Folks, I'm doing research for an article/post I'd like to do about Critical Mass, specifically in Miami.
Now, since all CMs are on Friday night (and some other CM events I've seen are on Saturdays) and I'm an Orthodox Jew, I can't attend any of them, so I'm forced to rely on anecdotal evidence. I've some newspaper articles about CM in general, CM in other cities (both the more sedate/law-abiding ones and the just-short-of-anarchy ones), and CM in Miami. But I'd also like to hear from you who ride CM month after month, and especially from the coordinators (both as people and as an organization).

How are Miami CM events? Do the riders abide by the FL bicycle laws or do they ride willy-nilly? Have you ever been escorted by the Police? Opposed by them? Do you cork or actually ride as traffic? Do you encourage good cycling practices or leave everyone to ride as they will? Have you had problems with drivers, Police, pedestrians? What about support from any of these? What do you hope to accomplish with CM? Do the rides behave in a way to match that goal?

This is as much for my own education as it is for others in Miami and elsewhere who read my blog. CM as a "brand" carries some baggage, but since each city's CM is independent of all others, I don't think it's fair to judge all CMs without knowing the particularities of each city.

I hope you can help out. Thanks.

Daniel
Slow Bike Miami
http://www.slowbikemi...

Daniel, I can only give you one person's perspective; from that let me try to give you some insight.

I usually attend both the Friday and Saturday rides. Each has it's distinct character.

The Friday ride is more haphazard and lately draws a much larger and therefore more varied crowd.

"Willy-nilly", as you put it, is probably a more prevalent phenomenon on Friday.

I'm not sure exactly how literally you mean "abide by the FL bicycle laws...", but I interpret the phrase fairly loosely, i.e. consistent with harmonious [but not necessarily argeeable] interaction with the motorist [that is to say, the motorist may not like it, but given that we'er there, it's what works best for both camps].

And more importantly, consistent with the established enforcement patterns of the police.

My decades on these streets lead me to conclude the police are generally very accurate judges of the individual cyclist's capabilities and will monitor and enforce accordingly.

On the Friday night ride we enjoyed a police [trailing] escort one time.

The only "opposition" I've ever experienced from the police were on a few rare occasions when we screwed up, and they called it to our attention. But I haven't gotten any impression of general hostility or opposition, in the literal sense, to our endeavor.

Yes, we engage in corking, and I'm glad you brought that up.

The t-shirt says "WE ARE TRAFFIC". Indeed we are. But we are more than mere traffic, I would like to point out.

On any afternoon, you can go to a major intersection in South Florida, and see dense gatherings of motorists.

They, every bit as much as we, are traffic. But they, unlike we, are an anonymous, random convergence of individuals, initially acting in oblivion to each other, yet forced by circumstance to interact as effectively as possible.

It doesn't always work out well; thus the traffic "accident".

We, by contrast, choose to come together---expressly for the purpose of bike riding as exercise, sport, recreation and camaraderie.

We may have a route and a destination. But unlike the motorist, on the main, the route is not necessarily the one perceived most expedient to the destination.

Yes, we are more than mere traffic. We are community.

"Congress shall make no law...abridging...the right of the people peaceably to assemble."

So says U.S. Constitution, amendment one.

Thus, when we engage in corking, we engage in an act essential both to "peaceable assembly" and the maintenance of the cohesion of our unique, mobile community.

I think I've given you what insight I can as to the police. Pedestrians are generally not in a position to be problematical.


Of course, there are problems with drivers; I had numerous encounters with motorists while corking where I've had to demonstrate to them that if they would willfully strike one us, it must be me, then and there.

But as I expect, it is mere bluff. As I'm fond of pointing out, there is a difference between "strength" and "power".

Clearly, in a contentious encounter, the motorist has all the "power". But who is the stronger?

This is the same dynamic by which the people of Afghanistan will defeat the U.S. military.

We do get more positive than negative comments as we pass people in our travels.

For me, the fundamental goal, aside from having a good time, is to normalize cycling as an activity on the streets of South Florida.

I think what we do is very consistent with that goal.

Hmm...Orthodox Jews and bartenders. Groups of people with inherent scheduling conflicts with the scheduled rides.

There are probably others I can't think of. Perhaps we should organize a monthly ride to accommodate you...

---The Bikemessenger

HI, Robert. Thanks for the reply. Let me chew on it a bit before replying.
I appreciate you taking the time.

Here's the post I wrote on Critical Mass. Now to watch my popularity soar. ;)

http://www.slowbikemi...

I am interested in a conversation, so please feel free to do so in my post's comments.

Daniel:

I read your post. I thought it was even-handed and thoughtful.

Still, I disagree pointedly with much of it.

It's voluminous and comprehensive, so I'll have to take time to formulate a response.

Hopefully, this serves to initiate civil discussion.

I hope everyone will read it and give it thought.

http://www.slowbikemi...

Regards,
---The Bikemessenger

I went for a CM ride for the first time on October 30th. It was an enjoyable experience for me. Did we abide the traffic laws? I think we did for the most part. Collin and the other organizers did a great job in keeping everyone safe and did encouraged good cycling practice during the ride.

I went for a CM ride for the first time on October 30th. It was an enjoyable experience for me. Did we abide the traffic laws? I think we did for the most part. Collin and the other organizers did a great job in keeping everyone safe and did encouraged good cycling practice during the ride.

Hi Sara.
Overall these rides tend to fit within the rules, but not entirely. Were you riding more than two abreast on one lane? Were you taking more than one lane? Did you cork? These are the things that I am pointing out in my post, among others.

Wrangling a couple hundred riders is not easy, I appreciate that, and any attempt to do so is commendable and appreciated. But excusing the behavior simply on the basis of "there's so many riders, what can you do" is not a valid answer.

Also, note that the Emerge Miami CM rides, from what I have been able to see via the various videos of these online, tend to be a bit different. Frankly, I believe they are doing themselves more harm than good by branding their rides as CM.

"is not a valid answer"

Says who? Everyone at the Emergy Miami CM had a wonderful time. There were few accidents (people falling off their bikes) and very little conflict with drivers.
Laws and rules are all great on paper, but on October 30th there was a group of about 300 people who all wanted to make use roads THEIR taxes pay for.

I'll take some traffic disruption for an event like that any day.

I can even remember some cars trying to drive THROUGH the bicycle mass, and another cut us off before we could cross an intersection (not hitting anyone, but coming close). Corking and other legally questionable "behavior" raise no questions in my mind because not only are there so many riders, but to keep them all safe and having a good time these things MUST be done.

What other answer does one need?

ALSO, forgot to mention

When we were going down Calle Ocho people were coming out of their houses and shops to CHEER us on! It was fantastic.

"is not a valid answer"
Says who?

Because it isn't. It's lazy handwaving instead of tackling the issue. You might as well handwave any kind of mob activity just because "they're too many." I understand the numbers create a logistical puzzle, but that should not be an excuse.

Everyone at the Emergy Miami CM had a wonderful time. There were few accidents (people falling off their bikes) and very little conflict with drivers.
Laws and rules are all great on paper, but on October 30th there was a group of about 300 people who all wanted to make use roads THEIR taxes pay for.

You are aware that the Emerge CM and the last-Friday-of-the-month CM are not the same, right? The Emerge CMs are on Saturdays, during the morning, a far less troublesome time than Friday nights during rush hour (even if it's at the tail end of rush hour). That doesn't mean that some of the behavior I'm pointing out endemic to CM does not take place, it appears to be less present. The numbers also seem to be smaller for the Emerge CM. The 300-rider CM was a Friday night one.

And just because you pay taxes for the roads doesn't mean you get to use them however you want. That's precisely the issue we're trying to get motorists to understand, yet CM does it by behaving in the same manner that they are against? Doesn't make sense.

I'll take some traffic disruption for an event like that any day.

You will, but that's just you. We're trying to better our society here so that bicycles and cars can both be on the road in peaceful coexistence. That's not going to be achieved by trampling all over other people's rights. If *every single person* that will be affected by a CM ride gave their consent, then yeah, awesome. But that's not the case.

I can even remember some cars trying to drive THROUGH the bicycle mass, and another cut us off before we could cross an intersection (not hitting anyone, but coming close). Corking and other legally questionable "behavior" raise no questions in my mind because not only are there so many riders, but to keep them all safe and having a good time these things MUST be done. What other answer does one need?

So it's okay to break the rules of the road because it serves your purpose, right? Did you wonder *why* those cars wanted to get through the mass? Because the mass was breaking the inherent order of the road (they're also asshats, but that's in addition to). Want to manipulate traffic to let the 300 riders go through (and mind you, I agree that cohesion is important)? Get someone to accompany the ride that is legally permitted to do that. I mean, the friggin Miami Chief of Police is all for CM; get him to assure your safety by sending officers to escort the ride, or deputizing someone, or whatever else he can do.