"If you worried about falling off the bike, you’d never get on."
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Critical Mass Safety |  | |
Peace in the Streets
Simple rules for a great event.
Please help all cyclists by copying, reproducing, and distributing this flyer. Thank You.
1. Yield to all emergency vehicles such as police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances.
2. Be aware of the type of ride. If riding in procession with a police escort blocking side traffic for the mass, you may pass through lights and stop signs. If riding without an escort, obey all stop signs, stop lights, and other rules of the road. When in doubt, obey the usual rules of the road.
3. Do not antagonize pedestrians or motorists, either verbally or physically. If a motorist is confronting you, do not escalate the situation. Speak softly and calmly, and explain that this is a peaceful protest.
4. Some accidents and arguments will happen. Don't join in confrontations with others. Try to defuse tension whenever possible.
5. Do not block any cars that in turn, block the mass. Letting these cars pass will lead to a smoother, safer ride. Please let trapped pedestrians pass. You might help them by escorting them across the road.
6. Talk to drivers. Explain why you participate in Critical Mass, and let them know others cycle for many reasons: to bring attention to everyday transportation problems such as steadily increasing congestion, to promote cycling and mass transit, to improve the environment, and for fun.
7. If you witness a crime by another rider or motorist, notify the police so they may deal with it accordingly.
8. Don't be a hero. You are not invincible, and an angry motorist in a car creates a dangerous situation for everyone.
9. Relax and enjoy the ride.
10. Encourage other riders to do the same.
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Unofficial Guide To Corking
Wait! Bicycles Are Traffic
Unofficial Guide To Corking
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THOUGHTS ON CRITICAL MASS
Who's in charge of this?
We all are! That means it's up to all of us to make the
ride fun and safe. If you see someone doing something
unsafe/inappropriate, please take it upon yourself to
tell them so.
Where are we going?
I dunno. I doubt we have a map this time. If you
want to have a say in this, make your voice heard
and get up to the front and make it happen. I'd prefer
it if we keep everyone together, don't go too fast
for the slowest riders, stay in busy public areas for
maximum impact, and stay safe; e.g. don't go the
wrong way on one-way streets or ride the wrong way
on two-ways.
Why are we here?
Why are YOU here? I'm here to ride my bike, have a
blast, and show the world that cycling is fun!
Celebrate cycling! Oh yeah, and to help make the
point: we're not blocking traffic, we ARE traffic!
What about the cops?
Some of us have spoken with them. They will be riding
with us, but they said they'd try just bike cops,
warnings before citations, and allow corking. They
will issue citations for egregious behavior. They
asked that the mass not surround them if they issue
a citation (1-2 friends is ok), and leave a lane free
where possible.
Be Cool.
If we smile and are pleasant on our ride (i.e. don't
try to piss off the poor sheep in their stinkmobiles)
then when they harass us WE look like the victims.
If we are rude, yell at drivers, go the wrong way
on streets, etc. then WE look like the a**holes.
See point 1.
THE UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TO CORKING
Corking is the act of protecting the mass from cars,
by preventing them from passing through or into the
mass, thus protecting and maintaining the structural
integrity of the mass. Some riders place their bikes in
front of cars to do this physically, others pull up
alongside cars and engage the driver hence corking
the car verbally.
The aim of corking is to ensure the smooth safe flow
of the mass. Therefore it may be wise in some
instances to let cars move on rather than holding
them until the mass has passed.
Corking is one of the few quasi legal activities
associated with Critical Mass. The others are, riding
more than 2 abreast, and disobeying certain traffic
signals.
Some things to keep in mind when corking:
o Don't cork too early, wait for the mass, otherwise
drivers won't see why they are being stopped. On
some occasions it may be better to let a car through,
use your own judgement.
o Always make an effort to let drivers know what is
going on and try to give them a corking leaflet.
This is much better than drivers encountering
Critical Mass and not knowing what it is about.
o Most importantly, be nice! This will leave a much
better impression on drivers.
o And lastly make sure you don't get left behind! If
you have any questions, ask someone who looks like
they know what they're doing.
Remember, drivers, like us, are also the victims of
50+ years of car oriented urban development and
planning. Don't take your agression out on them! The
key to getting more recognition for cyclists, is to
get bums on bikes and more drivers to respect the
rightsof cyclists as equal road users. Agression will
not help this to happen.
The aim of Critical Mass is NOT to block traffic,
rather it IS the traffic flowing swiftly and smoothly
through the streets of New Haven and over three hundred
cities worldwide! So get out there, get some corking
leaflets, and have a great time!
This info is from:
http://www.vmore.org.au/~damon/cm/cork.html
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Wait! Bicycles Are Traffic
W A I T !
**Bicycles are traffic.**
By law, bikes do not have to stop or give way to cars any
more than another car would in the same situation.
**A bike in the lane is a vehicle in the lane.** And when it
sees the need to, even the slowest bike can use the full
lane.
Bikes slower than other traffic can use the full lane to
pass, to turn left, to keep from being cut off at an
intersection, or if the side of the street is unsafe.
"Unsafe" doesn't just mean road hazards. Often a lane is too
narrow for bike and car to share -- bikes need to ride clear
of the doors of parked cars, and cars need 3 feet of
clearance to safely pass bikes.
City streets are a grind: sharing them takes respect and
patience. Watch for bikes when you drive and if you can, use
a bike or public transit to make more room!
BIKES BELONG ON THE ROAD - CVC 21200
BIKES ARE ALLOWED USE OF FULL LANE - CVC 21202
TRAFFIC FRUSTRATES EVERYONE - SAD FACT OF LIFE
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