Critical Mass is Not a Bike Gang
Apparently, Atlanta Police broke up the most recent Critical Mass. I promise that Critical Mass is far from being any sort of bike gang. I’ve ridden with the Atlanta folks, and it’s just about riding bikes in a group and raising awareness about cyclists. In a town like Atlanta, where a lot of motorists would rather run you down than slow down, groups like CM face a lot of disdain from drivers, and it sounds like from the APD, too. Check out Ride bikes for a screenshot of the headline and Robert’s take on the news.
[via Robert Ashton]
Posted: June 30th, 2008 under News.
Comments
Comment from Becky
Time June 30, 2008 at 1:23 pm
But that’s totally the point! They say these sensationalist things just to get clicks and ratings. Meanwhile, folks are reading that headline and getting a false impression. It’s irresponsible, and journalists should know better.
Yea, I totally agree with you on the rules of the road. We can’t expect motorists to treat us as equals while we blow red lights and whatnot.
(Though I have been known to walk my bike up the sidewalk and past a traffic jam. But that’s technically legal, right?)
Comment from codymc
Time June 30, 2008 at 1:40 pm
yeah it’s a bit sensational — although i’m not completely convinced that calling a group of 100+ bikes cruising around town a gang isn’t that inaccurate. What would you call them?
Comment from Becky
Time June 30, 2008 at 1:47 pm
I think it’s very sensational and strikes me as deliberate. The word gang conjures images of folks who are dangerous…like a group of thugs. You can’t say that word isn’t biased. They could have called them any number of things…group? activist group? club? I don’t buy for a second that a journalist – a writer – didn’t choose that word deliberately to make the story sound more dramatic.
Comment from codymc
Time June 30, 2008 at 12:29 pm
I woudn’t read too much into the bike gang thing — they’re trying to get people to click on it — and i doubt meant to make it negative (however it may appear).
It seems the mass has toned down it’s ‘causing congestion talk on its site — which i think is a good thing. I’m of the opinion that the more cyclists show how cars and bikes can get along the more harmony there will be. (and you already know how I feel about cyclists that don’t follow the rules of the road — they should apply to all, equally :) )