Comments on: Bad Tactic: Stalling Buses & Traffic for No Reason http://www.sfcriticalmass.org/2009/12/21/bad-tactic-stalling-buses-traffic-for-no-reason/ words, history, ideas and more from San Francisco's Critical Mass Fri, 25 Nov 2011 05:58:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Darren Stehr http://www.sfcriticalmass.org/2009/12/21/bad-tactic-stalling-buses-traffic-for-no-reason/comment-page-1/#comment-219 Darren Stehr Thu, 31 Dec 2009 02:33:57 +0000 http://www.sfcriticalmass.org/?p=158#comment-219 Almost anything written about CM always references itself to the car and/or conflict between the two groups. Yes the majority of it is from the media but even participants add to it via blogs, etc (Yes I am guilty as anyone else is). ...and yes there is some legacy stuff calling for respect of pedestrians and motorists. Participants still heed those words today. There is very little consideration to the interaction of participants to those they come across while riding. For lack of a better description, CM is like a big nonthreatening "HELLO!" to your fellow citizens. What other group, other than maybe Christmas carolers, can roam the streets and engage people they come across in a positive way? www.torontocranks.com has ten years of photos/videos from CM. Someone gave Chris my photo book on CM when he was here earlier this year. Maybe you can borrow it from him. Almost anything written about CM always references itself to the car and/or conflict between the two groups. Yes the majority of it is from the media but even participants add to it via blogs, etc (Yes I am guilty as anyone else is). …and yes there is some legacy stuff calling for respect of pedestrians and motorists. Participants still heed those words today.

There is very little consideration to the interaction of participants to those they come across while riding. For lack of a better description, CM is like a big nonthreatening “HELLO!” to your fellow citizens. What other group, other than maybe Christmas carolers, can roam the streets and engage people they come across in a positive way?

http://www.torontocranks.com has ten years of photos/videos from CM. Someone gave Chris my photo book on CM when he was here earlier this year. Maybe you can borrow it from him.

]]> By: hughillustration http://www.sfcriticalmass.org/2009/12/21/bad-tactic-stalling-buses-traffic-for-no-reason/comment-page-1/#comment-202 hughillustration Mon, 28 Dec 2009 03:50:56 +0000 http://www.sfcriticalmass.org/?p=158#comment-202 Darren, I'm not sure what writing or thought you're referring to. As far as I know, the only writing/thought on CM encourages people to treat motorists and pedestrians with respect. If you have other examples, I'd love to see them. Also love to see your work on the Toronto CM! Darren, I’m not sure what writing or thought you’re referring to. As far as I know, the only writing/thought on CM encourages people to treat motorists and pedestrians with respect. If you have other examples, I’d love to see them. Also love to see your work on the Toronto CM!

]]> By: Darren Stehr http://www.sfcriticalmass.org/2009/12/21/bad-tactic-stalling-buses-traffic-for-no-reason/comment-page-1/#comment-200 Darren Stehr Sun, 27 Dec 2009 17:26:02 +0000 http://www.sfcriticalmass.org/?p=158#comment-200 Respectively 'ramonchu', there has been an unhealthy obsession with getting even with the car or poor transportation choices with a lot of CM thought/writing. When I go to CM I see people engaging with other participants and with people not involved in CM. As fleeting as CM is to a passerby, it gives them a real taste of how different things can be. I have documented CM in Toronto for over ten years and know that these experiences are positive 90-95% of the time. It brings smiles and encouragement from people. Respectively ‘ramonchu’, there has been an unhealthy obsession with getting even with the car or poor transportation choices with a lot of CM thought/writing. When I go to CM I see people engaging with other participants and with people not involved in CM. As fleeting as CM is to a passerby, it gives them a real taste of how different things can be. I have documented CM in Toronto for over ten years and know that these experiences are positive 90-95% of the time. It brings smiles and encouragement from people.

]]> By: Darren Stehr http://www.sfcriticalmass.org/2009/12/21/bad-tactic-stalling-buses-traffic-for-no-reason/comment-page-1/#comment-195 Darren Stehr Thu, 24 Dec 2009 19:50:22 +0000 http://www.sfcriticalmass.org/?p=158#comment-195 I have seen too many times where “We’re not blocking traffic, we ARE traffic!” is used to challenge drivers rather than encourage them to join us. I am convinced that a slogan should better reflect what is happening at CM... something along the lines of "We are community..." Ok it needs some work. Just do not like reducing us to "traffic". I have seen too many times where “We’re not blocking traffic, we ARE traffic!” is used to challenge drivers rather than encourage them to join us. I am convinced that a slogan should better reflect what is happening at CM… something along the lines of “We are community…” Ok it needs some work. Just do not like reducing us to “traffic”.

]]> By: ramonchu http://www.sfcriticalmass.org/2009/12/21/bad-tactic-stalling-buses-traffic-for-no-reason/comment-page-1/#comment-190 ramonchu Wed, 23 Dec 2009 07:33:40 +0000 http://www.sfcriticalmass.org/?p=158#comment-190 don't necessarily agree with your comment; when Mass occupies an intersection it's similar to the spontaneous "take back the streets" concept...though I can't hear any music coming from this particular crowd, leading me to believe the tactic not to be stupid, but rather boring, and thus ineffective, in that no one in the surrounding traffic of cars and buses is drawn to the event. Nonetheless, my beef with CM has always been that the rides don't go far enough in conceptualizing STREETS FOR PEOPLE, streets as spaces that are more than human sewers meant to move people as fast as possible as if we were toxic waste, streets as places where people can stop and think and talk and drink and laugh and love and scream and dance. CM remains too vehicular, though, forever and ever, must be commended for breaking down that first layer of barriers in the American collective consciousness that sees streets as only for cars (at least they're beginning to be seen as places for bikes too). don’t necessarily agree with your comment; when Mass occupies an intersection it’s similar to the spontaneous “take back the streets” concept…though I can’t hear any music coming from this particular crowd, leading me to believe the tactic not to be stupid, but rather boring, and thus ineffective, in that no one in the surrounding traffic of cars and buses is drawn to the event. Nonetheless, my beef with CM has always been that the rides don’t go far enough in conceptualizing STREETS FOR PEOPLE, streets as spaces that are more than human sewers meant to move people as fast as possible as if we were toxic waste, streets as places where people can stop and think and talk and drink and laugh and love and scream and dance. CM remains too vehicular, though, forever and ever, must be commended for breaking down that first layer of barriers in the American collective consciousness that sees streets as only for cars (at least they’re beginning to be seen as places for bikes too).

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