Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by John Greenfield on September 29, 2012 at 7:42am

Very little, thanks.

No, but I saw him bike down my alley this morning, which means he's probably staying at Alex and Lauren's place.

Permalink Reply by Ash L. on September 29, 2012 at 12:00pm

Stickers ran out quick. I was hoping Rico would be able to snag one for me. What was the winning design?

Howard, you want me to hand any out at Kidical Mass or Critical Lass this month?

Permalink Reply by Travis Hugh Culley on September 29, 2012 at 11:47pm

Last night, I enjoyed the SFCM birthday party right here in San Fran. We celebrated with a week of activities, an art show, a punk show, a book release party for Shift Happens: Critical Mass at 20 (edited by Chris Carlsson, LisaRuth Elliott, and Adriana Camarena). If you haven't gotten your copy of this anthology of essays, read more about it at http://www.sfcriticalmass.org/2012/07/16/shift-happens-critical-mas.... It is being distributed by AK press. Have your local bookstore order your copy today.

In preparation for the ride, there were also numerous mobilizations including the production of t-shirts, posters, and flyers (4 ups & bar end tags) which were widely distributed. 

At the Justin Hermann plaza, there were thousands of riders, many of whom were enjoying their very first Critical Mass. But I met dedicated massers from all around the world, including Milan, Rome, Paris, Mexico City, Brazillia and Sao Paolo. There were a number of sub-grouping including a Kidical Mass, and a gathering of winged angels from the Icarus Project www.icarusproject.org). The whole embarcadero was swelling with riders and camera crews gathering takes and interview of people in festive costumes, on festive bicycles, and otherwise just having fun. At 6pm we sang Happy Birthday to Critical Mass, and then we slowly started to mount up and take to the streets. Riders were still just leaving the plaza at 7pm. 

A number of former CCMers were there including Eric Anderson, Catherine Sky, and Jefferson McCauley. I looked happily back on the years I rode with CCM, and felt cheer for the Chicago Mass. This is why I am posting my comment here. "Rock over london, rock on Chicago!" I am very glad to hear (and see) that there was a great turnout back 'home'.

Throughout the birthday bash, I had no idea where the beginning or the end of the ride was, and I delighted in the fact that Critical Mass Rides were just as festive in cities like Brussels, Belgium, and Budapest. I felt like was in the infinite middle, or absolute center of the ride until the very last hours. We rode the whole city, including two tunnels, the mission district, Divisadero, and the Embarcadero.

At one point, an aggravated driver wearing some ID, tried to stop the mass by cutting it in two. She stood in the middle of the road grabbing bikes and telling us all to stop. She was making the claim that it was an emergency, but we had already made way for fire engines and felt that her claim was not real. When she grabbed a cargo bike with a blaring sound system, the rider of that bike picked up the microphone and said: "This lady wants us all to stop right here." We stopped, but no cars could pass.  Celebration ensued, and bikes were lifted in the air. We held the intersection for a couple minutes while the intersection continued to fill with bikes.

There were a few minor accidents, and injuries. I saw one biker fall in the tracks on Market, and another biker get hit as a motorist plowed through the mass, but there were no serious accidents or arrests made. This, I just discovered: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sfslim/8034900485/. 

On the whole, this was a deeply rewarding night for long time bicycle activists as it fed new life to the movement, and lifted the spirits of an anti-car movement that continues to feel the oppression of car culture, and targeted police enforcement. Read more about the night at: http://citymaus.tumblr.com.

Good to see that you're growing up, Chicago. Much love. Velo & Pais, T-rat 

Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on September 30, 2012 at 2:12am

I gave my last sticker at the perimeter ride. I need one for my bike!

h' said:

Sure, would love it! Ordered an extra thousand this year and moved about 1400 last night. Should be about 1200 left (sent some to St. Louis, Madison, to WTB/Ciclo, and to the Perimeter ride already.)  Starting to wonder if 3,000 is going to be enough...  I sorted them into various sized bundles thinking I'd be able to hand off a hundred here and a hundred there to folks to distribute at other events, but they went fast and a lot of people didn't get them.... I did hand out a lot of short stacks with the intent that people would distribute to their cluster of friends/massers, so hopefully that happened. So there's the Halloween mass... let's figure out when I can get them to you.

I've updated the http://bikewinter.org page to reflect the current sticker-- take a look.

If anyone knows where I can get hold of some of these rogue stickers, let me know ;-)

Ash L. said:

Stickers ran out quick. I was hoping Rico would be able to snag one for me. What was the winning design?

Howard, you want me to hand any out at Kidical Mass or Critical Lass this month?