Critical Mass Photos

Sunday August 01, 2004 22:03

by Rasta4i's

BEEEEEPPP BEEEP!!!

Critical Mass Friday 30 July 2004

Leaving from Parnell Square after 6:30 a friendly bunch of cyclists headed towards Parnell Street.

We were going at a nice quick pace making our way over Capel Street bridge and on to Christ Church then cutting back to the top of Camdon Street where we made our way down towards Dame street and finish at O’Connell bridge. Lovely day for cycling, shame about the angry motorists who honked, beeped and were generally abusive to us as we cycled our way round the streets. Road rage got the better of one Taxi at Georges street Dame street junction, when he suddenly lunged his car into on coming traffic honking furiously and cutting across the cyclists as we were moving off at the green light, clipping the peddles of one of the bikes as he bundled around the corner. What could have been a disaster for the cyclist, the two cars that swerved and a bus full of people all at the turn was merely a crummy paint job for the ass hole who could have caused a serious accident.
Three of us powered after the car and promptly boxed him in on the middle of Dame street and proceeded to make him explain his actions. He seemed to mumble a few something’s and then sped off. Other wise a grand little cycle around the city centre and wonderful to see some lovely new faces getting active and on the Streets Critical Mass, last Friday of every month until winter.

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Comments (9 of 9)

Some publicity could be good

by Starstruck - UCD Left

Mon Aug 02, 2004 02:53

Lads there is great potential for a big monthly critical mass.Could we not have posted the event on indymedia events and associated sites such as struggle and DGN?
You could get at least 60 people on a regular basis no problem!
Is there going to be one this August 31st?
If so lets get organising...
The buzz is still there after Bush and Mayday but its fading and a regular event like this could really help keep people motivated and active?
Anyone agree?

Sitting up in bed...

by Elaine

Mon Aug 02, 2004 03:34

cleaning my spokes as we speak. The last Friday in August is the 27th if my calendar is correct. Gonna be good times.

Critical Mass

by Starstrucki - UCD Left/Grassroots

Mon Aug 02, 2004 15:14

You can cycle,walk ,skateboard, roller-blade,run,jump whatever.
Critical mass is about showing how our city streets would be so much safer,cleaner and friendlier without the monoxide spewing exhausts of vehicles.
Seriously a big one this August could be a good thing to get the scene re-energised after the Bush/Mayday events...
Suggestions for organising,postering would be good....
Dont go to mass,go to Critical Mass!

how about varying route

by dube

Mon Aug 02, 2004 15:15

how about cycling the s2s route sutton to sandymount as example of bike travel....

Bus route-good idea

by Starstruclk

Mon Aug 02, 2004 17:57

Something like the 46a or 10 route might be an idea .they take in most of the central spine of dublins roads.
Maybe the cop who is permanently watching indymedia has a suggestion???
Sweet job by the way....

whoops...

by mb

Tue Aug 03, 2004 18:49

sorry i missed it!

i agree with some of the other posts....it would be a lot bigger every month if there was a little bit of publicity. i admit my guilt in forgetting about it!

in vancouver, canada, the june critical mass had about 800 cyclists. amazing, when dublin has at least ten times more cyclists than vancouver does. (i suppose it has to do with the cyclist culture in vancouver, where there are many hills, few bike lanes and there is near-constant rain from october until april.)

i also recommend the practice of 'corking'. this is what police do at other demonstrations. as soon as we approach an intersection, the people in the front on either side would move to spots where cars could come from and line up their bikes in front of the cars, waving friendily, so that angry drivers do not have the opportunity to try to drive into the mass.

here is a better article on corking:
http://www.criticalmass.org.au/melbourne/cork.html

massing

by de

Wed Aug 04, 2004 20:12

i understand that it's not the college year yet, but surely during the college year critical mass should be hoping to get students on the street, or at least posting flyers around colleges etc. i don't know how many people were at the last critical mass, but it appears to be a pretty poor number from the photos, compared to vancouver as mb mentioned (though i think there are many more cycle lanes there than compared to dublin, and with a grid system, most side streets are quiet and comfortable to cycle etc.). its quite a success in many other cities around the globe, and dublin can surely get three or four hundred monthly, with a bicycle celebration sometime during the summer swelling numbers. bicycle revolution!!!

For once

by Al

Wed Aug 04, 2004 22:28

Folks,
For once I dont have a problem with your posts or your plans, cycle till your legs fall off by all means but remember some things. For one, who pays for the roads? Not cyclists but car drivers. Tax pays for the roads, can you honestly say its fair for the person thats paying for the road not to use it? Buses also spew out nasty things but public transport is needed for many many people. Not everyone can walk or cycle to work day in day out.

pedestrian

by john h

Thu Aug 05, 2004 04:16

im not a critical masser myself but i can't remember critical mass ever been advertised mcuh bar on car free day etc (please correct me if im wrong), i dunno who supposed to do the advertising...

anyway car free day is coming up very soon any ideas suggestion welcome

contact rts-dublin@yahoogroups.com to organise a collective

info re car free day 2004

sustainable energy ireland the official irish organisers of car free day

http://www.irish-energy.ie/content/content.asp?section_id=1050&language_id=1&publication_id=1393 ..nothing but a press release so far

the european mobility week states: Safe streets for children will be the hot topic of the 2004 European Mobility week.

http://www.mobilityweek-europe.org/thematic/safe_streets.html

www.freewebs.com/rts-dublin/ the site i created which has a decent amount of content and links on it... (please suggest changes !!!)

afaik the trend for the official regcognition of car free day in ireland has been to spread it around to local areas... and have this mobility week... bring it schools etc... which meant virtually nothing happened in any of the major towns and cities especially when business men made cork cancel it... last year wasnt it....

only kilkenny with the gluaiseacht crew did anything inspiring last year ... the things ive been reading on the carbusters site is to use carfree day to start something regular rather then a token day , i believe they have this carfree thursday thingy?

which is probably where the the cc's dcc gcc etc come in in the pro bike kinda way

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Comments (9 of 9)