Critical Mass is a monthly bikeride observed in
hundreds of cities around the world. In Seattle
it convenes on the last Friday of the month at
Westlake Center 5:30 pm. I've had good and bad
experiences with Mass which I wrote about in
Carbusters in 2003. My main problem with it
then was a few self-styled radicals were using
the ride as a platform to confront and enrage
drivers instead of reaching out to them. I'm glad
to say tonight's ride was so much better. There
were hundreds of riders and everyone seemed
to keep a level head simply out there enjoying
the cold dry night as a column of 300-500 bikes
looped slowly round and round downtown. The
one tense incident I saw involved the driver of
this car who intentionally bumped a cyclist at
an intersection. Driving makes people crazy.