critical massholes?

How have most of us commuted by bike for years with little to no incedent?

I'm guessing you never commuted in Richmond.

I car and bike to work depending how much I have to do that day. The big difference is when you come across an asshole in a car you might get injured but on a bike you'll be lucky to get merely injured. So yeah, bikers (and walkers and public transport commuters) deserve special treatment for taking the hard road.

I'm all for partying on a bike and stuff, but why don't you spend the evening growing your ironic moustaches and then just go to the midnight masses instead?

I've always thought about making gloves with spikes on the knuckles. Perfect for scrapping cars that get a little close.. :)

Got pics?

QFT:

You need quite a bit of skills to mingle with the cars, cross lanes, and generally behave like a car in traffic. That's just not feasible for everyone if you have a large volume of daily bike commuters averaging 15km/h.

What?

The post of mine that you quoted basically says that if Vancouver were to magically implement the bicycle infrastructure of, say, Amsterdam, overnight, which includes taking a huge number of the bike routes, particularly those on the busiest streets, off of the streets themselves, and implementing lanes and areas in the intersections that allow the cyclists to make left turns without having to enter into the flow of car traffic, the amount of injuries to cyclists would decrease. Are you actually disagreeing with that?

I'm guessing you never commuted in Richmond.

No,my commute was East Hastings and Nanaimo to the other side of the second narrows.My biggest worry then were the smug fellows on road bikes who thought it was perfectly acceptable to try and pass you at full clip in the "bike lane"(whatever happened to the climber having right of way?) on the bridge….go figure.

stereotype

I suspect you are confusing a$$hole drivers with untrained drivers

So yeah, bikers (and walkers and public transport commuters) deserve special treatment for taking the hard road.

And their reward is Critical Mass?

sign me up.

I'll counter with….

Then go and do it in a goddamn bar like you're supposed to.
(snip)

Running with that point and Helmet argument aside,

CM is and never was a party. That's second. CM is first and foremost a venue for increased visibility for cycling in the community, by exercising our legal rights while following the traffic laws given to us and promoting cyclist awareness.

I'll flog the Vancouver CM in a sec, but first I want to point out something completely different. The CM in Yellowknife (yes, there's hippies up there too) is a model of how these events should work. Traffic laws are strictly obeyed, the organizers won't stand for it, they take up 1/2 of road while still allowing cars to pass regardless of the lanes in the street, and when it's all said and done they meet in a parking lot/bar/park and discuss the events and ideas on how to PROMOTE cycling awareness in the community. Community support (read: motorists) is extremely high with friendly honking and waving even with the traffic headaches (it is relative of course but this is a town of full diamond miners and it's not uncommon to back up 3 of 10 blocks in the DT strip)

Saying that all those pissed Vancouver motorists (just ask/look around, they are there) should shove it, is an ignorant statement based on a mob mentality. Vancouver's CM, in no way, promotes awareness and only serves to antagonize the very group that we are trying to share the road with by giving us a stage to show our collective inabilities to follow the law and show acceptance of motorist's rights. CM is spawned from a desire to get awareness out for the law of the road, for both sides involved.

Phew, how's that for a rant? I think the Maiden concert anticipation is making me 'metaled'

CM is first and foremost a venue for increased visibility for cycling in the community, by exercising our legal rights while following the traffic laws given to us and promoting cyclist awareness.

In this pursuit of exercising legal rights, exactly what part of the Motor Vehicle Act [RSBC 1996] Chapter 318, section 183 allows cyclists to take over an entire roadway??

_
Rights and duties of operator of cycle

183 (1) In addition to the duties imposed by this section, a person operating a cycle on a highway has the same rights and duties as a driver of a vehicle.

(2) A person operating a cycle

(a) must not ride on a sidewalk unless authorized by a bylaw made under section 124 or unless otherwise directed by a sign,

(b) must not, for the purpose of crossing a highway, ride on a crosswalk unless authorized to do so by a bylaw made under section 124 or unless otherwise directed by a sign,

**(C) must, subject to paragraph (a), ride as near as practicable to the right side of the highway,

(d) must not ride abreast of another person operating a cycle on the roadway,**

(e) must keep at least one hand on the handlebars,

(f) must not ride other than on or astride a regular seat of the cycle,

(g) must not use the cycle to carry more persons at one time than the number for which it is designed and equipped, and

(h) must not ride a cycle on a highway where signs prohibit their use._

Hmmmmm ??

It appears to me that the only way to legally hold a CM event is to have all riders in single file as near as possible to the shoulder of the road.

Kn.

^^^ Thanks for finding that.

Edit: There might be some leeway, riding staggered like motorcycles perhaps? But I'm pretty certain that the spirit of the law doesn't allow for stopping the traffic.

Vancouver's CM, in no way, promotes awareness and only serves to antagonize the very group that we are trying to share the road with by giving us a stage to show our collective inabilities to follow the law and show acceptance of motorist's rights.

/thread

In this pursuit of exercising legal rights, exactly what part of the Motor Vehicle Act [RSBC 1996] Chapter 318, section 183 allows cyclists to take over an entire roadway??

_
Rights and duties of operator of cycle

183 (1) In addition to the duties imposed by this section, a person operating a cycle on a highway has the same rights and duties as a driver of a vehicle.

(2) A person operating a cycle

(a) must not ride on a sidewalk unless authorized by a bylaw made under section 124 or unless otherwise directed by a sign,

(b) must not, for the purpose of crossing a highway, ride on a crosswalk unless authorized to do so by a bylaw made under section 124 or unless otherwise directed by a sign,

**(C) must, subject to paragraph (a), ride as near as practicable to the right side of the highway,

(d) must not ride abreast of another person operating a cycle on the roadway,**

(e) must keep at least one hand on the handlebars,

(f) must not ride other than on or astride a regular seat of the cycle,

(g) must not use the cycle to carry more persons at one time than the number for which it is designed and equipped, and

(h) must not ride a cycle on a highway where signs prohibit their use._

Hmmmmm ??

It appears to me that the only way to legally hold a CM event is to have all riders in single file as near as possible to the shoulder of the road.

Kn.

not possitive, but i`m pretty sure cm falls under peaceful protest and/or parade rules.

anybody know fersure?

Running with that point and Helmet argument aside,

CM is and never was a party. That's second. CM is first and foremost a venue for increased visibility for cycling in the community, by exercising our legal rights while following the traffic laws given to us and promoting cyclist awareness.

I'll flog the Vancouver CM in a sec, but first I want to point out something completely different. The CM in Yellowknife (yes, there's hippies up there too) is a model of how these events should work. Traffic laws are strictly obeyed, the organizers won't stand for it, they take up 1/2 of road while still allowing cars to pass regardless of the lanes in the street, and when it's all said and done they meet in a parking lot/bar/park and discuss the events and ideas on how to PROMOTE cycling awareness in the community. Community support (read: motorists) is extremely high with friendly honking and waving even with the traffic headaches (it is relative of course but this is a town of full diamond miners and it's not uncommon to back up 3 of 10 blocks in the DT strip)

Saying that all those pissed Vancouver motorists (just ask/look around, they are there) should shove it, is an ignorant statement based on a mob mentality. Vancouver's CM, in no way, promotes awareness and only serves to antagonize the very group that we are trying to share the road with by giving us a stage to show our collective inabilities to follow the law and show acceptance of motorist's rights. CM is spawned from a desire to get awareness out for the law of the road, for both sides involved.

Phew, how's that for a rant? I think the Maiden concert anticipation is making me 'metaled'

This post wins.

Saying that all those pissed Vancouver motorists (just ask/look around, they are there) should shove it, is an ignorant statement based on a mob mentality. Vancouver's CM, in no way, promotes awareness and only serves to antagonize the very group that we are trying to share the road with by giving us a stage to show our collective inabilities to follow the law and show acceptance of motorist's rights.

I'll beat that horse again - self absorbed hippies.

(C) must, subject to paragraph (a), ride as near as practicable to the right side of the highway,

It appears to me that the only way to legally hold a CM event is to have all riders in single file as near as possible to the shoulder of the road.

I am neither for or against CM, but you are wrong in equating "as near as practicable to the right side of the highway" with "as near as possible to the shoulder of the road."

They are not one and the same.

I'll beat that horse again - self absorbed hippies.

Hippie lover.