incident. That kind of behavior is not welcome. Just because we are cyclists we aren't always right [just most of the time]. Remember that inside every car is a person trying to get out. And ALL people deserve some respect. Even if they are being obnoxious. Remember, from their view, we probably seem obnoxious, because we are queer troublemaking cyclists afterall! I think the reason for that happening [as much as one can find reason in our crazy land] had to do with a bad combination of inexperienced riders and those inevitable few aggressive personalities coming together unchecked due to such enormous numbers. So we really need to ride watching out for each other and if there is an altercation we should try and calm the situation down. If a car driver really is threatening you with a vehicle then fighting is not worth it: take down the license# and call 911 immediately. That is what it is there for [even if it doesn't always work perfectly that way]. No arguement with someone made from being trapped in a car [cager] is worth getting hurt that way for. [or hurting someone for]
Hope that long thing that needs to be said didn't scare anyone off. Road rage altercations are few and far between. I always wish I had numbers, but my impression is you actually get less incidents on CM than normal riding, just as a commuter cyclist in the city. I guess the dirrerence is so many at once concentrates things and the disagreements are a little more obvious and not ignored because the tables are turned a little and people can see that anger that usually hides in some car driving jerk cutting you off in that 50ft. race to the stop sign. [you know the one] And, the other incidents of road raging this June [several in a group of 2000] were handled very well by very smart CMassers who difused the situation in the face of violence so that in fact people didn't get hurt and it ended happily.
This should be a really fun ride!
Summers are sooooooooooooooo gaaaaaaaaaaay!!!
---
details as promised on the party following the ride:
Velofusion: A celebration of Vancouver's vibrant bicycle culture.
Pizza, Bands, Dj's, Movies, Bike Art and much more dancing.
Bands and Performers:
Carnival Band, Timothy Wisdom (Dj), Ruggedly Handsome (Dj), Ifny (MC), DAXXX (Performer), Ian Patterson and Jim Hoehnle (Bicycle light sculpture)
Cost: $3 if you come in a costume - Any costume, go nuts go wild, be as creative as you like. $5 otherwise. Funraising for the price of the space and for continuing activism.
Where: Anza club 8th and Ontario
When: Friday July 28th after Critical Mass
8pm -> 1:30am
Flyer: www.worldnakedbikeride.org/pedalfusion/
Audio PSA velofusionPSA.wav
posted by VanCM Blogger @ 7/28/2006 01:34:00 pm
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