Comments on: Critical Mass Do’s & Don’ts!

By: Lincoln

Lincoln — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 04:54:53 +0000

I have seen only one cm in sf a few years ago. I enjoyed watching it very much and actually spoken to a few that ride and one told me that there are a few that cause problems. Some riders that I met were very polite and had some very good looking bikes. I just wish that the few flies in the ointment do not ruin it for everybody.

By: ccarlsson

ccarlsson — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 21:48:11 +0000

yes, it rarely rolls before 6:20 or even 6:30…

By: john

john — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:41:13 +0000

does the ride meet at 5:30 – but not get going until 6pm???
trying to gather a bunch of folks there… thanks!

By: David

David — Fri, 27 May 2011 13:26:05 +0000

I really hate SF Critical Mass. A couple of times I’ve been exhausted by a grueling week and having forgotten that it’s a CM Day, haplessly gotten on my BUS home, only to have it trapped for 15 or 20 minutes as CM passes. It frosts me that the taxpayers of my nearly bankrupt city pay for a police escort for your illegal activity.

You sometimes may have seen me informally demonstrating along your route. Not with any pickets signs, but with both middle fingers raised as you pass. Mostly people try to be friendly about the exercise of my Constitutionally guaranteed right of fee speech, but once one of your riders made a point of spitting on me. I remind you that that act is the crime of assault and you are subject to arrest and criminal prosecution if you commit it.

By: Bradixp

Bradixp — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 06:19:26 +0000

My Dear Issacs,

I think basically what you are saying can be broken down into nice little segments:

1. Be Friendly
2. Be Considerate of those you share the roads with, Even MUNI
3. Follow all the rules of the road, Red lights do mean stop, Just think of them as breaks for riders to catch their breaths, or extend their ride and show off some CM bling
4. Don’t pick fights with cars, they are bigger then you and hospital stays are simply no fun

Cheers!

By: RicardoNeisRIP

RicardoNeisRIP — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 02:39:33 +0000

V. Issac’s – can you please tell me which organization you are with? Seems as if you have plenty of personal income via your husband and your skimming of donations. I would like to know who you are and represent as you do sound like a baby. Who can’t ride a bike, honestly? Don’t give me your “Sciatica” BS I have more back problems than a retard with wings. It’s called exercise and proper training which will strengthen your weak little muscles to be strong enough to deal with your back and other problems your “easy-come easy-go” money is concerned.

I assume you come from money, if you can travel all over the world and afford a Prius and all the other “Green” technologies. Additionally if you can afford all the time for these meetings and recycling you must not really know what real work is like both physically and mentally. You sound like one big charity case of daddy’s money. Or a gold digg’n candy face but I highly doubt this as even the richest gold diggers know that you need to workout and stay fit to please the eye properly.

While I don’t agree with the idiot hipsters who have poor manners and self control I do support the cause of Critical Mass. I have too been blocked and angered by these behaviors and those that take it to extremes usually get caught up with at one point or another.

I don’t generally ride in the Mass due to the timing with my work and lifestyle but I am glad that some responsible people make it out and show that people need to be aware and calm down when a cyclist is near your car. Relax that temper and wait for the right opportunity to pass or find alternative direction.

By: jc

jc — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 03:45:40 +0000

I do not object to the principles of CM. However, it would be beneficial to everyone to be considerate of the motorists who an option. We do need to get some place (sometimes) especially after a long week spent in the office. We want to enjoy our weekend as well. cross behind us when you can. Mutual respect goes a long way.

By: Josie Miranda

Josie Miranda — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 12:53:05 +0000

Please wear clothes while you ride….very disturbing seeing old naked men riding along. My kids don’t need to see that and its illegal.

By: Voice of Reason

Voice of Reason — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 12:34:32 +0000

V. Issacs,

I read with great enjoyment your argument of a double standard.

Being blocked by cyclists is a terrible thing to happen when you are trying to raise money for a good cause.

I quote key points of your discussion in reverse.

“VERY hard to reach as they are a jetsetter and after 5 years have not been able to coordinate our schedules to meet”

“VIPs will RARELY rebook someone who is trying to get money from them for a cause”

These two points really make it seem difficult to meet these people anyway, without a mass of cyclists in between.

So I guess with a calendar of events you can know in advance which dates to miss, but what if these are the only dates available to meet with “Jetsetters” who “give big (like in the hundreds of thousands to even millions)”?

The answer is found close at home…

“Technological equipment my husband creates … reduces the need for face to face meetings”

And if you have more green technology than I can ever afford, just donate your own savings.

All the best.

VOR

By: V. Isacks

V. Isacks — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:46:01 +0000

As for your answer to #2 I do try to avoid driving during “sports events, political rallies, Bay to Breakers” especially in the city it’s just not worth it. Chinese NY is okay because I can do it all in mass transit (save the 7 mins drive/ 17 trike to BART) and usually their are things around it where I can fundraise. BUT, If I don’t have to be their to fundraise or for school – in general I avoid large scale events, mainly as crowds seem to bring out bad behaviour in even the most nice of people I know. CMSF should practise what you call self-management but I’ve not seen this with the SF branch, and until I see and hear of improvement I will continue to not like your organization. I mean why not formally appologize for the errors of the past and ban those particular individuals from participating if they are distructive? That makes sense to me.

Still don’t think the argument for the back part of the procession running reds is logical, in most other countries whomever has the green has the right to run over those who are running the red and it’s not even considered a ticketable offense even if it ends in death for the person running the red – you are lucky we live in California. Still, If we all don’t follow the lights then chaos ensues. It’s almost Darwinian if you don’t value your life enough to stop you kind of deserve trouble – maybe not death but at least a bit of pain of some sort.

I suppose if you see cars as ‘evil’ then you might think the behavour exhibited by some of your participants is okay – but I see engineering and science finding a better way to make them more efficient (such as a move to electricity which can be made from SO many more ecofriendly models) as solving the issue rather than taking away that option for people with longer commutes or who are carrying large quantities of things. Sure getting everyone to reduce consumption is a good thing but some of you are just as ridged as John Bircher’s and Birther’s on the other end of the spectrum.