DO…..Allow emergency vehicles (e.g., Ambulance with lights and sirens) to get through. I could hear it and see it….didn’t you…oh, I’m sorry but I forgot that your mission and intervention is so self-centered to have any concern for someone who needed emergency care somewhere in the City!

DO….Have guilt and sympathy for the person whose ambulance was delayed in reaching them this evening.

DO NOT….Think that your effort is more important that public safety and EMS response.

You’ve lost any empathy or support for your effort that I had previously.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFF9r2FkvwQ&feature=related

The point you are trying to make about making the street safe for bicycling is totally lost because you are inconsiderate, selfish, self indulgent assholes who have no consideration for others and are willing to cause injury to others and their livelihoods.

I ride a bike, I try to make every accommodation and safety consideration I can while driving
to bicyclists, but I LOATH AND DESPISE ALL OF YOU. You are the biggest most selfish assholes in the Bay Area.

I am not exactly sure if I found the right place to put one individual’s comment. Not as a bike person myself any longer, but as a pedestrian and couple times a month passenger in my boyfriends car to go to San Jose or costco. I am actually a bit fearful that by commenting here I will hear back many times worse than when I am in my local neighborhood. Tonight again yelled back at by a young girl when she rode by hitting a bag I was carrying.

To be direct, I am always puzzled by the total opposite I see in practice and what I understand that this group Critical mass is trying to bring awareness and achieve a change. On the street, every day, every week, I see four hundred and ninety-nine of five hundred bike riders simply breaking the traffic laws. Sorry, there is no better way to say it. And now I am starting to fear all the negative emails back. But I never see any bikes stop at the intersections, or even slow down. And I do not see them respecting the direction of traffic or the proper lanes when it means they should be stopping along with the cars, or motorcycles, or the pedestrians at intersections. Just like tonight when almost home again. I was carrying bags, and no the bicyclist did not hit me directly but was so close to hit my bags, right in front, no stop, just riding through a left turn intersection. When I said she missed a stop sign, she started to curse at me and gave me the finger. I am old enough to be her mother, and she swears at me and give the finger. I expect maybe there is some cultural norm I may not be understanding, but after nine years of seeing the same habits, I can not grasp the true goal of critical mass.

What I understand is the group wishes to have people endorse bicycle transportation, provide proper rode respect, and each person doing our individual best for the environment when our commutes can be done by mass transit or individual transportation (walking, bikes).

I am sorry for this long message, but I have been here so many years and get very frustrated and also fearful walking. I see on the news that tomorrow is a big anniversary for critical mass. But all I can think and all I can believe is that if any percentage…. or rather if the majority percentage of bicycles obeyed the motorist rules as they are required by law, then critiacl mass could have achieved what I understand as your goals in half the years of existence.

Again, I am sorry to post here. for I worry I do not understand what is some issue I do not see day to day. But I can not understand the logic by continuing monthly rides with purposely breaking the traffic laws as a way to gain support, verses a change in behavior, that there is going to be some change in acceptance. It is the same that I keep and love my two dogs, but I can have no understanding or respect for the pet owners I see in the park that do not obey the lease laws, or clean up after their pet, and let them run free in the children school park by my home. Just as I love my dogs, I love bikes and wish I could still ride as when I was in school, but I have no respect for the bike riders that I see causing so many problems every day.

Please try to find a way to promote bike riders and proper responsibility for behavior that can promote everyone to ride bikes if possible. Can it be done as in other countries where bikes aslo obey the law and act responsibly?

I wiish you all ride safely on the anniversary ride tomorrow.
Jasmine

Personally, I have never witnessed any behavior this bad on Critical Mass. When I do see anyone behaving obnoxiously, I do confront them. But I’ve never seen anything like this.