Mass arrests 'Critical Mass' cycle ride during Olympics opening

[MissTillyFlop]

high jinks are the stuff of adolescence. And long may they continue. (Although with some CMers they've continued a loooong time)

Teenage hijinx and violence are two different things.

Teenage hijinx = nicking a traffic cone and putting on top of a statue
Hitting a policeman = violent disorder
Going somewhere you know you're going to be arrested for no reason other than "having a laugh" = stupid and deserving of a quick beating by the parentals, followed by several weeks of being their slave and their not speaking to you other than to remind you how they wish they'd had you aborted.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I don't know, maybe Greg and DZ are right.
You are experienced cyclists, you want more now than just ride your bike, you want cars to aknowledge you as road users equal to them.
I think it will take time.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Del is quite wrong that those who are unimpressed by CM have never been on a CM ride.

I've been on three, the first two in the days when police cyclists marshalled it, the last (which will remain such) after they stopped doing so. The 'theatre' included cyclists blocking traffic that was in no way interfering with the ride (ie. in adjacent lanes minding its own business) and swearing at pedestrians who had the temerity to cross the road on a green man while the cyclists ignored the red light.

The 'high jinks' included throwing a bicycle at a cab whose driver had done nothing except sound his horn at one of the cyclists who was parked in front of him for no reason at all (the cab was in an adjacent lane to the one the ride was using).

Someone who has done nothing at all to promote cycling has done more good for cycling than the CM thugs.

 

[toroddf]

I have done high jinks many times for good causes. It seems like everyone is pointing at me whenever they want a parachute free parachute jump or high jinks like that for a good cause. But the high jinks I have done has promoted the good cause. Not sabotaged it.

 

[dellzeqq]

Thank you for clearing up the doubts we had about CM. You now claim this has nothing to do with promoting the bike riding in London and the environment. You claim this is about high jinks, being moronic, childish, idiot and creating as much disorder as possible.

Thank you for this clarification.

never try to be funny when you're wired on anger....

 

[dellzeqq]

Teenage hijinx and violence are two different things.

Teenage hijinx = nicking a traffic cone and putting on top of a statue
Hitting a policeman = violent disorder
Going somewhere you know you're going to be arrested for no reason other than "having a laugh" = stupid and deserving of a quick beating by the parentals, followed by several weeks of being their slave and their not speaking to you other than to remind you how they wish they'd had you aborted.

really? If people hadn't gone where they were not supposed to go there's be no National Parks. And no Shakespeare.

 

[dellzeqq]

Aye, but there are different ways to do things! Do we have to cause disruption to make a point?

absolutely not. But if it's disruption you want.......the Zil lanes are more disruptive than CM could ever hope to be.

 

[toroddf]

never try to be funny when you're wired on anger....

 

[Pat "5mph"]

really? If people hadn't gone where they were not supposed to go there's be no National Parks. And no Shakespeare.

There would be no locked doors either

 

[Dan B]

I observe in passing that there seems to be a contradiction between the positions

- that the inconvenience caused by the olympics is perfectly ok and anyone complaining about is being unreasonable
- that the inconvenience caused by cm justifies 182 arrests and bail conditions including being unable to enter Newham with a bicycle

I wonder if anyone could enlighten me as to what's so much worse about the second ones?

 

[stowie]

Although I do think that taking CM through Stratford wasn't smart, I did have to laugh at the copy of the bail conditions. It included not taking a cycle into the borough of Newham. I am unsure whether this is specific to the bail conditions or more general advice based upon the general cycling conditions in the borough.

 

[middleagecyclist]

The very people who complain loudest about people doing stuff often don't do anything themselves. I await enlightenment.

I was set to join a local CM ride. I have been on a Bike Friday ride (even though it was not a commute for me and I had to get out of bed earlier than I otherwise needed). I haven't complained about CM rides and would happily put up with the disruption of a CM if driving (unlikely scenario though). I certainly do object to people trying to disrupt events and confront authority while giving cyclists a bad name with Joe Public. Can I not hold that view?

 

[MissTillyFlop]

I don't know, maybe Greg and DZ are right.
You are experienced cyclists, you want more now than just ride your bike, you want cars to aknowledge you as road users equal to them.
I think it will take time.

I want this too. I just don't think behaving like a BNP idiot is going result in our getting that.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I observe in passing that there seems to be a contradiction between the positions

- that the inconvenience caused by the olympics is perfectly ok and anyone complaining about is being unreasonable
- that the inconvenience caused by cm justifies 182 arrests and bail conditions including being unable to enter Newham with a bicycle

I wonder if anyone could enlighten me as to what's so much worse about the second ones?

From faaaar away, I guess: the first one is organized/crowd controlled - the second one is just spontaneous outburst of a crowd.

 

[CopperBrompton]

I observe in passing that there seems to be a contradiction between the positions

- that the inconvenience caused by the olympics is perfectly ok and anyone complaining about is being unreasonable
- that the inconvenience caused by cm justifies 182 arrests and bail conditions including being unable to enter Newham with a bicycle

No such contradiction here. The Zil Lanes are ridiculous and I oppose them; taking CM to Stratford on the opening night of the Olympics was stupid and I oppose that.