The Cyclists Who Bring Capital To Standstill

[PaulSB]

I've only watched the YouTube footage posted here earlier, from what I've seen the cyclists weren't benefitting cycling in general. I'm sure the CM does get support as well, however the organisers, if there are any, chose to post things on YouTube which do nothing to make me, as a committed cyclist, feel CM contributes positively to our cause.

I've googled outgroups and if the definition I found is correct - an outgroup is a social group towards which an individual feels contempt, opposition, or a desire to compete - I think it's a little over the top to feel this is how the majority see cyclists. Primarily drivers simply don't apprecaite our needs as road users. For me the biggest problem cyclists face on the road is a lack of courtesy by drivers. By this I mean the driver who has to push past within six inches of me, the one who turns right across my path, the one who overtakes and then turns immediatley left. These drivers would not treat other cars in this way - primarily becase of the risk of damage to their own vehicle - and need to be educated to the effect cyclists need as much room as any other vehicle. If motorists gave just a little more courtesy and time to a cyclist, which might cost the driver 20 - 30 seconds, the impact (sorry!) on the cyclist would be very significant.

 

[hackbike 666]

You might as well be talking about motorists who bring the centre of London to a standstill everyday, not a once a month...

The Sky report is partial, sensationalist shite.

That's called a traffic jam not critical mass.Im pretty sure it isn't deliberate.

 

[Origamist]

I've googled outgroups and if the definition I found is correct - an outgroup is a social group towards which an individual feels contempt, opposition, or a desire to compete - I think it's a little over the top to feel this is how the majority see cyclists. Primarily drivers simply don't apprecaite our needs as road users. For me the biggest problem cyclists face on the road is a lack of courtesy by drivers. By this I mean the driver who has to push past within six inches of me, the one who turns right across my path, the one who overtakes and then turns immediatley left. These drivers would not treat other cars in this way - primarily becase of the risk of damage to their own vehicle - and need to be educated to the effect cyclists need as much room as any other vehicle. If motorists gave just a little more courtesy and time to a cyclist, which might cost the driver 20 - 30 seconds, the impact (sorry!) on the cyclist would be very significant.

Paul, I'd recommend reading this report:

Drivers' perceptions of cyclists, Report, 549, TRL

If you sign up on the Transport Research Lab site, you can dowbload it for free. It makes for interesting reading.

 

[Origamist]

That's called a traffic jam not critical mass.Im pretty sure it isn't deliberate.

Yeah, right. People are accidentally getting into their cars and unintentionally causing av speeds of 10mph in London.

Congestion in our towns and cities causes huge problems - cyclists riding en masse, once a month for a couple of hours is not the real issue here.

 

[Lizban]

Yeah, right. People are accidentally getting into their cars and unintentionally causing av speeds of 10mph in London.

Congestion in our towns and cities causes huge problems - cyclists riding en masse, once a month for a couple of hours is not the real issue here.

Agree CM is a smaller issue that major grid lock BUT it is still an issue and for me it does the cyclists' cause no good.

However my understanding is that their focus isn't about promoting cycling per se more about problems with traffic. so it may be an effective protest

 

[mm101]

That's called a traffic jam not critical mass.Im pretty sure it isn't deliberate.

But it is deliberate. How can it not be? It is just that is seen as par for the course, acceptable - because we live in a car culture we just accept it. Far too many cars on the road that cause gridlock and knowing they are going to to be sitting in jams adding to the problem.

That said, I am not totally comfortable with cyclists causing gridlock either. I'm not sure whether CM is a good thing or a bad thing. I tend to believe you trap more flies with honey than vinegar. But then, people have a right to protest.

Don't the Cabbies have protests causing Central London to come to a standstill every so often when they think they're getting a raw deal? Is all about respecting one another and each other's views.

 

[scouserinlondon]

I quite fancy doing critical mass tbh. It starts round the corner from work.

 

[Graham O]

Yeah, right. People are accidentally getting into their cars and unintentionally causing av speeds of 10mph in London.

Congestion in our towns and cities causes huge problems - cyclists riding en masse, once a month for a couple of hours is not the real issue here.

People do not deliberately cause traffic jams. It is a result of too many people using cars, which they are legally allowed to do. Yes it causes huge problems and most agree that change needs to happen. CM is attempting to highlight the problem but I don't see them "doing" anything constructive about it. If those videos are typical, what they are doing is completely wrong. It alienates people, ignores the law, common sense and, judging from the response on here, does not represent the majority of cyclists.

 

[Graham O]

But it is deliberate.

"Deliberate" implies that car drivers act together and set out with the intention of causing a traffic jam. Jams are caused by the consequences of car drivers actions, not as part of a plan. Compare that with CM.

 

[Origamist]

People do not deliberately cause traffic jams. It is a result of too many people using cars, which they are legally allowed to do. Yes it causes huge problems and most agree that change needs to happen. CM is attempting to highlight the problem but I don't see them "doing" anything constructive about it. If those videos are typical, what they are doing is completely wrong. It alienates people, ignores the law, common sense and, judging from the response on here, does not represent the majority of cyclists.

People are making decisions that contribute to congested roads. No one is surprised when they get snarled up in a queue at 8.15 on a Monday morning.

People are legally allowed to attend CM - despite the Met's attempts to ban it.

Why on earth would you think those videos are typical! People cycling slowly does not make for very good TV. I remember one "incident" when a family got out of a car and started dancing in the street accompanied by loud drum and bass music.

If I were a cynic, I would suggest that the lack of police presence on more recent CMs is a deliberate tactic to foster bad behaviour on both sides.

 

[ianrauk]

One good reason not to do CM, oh yes and also becasue there are far too many hippys wearing weird woolly hats..

People are legally allowed to attend CM - despite the Met's attempts to ban it.

Why on earth would you think those videos are typical! People cycling slowly does not make for very good TV. I remember one "incident" when a family got out of a car and started dancing in the street accompanied by loud drum and bass music.

If I was being cynical I would suggest that the lack of police presence on more recent CMs is a deliberate tactic to foster bad behaviour on both sides.

 

[Bollo]

CM presses an awful lot of issue buttons, from car-centric transport policies and green issues through the freedom to protest to a generally pro-car and anti-cyclist press to cyclist behaviour in the capital. All very difficult to disentangle.

So what is CM trying to achieve? A quick look on the CM website says it has no identified aims. I think this statement is disingenuous and I'm guessing it's there to maintain CM's "commonly or customarily held procession" status. If its a celebration of London's cycling revolution, then I'm very worried. Revolutions rarely deliver what they promise. Instead, the new ruling elite behave as badly or worse than those they've deposed.

It seems to me that London's cycling movement is growing up mean, confrontational, cliquey and dumb. I honestly can't see how CM is bringing forward the day when the UK has the same grown-up attitude to cycling as you'll find now in the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Germany, Sweden etc...

 

[Origamist]

As someone who became disenchanted with CM a couple of years ago, I'd agree with some of what you say. However, CM often has a more carnival feel than the Sky news report suggests - it's often friendly, fun and well supported en route.

The UK has a critical mass, because it needs one and people want one. When the cycling modal share in this country soars to 10%, I hope it will be redundant...

Cycling in the UK has developed some green roots of recovery (that's me in Peston mode), but it's hardly a velorution.

The characterisation of the London cyclist movement as mean etc is not one I recognise.

 

[Bollo]

The characterisation of the London cyclist movement as mean etc is not one I recognise.

Sorry 'bout that. I meant movement with a small 'm' meaning London cyclists in the round, rather than the organisations like the LCC, that represent cycling in London. No offence ever intended in that direction.

With that clarification, I'd stand by the 'mean'. I can't think of anywhere where I've encountered so much impatience, intolerance and ignorance directed towards cyclists from other cyclists. I've heard the argument that this attitude is more about London than about cycling and I think there's a degree of truth in that. But it don't make it pleasant.

In many ways my dislike of CM comes from a frustration that something as simple as a personal means of transport has become so politicised and divisive. Naive I know in a country where lightbulbs can create full-page headlines.

 

[PaulSB]

Paul, I'd recommend reading this report:

Drivers' perceptions of cyclists, Report, 549, TRL

If you sign up on the Transport Research Lab site, you can dowbload it for free. It makes for interesting reading.

Can you provide a link because I've tried to search the TRL site and not been able to find it?