[*BCM*] tonight's ride

[Matt Kelly]

Anne is completely right here. I have no idea what court rulings have come
down about bicycling on Storrow Drive, or what the law says we could do, or
anything like that‹ this is just a dumb idea, pure and simple.

There¹s a difference between *being* right, and *doing* right. The right
thing to do is to avoid major roadways where people can get hurt. That
didn't happen last night, and it was just dumb (really dumb) luck that
nobody got hurt.






On 11/1/08 9:37 AM, "Anne Wolfe" <goannego at gmail.com> wrote:

> I wasn't there, but I'm just wondering how much a difference it would have
> made if one of the drivers on Storrow had come round a bend at 55 miles an
> hour and ploughed into the back of the group, which would not be travelling at
> the same speed of the other traffic and would be totally unexpected by any
> driver.  The resulting injuries, probably fatal, would not have resulted in a
> rush of sympathy for cyclists in the eternal struggle against drivers.  It
> would have been nothing other than "what the hell were those people thinking
> in taking a group of bikes on Storrow?"  All the cries of "we've got every
> right to be there" would be lost against the overwhelming tidal wave of how
> stupid this stunt would have been, and set the cause of cycle rights back
> ages.  It certainly would have resulted in legislation forbidding bikes in
> more places instead of opening it up.  Even just with being stopped by the
> cops for doing it, I'd be willing to be there's going to be more police
> surveillance on CM for a few months to prevent such a thing.
> 
> And when CM starts to complain about police surveillance, you've really only
> got things like this to blame.  Confrontation invites confrontation, and this
> is going to be seen as confrontation.
> 
> And of course the group scattered.  No leaders tends to mean no one is taking
> responsibility.  Expect nothing more than that kind of behaviour, but also
> expect that no responsibility means that nothing is actually going to change
> as a result of any CM action, regardless of how the public perceives it - good
> or ill.  
> 
> 2008/11/1 turtle <thewiseturtle at gmail.com>
>> One of the most important goals of Cm is to raise awareness of
>> dangerous conditions for cyclists, thus, driving on Storrow (where
>> most drivers are exceeding the speed limit and treating what was
>> designed as a leisurely and enjoyable parkway like some kind of
>> superhighway) is exactly the sort of thing CM should be doing.  At
>> least if you want CM to make a difference...
>> 
>> The point of biking as a large group is to make it more obvious that
>> bicyclists are road users who have a right to be there.  It's one
>> thing for cyclists to give up their rights as individuals (you have
>> the right to give up your rights :-) but if CM itself started caving
>> in to the unlawful and inconsiderate and dangerous drivers, then we'd
>> really be in trouble!  Thankfully, there are enough people out there
>> who don't let the cops or ignorant/screwed up drivers win when it
>> comes to using the public roads that we are legally entitled to use.
>> 
>> Peace, Love, and Biycles,
>> Turil
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