An article in the Torontoist about last weeks critical mass ride getting on The Gardiner expressway in Toronto.
ez!
8 months ago
Monday, June 2, 2008
So lets take it on I-4 next month!
An article in the Torontoist about last weeks critical mass ride getting on The Gardiner expressway in Toronto.
ez!
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14 comments:
And it was peaceful? We can't even roll down Central without dudes gettin their panties in a bunch.
That would be ridiculous.
My class at Full Sail is interested in doing a video for our HD production class on 407fixed/track tricks and dudes in the area.
If this is something you dudes would be down to be involved with shoot me an email at dreameryfilms@yahoo.com
i don't know man, i don't see illegal rides as a way to get on motorists' good sides.
in case you missed it, the I-4 comment was a J-O-K-E! As Juls pointed out, you can't even roll down the street around here without motorists getting pissed.
BTW, who else caught the UPS guy talking shit on central last week? He was threatening to run over the corkers if we kept blocking the intersections...
ez!
Dang, that;s crazy, I couldn't even imagine the hell we'd go through if we took it to I-4! I just can't.
ah, nope, didn't catch it. cool. i've heard people talk like that though, and I (like many, many others) deal with drivers trying to run me off the road daily.
I saw one dude with cards last friday about traffic laws concerning bicyclists rights and responsibilities that I assume were for motorists. Anyone have a link or anything to something you can print out that's prepared like that?
yup. I don't understand how your average motorist is supposed to understand that the "message" is that cyclists are allowed on the road and should be respected or ANYTHING other than who are these assholes?
If you're joe average heading home to see your kids and these people on bikes, a jetski whatever are in your way you just feel inconvenienced and delayed no message received at all.
Handing out literature sounds good, but what's it going to say? Obey traffic laws and respect cyclists? You give this to them while not doing that yourself?
Kind of like us killing someone because killing people is wrong...no?
If you are looking for a reason to ride in traffic and be a dick just do it and have fun. But, don't make it out like it's a political statement or for the greater good or something to justify your actions.
good points mike. I'm sort of pressed for time but I did want to make a few points of my own...
I honestly look at CM rides mostly as a chance to ride with a big group of people who share a similar outlook (bikes as viable means of alternative transportation). I help out during CM because I love seeing this many people out on bikes and figure that anything I can do to keep the mass moving smoothly is worth the effort...
That said, I have long ago abandoned the hope that CM would provide motorists in this city a better understanding of commuting by bicycle and as an indirect result of this, learn to respect cyclists in the process. Because of this, I don't really care anymore if they consider me an inconvenience or not. Call me selfish, negative or just a straight up asshole but I really don't care because I've had too many bad experiences with self-centered motorists I happened to inconvenience by choosing to practice my preferred mode of transport within the context of the law. Myself and many others believe that the only way the paradigm shift that is needed for motorist to truly respect cyclist will occur once they learn two distinct things; one they actually learn the rules of the road regarding cars and bikes and second, they actually commute on the roadways by bicycle. The first will clue them in to what the laws really are and the second will force them to share the road with vehicles therefore giving them a better understanding of the hazzards many of us have to deal with...
Until this happens, I will continue to ride the way I do. It's not based on a disregard for the laws but rather a pragmatic approach when dealing with a large group of self centered "individuals" in shiny metal boxes that don’t necessary follow the rules themselves...
ez!
huh? I'm not 'looking for a reason' to ride in traffic. Traffic's there no matter what, I'm kinda stuck with it.
And if I have a chance to hand someone a piece of paper with FL statutes written on it, then yeah, I think that'll not solve the problem, per se, but improve it.
Nathan I believe the point Mike (and myself in an indirect way) was trying to make was that it's hard for motorists to not view the CM ride as a nuisance when everyone who rides in it is breaking the rules themselves. Because of this, they will be resistant to any "message" you might be trying to pass on by giving them a piece of paper with the Florida motorist/cyclist laws. In a way, it comes off as a case of do as I say and not as I do. Follow what I'm saying here?
BTW, if you are down with giving out the rules to motorists, go for it! I wasn't trying to talk you out of that at all. All my long winded, stream of consciousness rant was trying to do was give a bit of insight as to what my thought process is when I ride the mean streets of o-town... :)
ez!
oh yeah, i agree. i meant on a daily basis, not at cm. i hear you on that one.
I COMPLETELY agree tbm. I have a car but, I choose to ride my bike to work a few times a week too. I live downtown and work right by the Florida Mall(tm) My friend makes the ride with me and he was just hit last week by a lawn service trailer (torn ligaments in shoulder if you're curious). I deal with people using the bike lane (where there is one) as a half assed turn lane and whatnot and it infuriates me! We scream "bike lane" at them constantly hoping they will "get it" next time. I would love some kind of small card with some bike laws on it to hand out. Seriously! If anyone has a link please post it.
For the record, riding in traffic can be fun IMHO. That's part of why I like the "alley cat" races. It's obnoxious, there's a lot of us, and we ride pretty silly. But, I don't think anyone is thinking that it will help put food on our children or anything. Just good times. That's why I ride. It's fun.
ps. ALSO! for the record...I'm totally down with cruising on I-4 if there's enough of us (safety in numbers?). Just to say we did it. Still don't think it's going to have a positive effect on anything, but it'd make a nice picture.
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