Critical Mass: Douchebag of the Month - March 2011

**Snake Plissken** · Posted On: 4/09/2011 3:51pm

Originally Posted by peeowee

But maybe, just maybe, for people that do get nearly mowed down on a regular basis a post that makes fun of people getting ran over for whatever reason is as highly charged?

In any case, how does my poor choice of analogy make it OK to laugh about that tragic incident again?

They don't get run down on a regular basis.
It was, essentially, an isolated incident.

**It is Fake** · Posted On: 4/09/2011 3:56pm

Originally Posted by peeowee

It is Fake: I appreciate your command of the english language, which happens to not be my native one.

That's fine. I appreciate that condescension occurs in two languages.

Much faster than I can pick up on my own posts and edit them.

So, you feel insulting people is better than your original post? Interesting.
See that go advanced button? You can use that before you post.

I don't appreciate what you'd think is OK laugh at though,

My opinion is none of your concern. You have some posts on this website I don't appreciate. Then again who cares? I'm not here to follow your idead of what is appropriate or funny.

at least not in this case.

What case? Have you read the thread?

**peeowee** · Posted On: 4/09/2011 4:15pm

Originally Posted by Snake Plissken

They don't get run down on a regular basis.
It was, essentially, an isolated incident.

People that cycle a lot could tell a myriad of stories about people purposefully trying to "teach them a lesson" for being on the road and making their commute 20 seconds longer, if that, and putting their lives in danger.

There are quite a few fatalities every year just in London.
Amongst them servicemen and martial artists like Boxer Gary Mason.

http://www.uxbridgegazette.co.uk/wes...3046-28320413/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-12135980

So no, cyclists getting mowed down is not an isolated incident.
To get an idea of how regularly this occurs check the page below:

http://www.lfgss.com/forum40.html

At least to me it's a topic that is highly charged.

**peeowee** · Posted On: 4/09/2011 4:23pm

Originally Posted by It is Fake

So, you feel insulting people is better than your original post? Interesting.

Yep. Anyone who laughs about that Video deserves it.

Originally Posted by It is Fake

What case? Have you read the thread?

Your last example, funerals and all that. Still not funny.

**It is Fake** · Posted On: 4/09/2011 4:27pm

I see what's going on now. You are tying it all into one huge argument. Snake is not talking about, or laughing for that matter, at the point of cyclist safety. What you posted are singular events not an organized protests which led to cyclists getting ran over, on purpose, by a motorist.

Your last example, funerals and all that. Still not funny.

That's fine and I bet you have no clue what I am talking about anyway.

Yep. Anyone who laughs about that Video deserves it.

Anyone that lumps everyone together deserves it as well.

**Ming Loyalist** · Posted On: 4/09/2011 4:30pm

Originally Posted by peeowee

I cycle in London every day. It's not to just **** about but my main means of transport. I do pretty much everything by the book, no red light jumping and none of that ****.

There are hardly any bike lanes in London, and if, they're painted on the road and never get respected.

Anyway, the amount of times I have to slam on the brakes because people feel inclined to overtake just to turn into a street right afterwards, throw cigarettes at me out of open windows or pass me by 1 inch and clip me with their mirror or stuff like that is so high that I stopped counting or even getting much more annoyed than muttering "**** off".

Best of all is people that get out of their car at a red light and start wanting to fight you for "being in their way" ... because I am inconveniencing them by being in the lane I am supposed to be in.

I can understand that others get annoyed and form something like Critical Mass.

this is what you are all missing. the reason that cyclists started critical mass in the first place.

is critical mass a constructive way to attack the problem of drivers who kill a horrifying number of *law abiding* cyclists on the streets of NYC every year? probably not. however, is it a reaction against a real problem? yes.

of course there are douchebag cyclists who run red lights and are a danger to themselves and others. are *all* cyclists like that? no.

there *are* drivers out there who actually go after cyclists and run them off the road with a 2 ton car. pretty brave, buddy, but in my book, that's attempted murder and the cyclist should be able to pull out a handgun and splatter said driver's brains all over their side window.

we have a bunch of drivers who are angry at all cyclists for the actions of a few, and a bunch of angry cyclists who are angry at all drivers for the actions of a few. plus here in nyc we have those fucking cab drivers who are the most serious menace on the road.

getting real bike lanes that drivers respect would be a start, but i don't know what the answer is.

**It is Fake** · Posted On: 4/09/2011 4:33pm

Originally Posted by Ming Loyalist

this is what you are all missing. the reason that cyclists started critical mass in the first place.

I'm not missing anything. I am all for bicycle and motorcycle safety and know why it was founded..

I have neither laughed at the incident nor said that they are wrong for protesting. I said trying to equate a protest with someone getting killed in a war is not the same.

**peeowee** · Posted On: 4/09/2011 4:43pm

IIF:

So, I am lumping together everyone that laughs at snuff videos and doubt their intelligence. And that makes me a stupid?

I also tried to point out how this particular piece of snuff is highly charged to me and others. I have already explained that I didn't want to say both incidents are qualitatively equal, and next time will try to chose my words more carefully.

If that leaves you aggravated that ain't my problem, but what the hell, as you said I don't have to like everything you post and vice versa.

As for the funeral biz:
We have those nutcases here in the UK as well. I do know what you mean. Distasteful and disgraceful no doubt, and they are WEIRDOS, I agree with you on that for sure.
But I stand by my point that a video of killing them would still not be funny. It'd be snuff, and snuff ain't funny.

**DAYoung** · Posted On: 4/09/2011 4:55pm

My two cents...

This is partly a problem with the built environment. A lot of the time, it's not designed for cars and bikes.

Most bike riders and drivers are law abiding and sensible, and are hampered by poor infrastructure. The road's just not built for both. This can be dangerous and frustrating, but it's not necessarily the fault of road users. They try to accomodate one another, but the roads suck, and it's stressful and annoying.

But the few in each camp that are assholes make the situation worse, by taking out their frustrations on one another. This will not make things better for anyone.

To my mind, a successful protest movement will enrol car drivers into the cyclist's cause, with the aim of persuading the relevant governments to make serious changes to the built environment. It will not just be about asserting power in numbers, and royally pissing off drivers (who might also be cyclists any other day). This just results in a stalemate or stand-off, which will accomplish nothing but the stroking of egos pretending to be warriors in a righteous cause.

**peeowee** · Posted On: 4/09/2011 4:55pm

Originally Posted by It is Fake

What you posted are singular events not an organized protests which led to cyclists getting ran over, on purpose, by a motorist.

Just to make this clear: What I tried to say is that if you cycle a lot chances are that the frequency of those "singular events" make the topic of cycling related fatalities an emotionally charged one.