You are hereHey wait a minute... where are OUR celebrities?
Hey wait a minute... where are OUR celebrities?
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Looks like last month Rev. Al Sharpton joined up with NYC Critical Mass to ride and protest the recent murder of Sean Bell by 3 undercover NYC Police detectives. Freaking crazy!
Reverend Al Sharpton Rides a Bike! from jenchung on Vimeo.
So, um, where are OUR celebrities? I mean if Rev. Al can hop on a hybrid and cruise along with the NYC crew, can't SOME famous Austinite celeb (I'm looking at you, Lance) make a token appearance at our local CM ride? It's not like they're scared away by us freaks or anything...
I think you answered your own question in a previous post ("Interesting Critical Mass Conversation"):
"I asked the list for feedback on if they rode Critical Mass in the past or present, and if not what's been keeping them away? The answers have been diverse but a common thread is the aggression and anti-car attitudes shown by some people on the rides."
You also say that that attitude has been dying down lately, but that perception will persist for a long long time. And who wants to be associated with a group that is perceived to have an attitude like that?
I think that's a strawman argument though. I've been to bars and parties where all sorts of stupid shit has gone down. Fights, police raids, ridiculous stuff. Doesn't mean I don't go to bars or parties. People who start shit need to be held responsible for their own actions and the people at Critical Mass who agitate and cause problems are such a minuscule number, rarely does it even cause a problem.
I don't think the group is perceived that way overall. I know a lot of people who support it that don't ride, and the response we get from drivers is primarily positive. The ticked off/aggressive drivers are also in the minority, thankfully. Most people out there have been really cool, smiling, waving, and shouting encouragement as we cruise by. I dunno, the attitude lately has been really positive. I'm not sure if it's always been that way as I only started riding March '07, but it really seems to have been really improving over the last year or so. Riders of all different types have been showing up, but the common thread has been the big smiles they're wearing and how amazingly friendly they've all been. I've met so many amazing friends from the rides, it's unreal.
I don't really expect Lance to show up or anything, and honestly maybe he's not the type of element we want on the rides anyway... ;)
He doesn't have anything to protest, things are going great for him.
Also, Lance knows how to ride a bike, apparently Al Sharpton just started learning that day.
That Sean bell thing is messed up. Basically some cops went in to try to bust some prostitutes and ended up murdering a guy on his wedding day. Well I guess THAT showed those prostitutes who has the right to sell what! Thank God I don't live in NYC.
lance doesnt need anything to protest to come ride CM. Although he should protest how fucked up the lance armstrong bike way is.
fixed gears are like butt holes, every one has one.