Pack/herd/mob mentality. Large numbers of people in a group stop behaving rationally.

I've read this thread with interest. In our area there are two local bike clubs. Both do cue sheet rides on the weekend; both attract 10-40 people on a ride. In the past I stopped riding with one because they had gotten into the herd mentality with a lot of Type A's. For two years I rode with the other group that is slower and made up of Type B personalities.

Last year both groups changed. The Type A group stopped doing mass starts. Small groups of riders start together and there are "lunch" stop regroup points for chit chat. At the same time the Type B group moved to herd mentality. 20-30 riders in a pack (and doing a whopping 12-14mph). If motorists think a fast pack is rude, I can't imagine what they think when it dwaddles along.

Needless to say, I'm now riding with the former Type A group. We're all on the same route. You still have the camaraderie, but we stop at stoplights, Idaho stop (with proper yielding) at stop signs, and go single file in traffic. And, you know, it is still a lot of fun and I still find I can get pushed to ride a little faster.

I'm not sure what my point is, except that it is clear that groups can change. While I'd put money that the Type B group's morph into rude pack was just herd mentality, something had to have happened to change the Type A's behavior. Was it police? Was it internal? Don't know, but it is for the better. Rude riders can reform.