Although we have not finished watching “We Are Traffic,” I found the documentary very interesting. My initial reaction was: what is a Critical Mass??? I could not figure out exactly the purpose of hundreds of people riding their bike through the city. As the film progressed, I realized how unique their “protest” was because there was not one sole purpose. Honestly now that I don’t have a car to drive and I walk everywhere or ride public transportation, I feel all around more relaxed and enjoy the journey to my destination. I know that might seem cheesy, but it’s true. It’s so much more fun walking with friends and socializing on the E-bus late at night, (especially when you are the only sober person). Anyway, every time I go back home and have to drive everywhere, I notice that I get aggressive and stressed when I travel in heavy traffic and when I reach my destination I tend to feel anxious or annoyed. I can relate to the people that are part of the Critical Mass that say they like riding their bikes because they feel like they are part of a community. Some of the people in group viewed the Critical Mass as a means to take back public space and make it more personal enjoyable.
It seems like it would be enjoyable to be a part of something so big and spontaneous. I think the lack of organization makes the “celebration” as they call it, so much more pleasant. The group for the most part functions as a mass of individuals each with their own personal motivation for riding but they are all working together in a spirit of good will. I mean they use humor to keep the atmosphere light. I especially liked the signs that said “honk if you like bikes.” I think that group as a whole was successful because they were able to gain such large numbers, mainly because anyone was invited to join. Once people joined they were given the individual freedom to use the rides to spread their own message, mainly through the use of flyers and signs. I think that is only central theme, the fact that Critical Mass supports individuality and creativity through using alternate transportation.
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3 comments:
Christa, your answer shows both that the group welcomes people with a lot of different ideas but also manages to convey a sense of unity. The question that comes to my mind (which I posed on Lucy's page as well) is: Is there one singular claim that comes from the mass of riders? Or is the ride apolitical once all these competing reasons for riding come together in a group?
I think the sign part was funny as well, and it also helped relieve the tension between the cyclists and the people in the car. I think an event like Critical Mass would indeed be more enjoyable than driving to some destination alone. After all, people are meant to socialize, otherwise everyone would go nuts in isolation (pardon my language).
I like that you brought up the idea of community. No matter where the individuals live, work, or what they hold as beliefs - they all ride bikes. Even if it is only for the Critical Mass event, they are all unified for that time simply because they are all equally participating.
To refer to Erin's question... I think that Critical Mass does have a singular claim that riding your bicycle is worthwhile. The reasons as to why may all be different, but they can all agree that it is worth the experience.
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