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The following is the text of a Critical Mass brochure that was just finished around the end of February. It is meant to be inspirational, not instructional, since there really are many different ways to organize a bike demo/gathering. Actual brochures are available for 50 cents each, from the address listed at the end of this e-letter. Please order no less than two. Please keep sending Critical Mass info requests to pwmag@well.sf.ca.us or crash@barn.com Please send news announcements of Critical Mass events or other bike happenings to pwmag@well.sf.ca.us or crash@barn.com or earthisland@igc.apc.org Critical Mass . . . The minimum amount or number required for something to happen, begin, etc. The cop was standing in front of me as I turned around. "Excuse me," he said with professional reserve, "are you one of the organizers here?" I had been passing out flyers of the route to the 500 or so bicyclistss gathered for the monthly Critical Mass (CM). I was also handing out my zine. "I don't think there are organizers," I said hesitantly. "Because last time you guys kept riding through intersections even after the light turned red and you caused gridlock. Is that one of the organizers over there?" The motorcycle cop pointed to another person handing out flyers. A Channel 7 reporter was trying to interview her. "Not that I know of. Why does something like this need an organizer? It's pretty unorganized." "OK sir, well we're not going to let that happen again because the mayor heard about it and he's very upset. When the light turns red we're going to clear the intersection by force if necessary." I mumbled something non-confrontational and slunk away, unsure what this ride was going to be like, hoping against hope that the police would not instigate anything. The other rides had been so calm. I didn't want to get arrested. About half an hour later the bike ride poured into the street. Police were escorting us on motorcycles on both sides, same as before. Even though we as a mass with our corkers [see CM Terms] could block traffic with no problem on our own, they thought we needed their "escort" for protection, or maybe they were just trying to make us think we needed them. Riding towards the middle of the slow moving mass, I noticed the light at our first intersection turning red just as I was getting there. I cringed. Eight motorcycle cops pulled into the crowd with menacing faces. I looked around to see what everyone else was going to do. Everyone looked very calm about the whole thing, which relaxed me. I saw one, then two bicycles slip between the motorcycles. Then I was weaving my way through. The blockade was leaking like a sieve. The cop on my right tried to back his motorbike into my way. But his bike was too heavy and he was too slow. I was through! Miles Poindexter CARS, CARS, CARS. The state of urban transportation is in critical condition. Cars, designed for high speed highway trips, are trapped in our cities. They are dangerous, injuring and killing pedestrians and cyclists, spewing noxious odors and creating sound pollution. Cars arenUt made for cities. Why are we designing cities for cars? Urban areas devote 40% of their land to parking space for cars alone!. There are cars in every city living better than people. Next time you go for a walk or ride your bike, take a few minutes to look around and picture your city free of cars. What would the streets be filled with? What would your city smell like, sound like, and feel like, without autos? If you can envision a street filled with hundreds of bicycles, casually pedaling down your street, breathing clean air, the serenity broken only by conversations between riders, and the occasional chime of a bell, then youUve just pictured Critical Mass. Critical Mass is a glimpse of what could be in a bicycle-oriented society. If enough people glimpse this, they wonUt be satisfied with their present condition. Critical Mass is about people- powered machines in a people-oriented society. Miles Every time I ride around I see other bikers. Sometimes I wave, but usually I just try to react to these huge metal boxes speeding back and forth, cutting me off. It's a familiar image. Wouldn't it be cool if we countered it by riding together once in a while? Joseph D. Hofmann, Biker Pride zine - Milwaukee, WI Why not start a Critical Mass in your city? There are as many ways to do a Critical Mass as there are bike riders in the city. Everyone will have their own reasons for wanting to participate. Determine a monthly date for a group bike ride, and a place to gather. A starting time of around 5:30 PM allows people who finish work at 5:00 PM enough time to reach the gathering and RcommuteS home with you. This is when cars are caught in rush hour; commuter grid-lock. It is also the most dangerous time for city bicyclists to ride. Because Critical Mass is a glimpse of a better urban environment, it is important to be visible in heavily trafficked areas for the maximum exposure. Miles CRITICAL QUOTES: Critical Mass is a density. It displaces automobiles by concentrating bicycles so thickly no car will fit, so if a gap as big as a car appears ahead of you, ride into the middle of it and call over a friend. CM is also a social space, a public act of self- acknowledgment by bicyclists who are at the cutting edge of challenging the transit priorities of this society, and by extension, most of the priorities of this culture in general. Having no clear agenda, CM is a monthly organized coincidence. We are all simply riding home . . . together! C.C. I had never had such a calm, peaceful, slow ride through San Francisco's downtown/financial district. My time and mental space there is usually taken up by eternally glancing behind and around me for fear of a ferocious and/or ignorant car driver. On this day, I could devote my energies toward looking and listening to what was around me, and talking and smiling with my fellow bicyclists. I realized I would much rather be stuck in a bicycle traffic jam than an automobile traffic jam. John Labovitz I was arrested last week. Can you believe it? Me, the yuppie from the Upper East Side. The person who lives on the same block as [former] Mayor Dave. My parents thought I was crazy when I moved to NYC, but you can guess what they think now. As I arrived at the meeting place, the Washington Square Arch, I was shocked to notice police lined up along the north side of the park. Pulling up to a friend, I muttered, "What's going on? Why are all the cops here?" "For us," my friend replied. As we got on our way, the police announced that if we didn't follow their exact orders, we would be arrested. For what, I thought: Riding a bike down a street in Manhattan? Wasn't it within my civil rights to bike when and where I wanted to, as long as I followed traffic laws? We pulled out into the street and the cops immediately boxed us in as we headed up 6th Avenue. It was becoming difficult to ride. The police controlled our speed, stops, and starts in a very militant fashion. Along the way, we did "bike lifts" (getting off your bike and raising it over your head) which the cops didn't like. God forbid we should hamper a car from crossing an intersection! The second time we did one they went crazy, arresting everyone who dared stay in the intersection. I took a deep breath, and thought about the two cyclists that had been killed earlier in the week. I want to be able to commute to work on my bike without being hit by a car. Is this too much to ask for? I've been working for these things for more than three years and have they listened? I stepped into the intersection as the answer screamed out in my head. "NO!" Caren Cohen All charges against the bicyclists were dropped. A Note About Cops: The cops are the domestic equivalent of the military. They are well-armed, well-trained and can ALWAYS bring more force to bear than any opposing group. Attempts to push mass political action (like Critical Mass) into violent confrontation with the law are attempts to militarize social opposition. Once militarized, the process of any social movement becomes narrowed: secrecy, cells, arms, unknown leaders calling the shots (often at the expense of innocent bystanders), and so on. This process guarantees defeat because they can always bring in bigger guns and more troops. Worse still, our own activity loses its basis in pleasure and conviviality and becomes an urgent, scary duty rife with danger. And even if the militant street fighters win a skirmish here and there, what's accomplished? The media will have a field day trashing us because few people identify with "militant" activities, and any vision of a different way of life is utterly lost in the predictability of this kind of ostensible opposition. Finally, militancy of this sort strongly reinforces the police state. The cops need rioters just as much as these rioters need cops. If there weren't individuals whose politics led them to fight police, the police would have to hire actors to fulfill this function. Police have often employed agent provocateurs to incite violence when masses of people had better ideas. The Central Committee for Decentralization If anything, Critical Mass is too tame. Random vandalism makes no sense, because it doesn't focus attention on the real issues, but focused, physical protests such as blocking traffic (just as parades and funerals do (and aren't we a parade/funeral celebrating the death of the Age of the Automobile?) and riding on the freeway seem like a natural reaction to a real threat to our health and well being. -Michael J. Vandeman, Ph.D. mjvande@pbhye.pacbell.com Alternative Bikestyles The Critical Mass bike ride in the East Bay is considerably more wild than others. The last ride ranged all over Berkeley, veering wildly off its (semi) scheduled course, with decisions being made with amazing spontaneity. When the ride came to an intersection, someone yelled "To MacDonald's!" The cry was picked up, and the crowd was off, confronting not just motorists but fast food consumers as well, as the ride turned the drive-thru for Big Macs and fries into a bike lane. Yet when I realized this particular ride was going towards the freeway, I was stunned. We had been riding for about 12 miles (according to the police), and I certainly never heard anyone yell "To the freeway!" We just seemed to end up near it, and then we seemed to be heading towards it, and we were all riding so quietly that it was almost surreal. When we got to the on-ramp the bicyclists were smiling and laughing ecstatically, until the 60 mph grind of traffic on I-80 became a reality. It was scary at first. But you'd be surprised how easy it is to bring traffic to a grinding halt, or at least a slow crawl. Fork People who drive death machines are not monsters. They have all been pedestrians, most have ridden bikes. Our tactics must show that the device and not the driver is opposed. They believe that automobiles are essential, but we represent life without them. Our refusal to remain unnoticed may cause them to examine their choice and our example will give them an alternative. Kash Critical Mass Austin Slacker isn't just a movie here, its actually a way of life and something to "aspire" to. This is why Critical Mass Austin is particularly exciting. On the day of the first ride the weather was quite dismal. It was cold and rainy, I didn't expect much of a turn out, but to many people's surprise 50-75 riders took part. Although most of the cyclists were University of Texas students, I sensed early on that for every rider there was a different motivation and expectation for the ride. I was there because I was tired of complaining about how crappy the streets are here, with nasty pot holes and no shoulders. I was not out to change drivers minds about the use of cars. I just wanted them to be painfully aware that bike riders exist and to get used to it, because we do have the power to make life miserable for them. The first half of the ride there wasn't a cop in sight. When they did show up they didn't know what to make of us. For a while they acted as some sort of unwelcome escort, clearly frustrated in not knowing what to do with us. Finally they must have gotten orders from some higher up and began the violent arrest of seven riders. The charges ran from assault of an officer (a deaf rider in the midst of being arrested tried to use his hands to talk); to inciting a riot (I think some lip from a rider caused this one) to minor traffic violations. Since the first ride there has been more media attention, community involvement (the last two rides had between 150 and 200 participants), and greater cop hassles (fourteen arrests last time). The riders have been forced to obey all traffic rules or expect mass arrests. However, riding two abreast and no running of red lights can still have a great effect. Dorothy Blank So much of our lives we are forced to accept situations which we have not chosen for ourselves. As consumers, as voters, as employees, we allow crucial decisions about our lives to be made by other, more powerful people. How sad it is then - and yet how predictable - that our movements for social change are so often cursed with this same problem. When we join a political party, or sign a petition, or take part in a rally, more often then not we are simply accepting someone else's opinion, chanting slogans we did not create, and endorsing laws we do not understand. Critical Mass is, or should be, something different . . . A space where people do not have ideas or actions imposed on them, where people can take an active, rather than passive role in building a livable future, in however small a way. reprinted from a handout at a CM "I'm not in charge," said one man on foot in a navy blue baseball jacket at the pre-ride meeting as he passed out booklets with a route map and neatly printed "citations" which the protesters were to give motorists. "Use the buddy system," he advised. At 5:30 PM sharp, a group of about 105 bicyclists and rollerbladers and skateboarders eased gently onto Southwest Park Avenue followed by a mod squad of 10 bicycle patrol officers. If Critical Massers were out to pick a fight with the authorities, it didn't happen. Duets of bike cops rode in front and flanking the Critical Mass group as the caravan turned east toward Waterfront Park, holding traffic at bay and declining to issue citations when the tail end of the Critical Mass procession ran red lights to keep up with the rest of the group, which legally but slowly took up a traffic lane. The police, joined on Front Avenue by three patrol cars, a paddy wagon and four unmarked police cars, repeatedly expressed their support for the protest. "We ride bikes when we're not working too," said Sgt. Jim Ferraris of the bicycle patrol. "We know what it's like to ride in a gutter or get clipped by a car." Jean Wenzel Pedaling in Portland It should be relatively easy to set up a Critical Mass ride. Bicyclists face the same general problems everywhere - dangerous cycling conditions due to a lack of bike lanes or car- free corridors, inadequate facilities for bicycles (few, if any bike racks and locker or shower facilities at work places), the arrogance and recklessness of motorists, air unsuited for heavy exercise, etc. Add to this the number of people who are simply opposed to fossil-fuel dependency and the ecological havoc wreaked by automobiles, as well as those who instinctively reject the isolation and helplessness that inevitably go along with the car/cash economy, and you have the potential for a mass-based movement that could contribute to radically improved conditions in hundreds of cities. In fact, once the idea of getting together every month in a show of mutual solidarity and support has been suggested, it seems so natural and obvious that people will wonder why the idea didn't take off years ago! Hugh Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - About 75 bicyclists took over the streets of central Philadelphia for an hour and a half on Sept. 29, demanding better conditions for city cyclists. Participants gathered at City Hall and rode through the streets en masse, holding up midday traffic and handing out a list of their demands to pedestrians and motorists, including a network of bike lanes to be built in the city, bike access to mass transit, and an end to bike bans on a major downtown street and the University of Pennsylvania campus. Cyclists plan to hold monthly actions until their demands are met. Auto-Free Press I suppose it means something that the idea is spreading to other cities so quickly: now Montreal, Boston, NYC, Poznan, Poland, Berkeley, Santa Cruz and Portland, and it's still jumping along. Completely unrelated but just as impressive are the Tuesday night rides along the coastline in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil by upwards of 7,000 bicyclists a week! Where can it all go? Can a larger vision of social transformation get articulated through this kind of expanded public space/life? Are bikes really subversive, or will we soon see corporate sponsors like Diet Coke in Rio de Janeiro? Chris Carlsson 7. CM TERMS: a. Corking: As the group rides into an intersection, 1 or 2 bicyclers stop in front of the waiting cars, effectively RcorkingS the intersection until everyone rides by. This keeps motorists from considering inching forward when their light turns green. Many corkers hold up signs saying RThanks for waitingS or RHonk if you love bicycles.S b. Organized Coincidence: This describes how CM rides simply RmaterializeS every month even though there are no leaders or organizational sponsorships. No one need take responsibility but everyone can take credit. c. Xerocracy: Everyone can influence a CM by writing their ideas down and copying them so that a majority of riders see a copy. A route can be agreed upon in this way also. If enough people like your idea, it will happen; if not, remember there are no leaders in a xerocracy. d. Going to Mass: Showing up at the CM ride. Example: RAre you going to Mass Friday?" e. Wheeze in: When a bunch of bicyclers suddenly fall to the ground in a mock display of gasping and wheezing in the middle of an intersection. This usually gets the horns honking. f. Diffusing: Jumping in and disengaging a bike rider from a motorist if it looks like they are getting hostile to each other. g. Chain Reaction: The phenomenon of CM appearing in cities all over the map. Is yours next? I haven't met one bicyclist I couldn't talk to on some level. The various influences that biking has on our brain and body provide ready conversation. I don't think I've ever been asked the stale get-to-know-each-other questions during a CM. When conversation starts there's so much more stuff to talk about on a more specific, intimate level. (It's just such a warm, sharing, giving experience. It just gives me the chills, you know?). Beth P.S. Special note to Steve Ancell: To answer your questions: a. Don't overtake traffic at a standstill, keep the group together at all times b. Issue all the press releases you would like to. The presence of the press always deters the police from hassling bikers. On the other hand they might seek out the most confrontational sound/image bites and give your demonstration a bad name before it even gets going. I prefer not to alert the press at all and let people find out about it through word of mouth. It tends to make the event more social/fun and less political/controversial. c. Our rides generally last 2 to 3 hours. How are your rides going? You mentioned they would start around December 3. quotes, notes and anecdotes compiled by Miles c/o Crash % 519 Castro St. #7 % San Francisco, CA 94114 USA email: crash@barn.com