[*BCM*] Bostoncriticalmass Digest, Vol 43, Issue 3
Eric A. Stratton
estratton.apple at gmail.com
Tue Jan 8 09:42:27 EST 2008
Maybe those MIT kids will hack a velodrome or bikelanes for us ;-)
Ya never know.
-E
PS: Sorry for the hi-jack
On Jan 8, 2008, at 9:04 AM, Wolfe, Anne wrote:
> I have to concur. I felt the statement that there was “plenty of
> room for pedestrians to get out of the way of a cyclist” is the same
> argument that “there’s plenty of room for bikes to get out of the
> way of cars” argument that gets CM hot under the collar.
>
> Equally the implication that because CM IS traffic (and indeed it
> is), it somehow cannot be blocking traffic. Traffic can block
> traffic, and indeed does quite frequently. If bike traffic blocked
> other bike traffic your moral high ground would be lost. And yet
> somehow, you feel that because bike traffic blocks motor traffic
> this furthers the argument for people to give us better recognition
> as traffic.
>
> I love cycling. I love cycling through the streets of Boston and
> Cambridge when I can. But these same arguments go around every time
> something gets written, and people seem to feel that unless it is
> entirely uncritical of CM it is somehow against them. I don’t think
> it was a particularly great article, but I’m not surprised the Globe
> let it fly. “Controversial group, knowing journalist is in middle
> and writing about it, opts to trek through corridors on private
> property.” That kind of headline sells, I’m afraid. And almost
> entirely at CM’s expense. It certainly isn’t going to let the MIT
> or Cambridge police ease up on us at all.
>
> From: bostoncriticalmass-bounces at bostoncriticalmass.org [mailto:bostoncriticalmass-bounces at bostoncriticalmass.org
> ] On Behalf Of Jon Ramos
> Sent: 08 January 2008 13:57
> To: Boston Critical Mass
> Subject: Re: [*BCM*] Bostoncriticalmass Digest, Vol 43, Issue 3
>
> Regardless of how wide the corridor, how slow you were going, or how
> f-ing magical YOU may have thought it was; I'm sure there were
> irritated people who felt too intimidated to stand up to 20-30 rouge
> cyclists pedaling down their college corridor. I know I would be.
> It is very disrespectful to bike through an institution's private
> interior and CM has no business being there. Stick to the PUBLIC
> roads.
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Philip Stango <prstango at gmail.com>
> To: list at bostoncriticalmass.org
> Sent: Tuesday, January 8, 2008 1:34:57 AM
> Subject: Re: [*BCM*] Bostoncriticalmass Digest, Vol 43, Issue 3
>
> Rather than make judgments about the ride through the MIT corridor
> based on speculation, how about taking an account from someone who
> was there. We went through in single file, and the corridor was
> quite wide, likely more than 8-10 feet. There was plenty of room for
> "pedestrians to get out of the way from a bicycle." Passers-by
> strolled calmly in the opposite direction as we pedaled by, single
> file, at a leisurely pace, while others hardly looked up from their
> laptops as they sat at benches. It was much more magical/whimsical
> than anything else. Given our small numbers and the small number of
> passers-by, it was very much dissimilar to a car going down a
> sidewalk. Not something to be repeated with a larger group or during
> the semester, but certainly a treat for all involved, I reckon.
> On Jan 7, 2008 7:14 PM, <bostoncriticalmass-request at bostoncriticalmass.org
> > wrote:
> Send Bostoncriticalmass mailing list submissions to
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>
>
> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re: Thoughts, or what was the thinking at MIT and....
> (Dan Barrett)
> 2. Re: Thoughts, or what was the thinking at MIT and.... (Ari
> Pollak)
> 3. Re: Thoughts, or what was the thinking at MIT and.... (Jon Ramos)
> 4. Thoughts, or what was the thinking at the MSM ... (Jym Dyer)
> 5. Re: Thoughts, or what was the thinking at the MSM ...
> (Adam Rosi-Kessel)
> 6. Re: Thoughts, or what was the thinking at the MSM ... (Ari
> Pollak)
> 7. Re: Thoughts, or what was the thinking at the MSM ... (Adam
> Shoop)
> 8. Re: Thoughts, or what was the thinking at the MSM ... (Jym Dyer)
> 9. Re: Thoughts, or what was the thinking at the MSM ...
> ( thom3 at aol.com)
> 10. Re: Thoughts, or what was the thinking at MIT and....
> (Hiroyuki G Yamada)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 12:15:19 -0500 (EST)
> From: "Dan Barrett" <dbx at pobox.com>
> Subject: Re: [*BCM*] Thoughts, or what was the thinking at MIT and....
> To: bostoncriticalmass at bostoncriticalmass.org
> Message-ID:
> < 48126.208.27.111.121.1199726119.squirrel at webmail.offthehill.org
> >
> Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1
>
> The article reminded me of my long-held desire to ride through the
> Star
> Market in Porter Square.
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2008 12:26:10 -0500
> From: Ari Pollak <ajp at aripollak.com>
> Subject: Re: [*BCM*] Thoughts, or what was the thinking at MIT and....
> To: thom3 at aol.com
> Cc: list at bostoncriticalmass.org
> Message-ID: < 1199726770.17290.64.camel at apollak.lab.compete.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain
>
> I don't think there was ever a followup on the list, and I think I was
> too far ahead on that ride to notice the arrest.
>
> On Mon, 2008-01-07 at 12:22 -0500, thom3 at aol.com wrote:
> > Oh yeah, an oldie but a goodie.....
> >
> > do you recall what ever happened to the person?
> >
> >
> > Tom
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Ari Pollak <ajp at aripollak.com>
> > To: thom3 at aol.com
> > Sent: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 12:18 pm
> > Subject: Re: [*BCM*] Thoughts, or what was the thinking at MIT
> and....
> >
> > http://bostoncriticalmass.org/pipermail/bostoncriticalmass/2006-April/001172.html
> >
> > I suppose that could've been State Police activity since the post
> did
> > not specify, but still...
> >
> > On Mon, 2008-01-07 at 11:49 -0500, thom3 at aol.com wrote:
> > > can you elaborate as to why it is an understatement?
> >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> ______________________________________________________________________
> > More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail!
> >
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 10:19:06 -0800 (PST)
> From: Jon Ramos <jontramos at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: [*BCM*] Thoughts, or what was the thinking at MIT and....
> To: dbx at pobox.com, list at bostoncriticalmass.org
> Message-ID: <987987.84829.qm at web50008.mail.re2.yahoo.com >
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> I missed the December ride due to my broken right hand, (bicycle
> accident, hit by a car on Tremont St) but I have to say that I am
> appalled that the group rode through a building. Corking traffic,
> and giving angry motorists 'the business' is one thing, because we
> have a right to be there etc, etc... but inside a building? that's
> just not cool. There is no place in a corridor for a pedestrian to
> get out of the way from a bicycle, in that situation we are
> analogous to cars driving down bike lanes & sidewalks. We dont have
> a right to be there. The December ride sounds like it may have been
> fun, but really it just made CM riders look like real a-holes.
>
> - Jon
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Dan Barrett <dbx at pobox.com>
> To: list at bostoncriticalmass.org
> Sent: Monday, January 7, 2008 12:15:19 PM
> Subject: Re: [*BCM*] Thoughts, or what was the thinking at MIT and....
>
> The article reminded me of my long-held desire to ride through the
> Star
> Market in Porter Square.
>
> _______________________________________________
> Boston Critical Mass mailing list
> list at bostoncriticalmass.org
> http://bostoncriticalmass.org/list
> To unsubscribe email list-unsubscribe at bostoncriticalmass.org
>
>
>
> ____________________________________________________________________________________
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> http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs
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> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2008 11:42:25 -0800
> From: Jym Dyer <jym at econet.org>
> Subject: [*BCM*] Thoughts, or what was the thinking at the MSM ...
> To: Boston CM <list at bostoncriticalmass.org>
> Message-ID: <Jym.07Jan2008.47828083 at econet.org>
>
> http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/01/06/achieving_critical_mass/
>
> =v= As feared, an article hopped up on an unrepresentative
> sampling of controversies and riddled with inaccuracies.
>
> | ... and about 300 other cities ...
>
> =1= Wow, good thing I pointed the guy to the www.critical-mass.org
> website which documents 450 cities.
>
> | ... or just blocking traffic.
>
> =2= Um, BEING traffic. Editorialize much?
>
> | Critical Mass has caused contention in many communities - from
> | New York, where hundreds of massers were arrested at the 2004
> | Republican National Convention, to San Francisco, where Mayor
> | Willie Brown declared war on the group.
>
> =3= Editorialize much about who caused what? I suppose NYC's
> August 2004 ride (which a fact-checker should have noticed was
> *before* the RNC) "caused" 1800 people to be arrested over the
> next weekend, too, huh?
>
> =4= The police attack on the July 1997 ride in San Francisco was
> indeed Willie Brown declaring war on us, but the "cause" was a
> massive traffic jam on the day of the June 1997 ride, which was
> underway before the ride even began, then blamed on the ride
> after the fact.
>
> | The group's activities have spawned the term "U-lock justice"
>
> =5= Wrong. That term goes back at least to the 1980s.
> <_Jym_>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2008 13:55:59 -0500
> From: Adam Rosi-Kessel < adam at rosi-kessel.org>
> Subject: Re: [*BCM*] Thoughts, or what was the thinking at the MSM ...
> To: Boston CM <list at bostoncriticalmass.org >
> Message-ID: <478275BF.8060203 at rosi-kessel.org>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> Jym Dyer wrote:
> > | The group's activities have spawned the term "U-lock justice"
> > =5= Wrong. That term goes back at least to the 1980s.
>
> And, just for the record, I never mentioned "civil disobedience."
> And my
> name is spelled with one L.
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2008 14:05:44 -0500
> From: Ari Pollak <ajp at aripollak.com>
> Subject: Re: [*BCM*] Thoughts, or what was the thinking at the MSM ...
> To: Boston Critical Mass <list at bostoncriticalmass.org>
> Message-ID: <1199732744.17290.86.camel at apollak.lab.compete.com >
> Content-Type: text/plain
>
> Sounds like a letter to the editor is in order.
>
> On Mon, 2008-01-07 at 13:55 -0500, Adam Rosi-Kessel wrote:
> > And, just for the record, I never mentioned "civil disobedience."
> And my
> > name is spelled with one L.
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 7
> Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 14:19:40 -0500
> From: "Adam Shoop" <info at adamshoop.org >
> Subject: Re: [*BCM*] Thoughts, or what was the thinking at the MSM ...
> To: "'Boston Critical Mass'" <list at bostoncriticalmass.org>
> Message-ID: <00c001c85162$41ca9720$6402a8c0 at DG9BNJ41>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> There are some pertinent comments on the Boston Fixed Gear forums as
> well.
>
> Here's the main one:
>
> http://bostonfixed.us/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=434&page=1
>
> And then one on what would make a better article:
>
> http://bostonfixed.us/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=435&page=1
>
> -AS
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 8
> Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2008 12:44:06 -0800
> From: Jym Dyer <jym at econet.org>
> Subject: Re: [*BCM*] Thoughts, or what was the thinking at the MSM ...
> To: Boston CM < list at bostoncriticalmass.org>
> Message-ID: <Jym.07Jan2008.47828ef8 at econet.org>
>
> > the article is pretty much amature hour IMHO
>
> =v= Well, the guy was upfront about his amateur status when he
> came to this list asking for information. What bothers me is
> that he was given access to resources that would have made his
> article more accurate, and apparently ignored them.
>
> =v= I could tell by his second inquiry that he wanted to focus
> on the whiz! bang! pow! controversial! stuff, and warned that
> it would lead to dishonestly unrepresentative reporting. And
> lo, it came to pass.
> <_Jym_>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 9
> Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2008 14:50:45 -0500
> From: thom3 at aol.com
> Subject: Re: [*BCM*] Thoughts, or what was the thinking at the MSM ...
> To: list at bostoncriticalmass.org, list at bostoncriticalmass.org
> Message-ID: < 8CA1F7DBA6649B6-F88-1074 at webmail-da21.sysops.aol.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> right RE his status and I agree he was immensely lazy in his ability
> to do research. I am just amazed that The Boston Globe let this shit
> fly.
>
> I also think the POV is weird and sounds like the guy?drove a car
> along side the group and occassiobnally stops and asked "What are
> you feeling, what are you thinking?"
>
> It's total crap, and why did he not wait til the thaw when a more
> "typical"/robust CM ride happens....
>
>
> Tom
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jym Dyer <jym at econet.org>
> To: Boston CM <list at bostoncriticalmass.org >
> Sent: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 3:44 pm
> Subject: Re: [*BCM*] Thoughts, or what was the thinking at the MSM ...
>
>
>
> > the article is pretty much amature hour IMHO
>
> =v= Well, the guy was upfront about his amateur status when he
> came to this list asking for information. What bothers me is
> that he was given access to resources that would have made his
> article more accurate, and apparently ignored them.
>
> =v= I could tell by his second inquiry that he wanted to focus
> on the whiz! bang! pow! controversial! stuff, and warned that
> it would lead to dishonestly unrepresentative reporting. And
> lo, it came to pass.
> <_Jym_>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Boston Critical Mass mailing list
> list at bostoncriticalmass.org
> http://bostoncriticalmass.org/list
> To unsubscribe email list-unsubscribe at bostoncriticalmass.org
>
>
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> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 10
> Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 19:14:28 -0500 (EST)
> From: Hiroyuki G Yamada < hyamada at MIT.EDU>
> Subject: Re: [*BCM*] Thoughts, or what was the thinking at MIT and....
> To: Boston Critical Mass <list at bostoncriticalmass.org >
> Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.64L.0801071909540.12160 at vinegar-pot.mit.edu>
> Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
>
> Keep In mind though, that MIT wasn't in session at this point --
> Finals
> were over the 21st and most people students gone by the 22nd or
> 23rd. The
> remaining grad students etc were probably a minuscule proportion of
> the
> usual traffic in the infinite corridor and this was probably taken
> into
> consideration when the ride through MIT was suggested. Also, with
> only 30
> riders (if the article is to be trusted on that count) it also
> wouldn't
> have been as bad. Probably not the best of ideas on a friday in the
> middle
> of term, with 300+ riders, to go traipsing through a corridor, but
> in that
> particular instance, I can't imagine that it was too much trouble.
>
> As for the article, it sounds like he wanted to get as "good" of an
> article out (his standard for good might have been exciting or "wham
> pow,"
> vs an actual editorially accurate and well-written piece) with as
> little
> work -- just trolling around on wikipedia could have given him the
> information he posted. Given how responsive Boston's CM list was, it
> certainly seems that he could have gotten a more in-depth look at our
> particular ride.
>
> (Perhaps written up a blurb about the arrest over at Harvard Square
> in the
> (I think) October ride?)
>
> --Yuki
>
> On Mon, 7 Jan 2008, Jon Ramos wrote:
>
> > I missed the December ride due to my broken right hand, (bicycle
> accident, hit by a car on Tremont St) but I have to say that I am
> appalled that the group rode through a building. Corking traffic,
> and giving angry motorists 'the business' is one thing, because we
> have a right to be there etc, etc... but inside a building? that's
> just not cool. There is no place in a corridor for a pedestrian to
> get out of the way from a bicycle, in that situation we are
> analogous to cars driving down bike lanes & sidewalks. We dont have
> a right to be there. The December ride sounds like it may have been
> fun, but really it just made CM riders look like real a-holes.
> >
> > - Jon
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----
> > From: Dan Barrett <dbx at pobox.com>
> > To: list at bostoncriticalmass.org
> > Sent: Monday, January 7, 2008 12:15:19 PM
> > Subject: Re: [*BCM*] Thoughts, or what was the thinking at MIT
> and....
> >
> > The article reminded me of my long-held desire to ride through the
> Star
> > Market in Porter Square.
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Boston Critical Mass mailing list
> > list at bostoncriticalmass.org
> > http://bostoncriticalmass.org/list
> > To unsubscribe email list-unsubscribe at bostoncriticalmass.org
> >
> >
> >
> ____________________________________________________________________________________
> > Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page.
> > http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
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> list at bostoncriticalmass.org
> http://bostoncriticalmass.org/list
>
> End of Bostoncriticalmass Digest, Vol 43, Issue 3
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