[*BCM*] A Response

[Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson]

"So Mr. Nelson, it is up to you.  Figure it out, lead us into new and
wonderful experiences.  You will be surprised how easy it is.  Think of
the scenery, the ride-ability of the street.  Think of velocity,
enclosure, clarity.  Newbury is great to walk on and ride down but Route
9, pretty much stinks for all."

I was at the front of the mass when we were going down Arlington St. I
was heading south towards open roads when the middle of the mass
turned onto Newbury St to lead us straight into congestion. I like
Newbury St as much as anyone, but I was trying to stay away from Red
Sox traffic.

I wouldn't complain about routes being lame, but it's not just that we
took a lame route, it's that we took a tiring and hard route. I don't
mind filtering through traffic, I rode through Kenmore Sq. thirty
minutes before the Mass did to get to Copley Sq. I mind when I'm
trying to filter through traffic and annoying people keep running into
me and knocking me off my bike.

I, as a person, feel comfortable riding through dense traffic at full
speed. I raced someone on a light yellow track back down Boylston St
and we were ducking and weaving between moving cars. You, as a person
probably feel fine riding through dense traffic as well. We, as a
group of 200 cyclists, cannot ride through dense traffic because a
large group of people who show up for Critical Mass are really bad at
riding their bicycles.

Finally, we have no trouble in Harvard Sq, we have no trouble in
Kendall Sq., we have trouble every month in Central Sq. Anyone who
wants to ride through Central Sq. needs their head examined.

If you want me to draw up a route map, I'd be happy to. I don't think
anyone will follow it.

"We're either going to have problems with crazy drivers or power-hungry
cops. The cop choice seems like the lesser of the two evils from past
experience."

I disagree. I'll take my chances with an idiot driver over a power
hungry high school dropout with a gun and the power to arrest me.

- Jason Orach