whining about critical mass
Predictable PI column whining about Critical Mass. The writer is a cyclist himself – analogous to conservatives showcasing an African American who doesn’t like affirmative action. But even cyclists often succumb to carhead. The writer would seem to gauge the moral value of any action by whether it causes delays in car travel. Oh, and how clever to drag out the tired straw man that bikers who complain about cars are hypocrites if they use cars. It’s like saying that people who have sex are hypocrites if they disapprove of rape.
I’ve been a daily bike commuter in Seattle for years, though I’ve never ridden in Critical Mass. But I totally appreciate the frustration that feeds it. Given the current state of the planet, you’d think that the average Seattlite would have nothing but gratitude for anyone willing to travel by bike. But what you experience out there on a bike is pretty much the opposite. It’s maddening.
So maybe CMers are taking the chance that their tactics may backfire to some degree. But I love how they openly challenge our car-dominated culture.