Mass arrests 'Critical Mass' cycle ride during Olympics opening

[MissTillyFlop]

I think the basic idea has escaped you. It all gets made up as they go along. If one person says 'let's go to Stratford' people will follow them if they fancy it. (I've often seen people say 'let's go to Park Lane' or wherever, shoot off and never be seen again). You can't hijack the ride, because it's not an entity - it's about individual enthusiasms.

I was following the conversation, which up until the post below was very much about "staying away from the Olympics and heading south", that's all.

It seems odd that when people were resolutely posting that they wouldn't go anywhere near Stratford that they did - were theer any riders who DID go South instead? Has this been left out of the reports?

And I stick by this guy:

Some of us are coming from out of town for the cm. We are coming as it's important for the world to see there is some form of protest about these bullshit games. And we want to see and be seen in Central London not the southern slums.
Seems like there's a poster (probably a cop)with different names trying to cause division.
This is a great opportunity to wear your anti Olympic gear and cycle in a large group around busy central London.
All you pro Olympic morons go cycle somewhere else.
Anon

A) Being a massive prick
B) Not being a regular CM rider (out of towner)
C) Hijacking the event at the expense of the regular CM-ers.

 

[MissTillyFlop]

Have you listened to Miles Davis - 'Kind of Blue'? Please say you haven't yet but you will.

That exactly.

i don't hate all jazz, just the stuff with no tune that's improvised - Spiralling jazz is it?

Anyone with a beret and a black polo neck gets a wide berth from me.

 

[middleagecyclist]

... don't hate all jazz, just the stuff with no tune that's improvised - Spiralling jazz is it?

Freeform Jazz I think may be the correct term. Yep not my cup of tea either but Jazz has as many flavours as there are types of cyclists. Please don't tar it all with the same brush.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Don't ever trust a bearded sandal wearing Jazz player.

Is there another kind?

 

[middleagecyclist]

Is there another kind?

Greg. How disappointing. Next you'll be telling us all proper cyclists only wear lycra and are clipped all the time.

 

[CopperBrompton]

You can't hijack the ride, because it's not an entity - it's about individual enthusiasms.

Rather ironically, this demonstrates that it's actually Del who hasn't been on a CM in recent history ...

The ride follows sheep-like whoever happens to be at the front. After the incident I described earlier, I decided to leave the ride. As it happened, the ride was heading in the direction I needed to go, so I overtook it and then headed home. The ride followed me. It continued to follow me until someone caught up with me to say people were being left behind and I told him I wasn't part of the ride.

 

[dellzeqq]

That exactly.

i don't hate all jazz, just the stuff with no tune that's improvised - Spiralling jazz is it?

Anyone with a beret and a black polo neck gets a wide berth from me.

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsQYzpOHpik

 

[MissTillyFlop]

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsQYzpOHpik

Hahahaha! YES YES YES

And this (watch till the end of the scene):

 

[dellzeqq]

mind you.....i have to own up to adoring this since the year it came out


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uSKraLZ8_M

 

[MissTillyFlop]

mind you.....i have to own up to adoring this since the year it came out


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uSKraLZ8_M

This is the equivelant to a psychotic episode to me - my head is full of notes, but none of them are connected or following any sort of structure and I'm not sure at how I ended up at this point in time.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Sometimes a very close pass in order to get to the lights/pinch point first with following justification "You were in the middle of the road!" Something like that?

If only.

Sounding horn, revving engine, swerving to the other lane several times only to be defeated in overtaking intent by oncoming traffic, (all of that is pretty much a daily occurrence for primary and secondary riders around here; clearly we need to get in the gutter where we belong) then trying to undertake, (happens only occasionally in these parts) and doing so by mounting the kerb, (almost unique in my experience) then stopping in front of the cyclist at a set of traffic lights and reversing straight at her, (I've had this once in last five years, except it was a roundabout not lights) knocking her off and wrecking her wheel, and then driving away through a red light. (Fair play, that's a first, even for me)

I wasn't the victim, I was a witness. It has been reported but won't be prosecuted. I'm thinking of a rear facing RPG launcher on the top tube of my own bike....

 

[middleagecyclist]

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsQYzpOHpik

Funny yes. But this is sublime IMO

 

[MissTillyFlop]

Just saying "Its " ... would have been quicker.

On a final warning for swearing though, innit.

 

[dellzeqq]

This is the equivelant to a psychotic episode to me - my head is full of notes, but none of them are connected or following any sort of structure and I'm not sure at how I ended up at this point in time.

a fair compliment!

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Greg. How disappointing. Next you'll be telling us all proper cyclists only wear lycra and are clipped all the time.

I own way more merino than I do lycra

I freely acknowledge I am not a 'proper' cyclist. I often dress for the destination not the journey. Mind, it does depend on how long the journey is. And sometimes the destination is a pub or cafe full of those proper cyclist types and one does like to blend in. And sometimes, often, the destination is the same as the start point in which case it's all about the journey. Whatever!