critical mass

["david peckham" <peckham@mailcity.com>]

greetings,

Throw a spark on a discussion group and it makes flames.  I guess the hot button was my use of the term `mad as hell' which I tried to soften later in the message. too late.
 
ok ,my apologies, and ...
I believe that Moscow is relatively speaking a very bike friendly town.  Motorists are accustomed to seeing bikes, and generally quite accomodating.  There are exceptions to that rule of course, and when beer bottles get thrown or young toughs threaten to beat us up because we insist that we don't belong on the sidewalk we remember for a long time.  I notice how bike conscious Moscow is when I cycle in other towns, where motorists don't give you room on the road, or common courtesies.

Secondly, Moscow has enjoyed a dramatic improvement in bike facilities in the last five years.  Probably the highest road mile ratio in the state for bike improvements, from Sixth Street to Pullman Highway, Chipman trail, paradise creek path, Styner, the city's appointment of a Bicycle Advisory Commission, and numerous others.  

So as John Francis suggests, confrontation leads to alienation, and that is not an appropriate  form to address the bicycling issues in Moscow today.  Things are looking good here.

Of course,   our nation, and indeed many in our town are a long ways from curbing this suicidal addiction to the automobile.  

Maybe a Critical Mass ride isn't appropriate here, now.  As I said in my initial post, I've never been on a CM ride.  My motive for doing so would be a celebration of cycling, and not a confrontation.  I still wouldn't break the mass for a stoplight.  Let em wait, a few extra seconds, once a month for a party.

David Peckham 



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