great article in Pacific Magazine!

[HipGnosis6]

One cyclist, trying to "be the change you want to see", can make an impression on drivers, wherever we are.

Wholehearted AGREE here. I got my bike in part because I wanted to effect change and believe that one must be willing to sacrifice your own comforts first and live as an example before asking other people to change their ways. I'm all for alternate commuting over the single-occupancy commuter car model; I bus and bike everywhere, but I had to learn how to do it first. And learning to do it RIGHT and in a way that would be a positive experience not just for me but for the other people on the roads was very important to me. I spent as much time reading up about how to behave in traffic as I did researching what make of bike to buy. I wish everybody would.

I'm not the sort to correct other people though. The messengers drive me nuts because their antics are what get seen by drivers as opposed to my own careful "ride as part of traffic" style. IMO, a "good" urban cyclist will hardly even be noticed because they fit in with the flow of traffic.

[Quillfred]

I wrote Critical Mass a letter after seeing this article. I agree it was mostly very positive.

I was surprised and a bit troubled to see beer cans in the hands of a couple of Seattle CM riders. I mean riding with a can in your hand is bad enough, but under the influence of alcohol while making a political statement? I think that "dings" their credibility some.

Bicycle Alliance of Washington is having an auction Saturday November 4th at the Seattle Exhibition Hall.

http://www.bicyclealliance.org/

[mimitabby]

I wrote Critical Mass a letter after seeing this article. I agree it was mostly very positive.

I was surprised and a bit troubled to see beer cans in the hands of a couple of Seattle CM riders. I mean riding with a can in your hand is bad enough, but under the influence of alcohol while making a political statement? I think that "dings" their credibility some.

Bicycle Alliance of Washington is having an auction Saturday November 4th at the Seattle Exhibition Hall.

http://www.bicyclealliance.org/

I agree, what kind of image is that!!
And particularly Zack, the guy who was arrested this summer. HE's the one riding with the beer in his hand. Sure impressed me.. I wonder if he was brawling (with the sheriffs) because he was drinking? Nah, they would have checked his blood alcohol level for sure,..

[Kitsune06]

The messengers drive me nuts because their antics are what get seen by drivers as opposed to my own careful "ride as part of traffic" style. IMO, a "good" urban cyclist will hardly even be noticed because they fit in with the flow of traffic.

Argh. Those people are the reason I stopped posting to the Bikeportland.org forums. People who have to break the rules and try to justify it, etc etc. bug the **** out of me. =P

Be the change you want to see... and maybe people will follow suit. :P

[HipGnosis6]

I've noticed more and more messengers wearing helmets here in Seattle. A lot of them opt for skate style helmets, but that's OK. Apparently the agencies are starting to require it. About time...

Some of those justifications on rules-breaking are a little valid. Bikes really are subject to inertia. It isn't that cars aren't - that's a vehicle's most inefficient time, stopping and starting - it's just that the rules are set up for vehicles where the operator doesn't really notice. I'd bet you that if the percentages of driver vs. rider were flipflopped, then the laws would change too!

[mimitabby]

I've noticed more and more messengers wearing helmets here in Seattle. A lot of them opt for skate style helmets, but that's OK. Apparently the agencies are starting to require it. About time...

Some of those justifications on rules-breaking are a little valid. Bikes really are subject to inertia. It isn't that cars aren't - that's a vehicle's most inefficient time, stopping and starting - it's just that the rules are set up for vehicles where the operator doesn't really notice. I'd bet you that if the percentages of driver vs. rider were flipflopped, then the laws would change too!

If cars toppled over when stopped, I bet there wouldn't be any stoplights!

[veloputt]

Just have to say that a coworker knows Zack, and says he's the mildest mannered guy you could ever imagine... the whole thing was such a mess, but glad they finally threw the case out, and investigating the off-duty Sheriffs--lots of ugly stuff there.

But I do agree it is too bad when a few goofs/idiots do stupid things and break or ignore rules & common sense--but that gets noticed, and most folks remember the bad stuff about anything... Now to talk about silly cyclists--Fremont's Soltice Parade! Quite a show, that!

[Quillfred]

Just have to say that a coworker knows Zack, and says he's the mildest mannered guy you could ever imagine... the whole thing was such a mess, but glad they finally threw the case out, and investigating the off-duty Sheriffs--lots of ugly stuff there.

But I do agree it is too bad when a few goofs/idiots do stupid things and break or ignore rules & common sense--but that gets noticed, and most folks remember the bad stuff about anything... Now to talk about silly cyclists--Fremont's Soltice Parade! Quite a show, that!

It's a good thing they never crash--or fall.

Note to rest of the world--Fremont's Solstice Parade features dozens of nude, painted cyclists celebrating the start of summer.

[Geonz]

Good article, especially in that it probed some of the complexities; didn't try to simplify CM as "good" or "bad" or "cute little miscreants" or whatever. (Gotta love online ... you can make articles LONG!)

Sigh, here we're jealous of any place willing to consider bike lanes... we basically haven't had any bike-specific action taken since the Boub case made it a "liability disincentive" to call anything a place where bikes are expected. However, Urbana has budgeted money for a Bike Plan ... on tahe third hand, I could too easily visualize them paying for the consulting and all the politicking... and then deciding there just wasn't enough money to actually *do* the right thing and everything getting tabled.