August 2009 Critical Mass, a few tips and a warning from the cops

Critical Mass is less than a week away, the students are coming back in droves, the weather has reached the apex and is finally going to start getting NICER, all these things are the makings of a KILLER August Critical Mass ride! This Friday meet on the UT West Mall at 5pm, and make sure to bring everything you need to make it the unforgettable experience Critical Mass always seems to be. Weird bikes, crazy clothes, plenty of beverages, music, flashy lights, instruments, spare tubes, all the good stuff. Lately the rides have been hitting water spots due to the weather, but since these riders are leaderless and directionless by design, where we'll actually end up is anyone's guess.

Chalo made the ride last month and posted a few observations that I feel are rather astute. Mainly, as Critical Mass we should make sure we stay a MASS! Slow it down up front and keep the crowd together, it's safer for everyone. Also try to leave a lane open for the cars so they don't get stuck in the middle of everybody, which causes pissed off drivers and hurt feelings. He said it better than I, but the point is if we can stick together and not get so spread out, everybody is safer for it. As a master of all things weird, wheeled and human-powered, he also had a bit to say about that:

I think this event can be more fun if we roll our most whimsical rides, carry refreshments and extra lighting and sound on our bikes, take along passengers with musical instruments and/or exceptional sex appeal, and do whatever else we can to make it a scene as well as a ride. Trikes and trailers that take up room are a huge plus! Eyed-catching bikes are a huge plus! (Hint: even gaily colored fixies are common as grackles now, and thus no longer eye-catching. But you do what you gotta do.)

May I voice my agreement? I miss all the tall bikes, trikes, tandems and weird contraptions that have rolled with Critical Mass over the years. This is a celebration of cycling, so why not make it something special? Add streamers, rig some Christmas lights, tote a boombox, wear a funny hat, whatever! I know for a while there we were doing theme rides which brought out the costumes, but do we really need any more excuse than it being Critical Mass to get our bike (and ourselves) all gussied up?

One final word, and it's a word of warning. The act of corking helps all of us when we're trying to keep the crowd together through lights, but if you choose to do it be warned that the local cops are SPECIFICALLY targeting for that behavior, according to what they're telling the cyclists they pull over:

i was recently given a ticket by a downtown bike cop for running a red light at 3rd/lavaca. the officer wouldn't give me a warning for my first offense, stating that the chief "wants us to give tickets out" and that "there's been a lot of accidents" he even went so far as to ask me if i rode CM, later stating that they're going after corkers because it's a misdemeanor. he didn't know what a corker was, though. he also didn't know the fine schedule for the ticket he was writing.

I was at a meeting recently with some city people including a police officer and Critical Mass was brought up, specifically about the issue of corkers. The officer said the same thing mentioned above, and that the charge they arrest for is a Class B Misdemeanor, and can land your ass in jail. Something to consider.