Critical Mass 
San Diego
"Those who ride in Critical Mass are participating in a form of street
theater that is nothing less than an ecological revolution"
- Paul Krassner
Critical Mass has spread around the globe. Starting off in San Francisco
in 1992, CM fever has taken a roundabout journey from London to Rio de
Janeiro and hundreds of cities in between, finally finding its way back
here to California's second largest city, San Diego. What is it, why is
it, where is it, and why is it spreading like wildfire?
Yelling "Theater!" in a Crowded Fire
It can be depressing to contemplate myriad problems like pollution, urban
blight, driveby shootings. Where do you start correcting them? Thinking
too much about these things tends to induce hopelessness which leads to
paralysis. The best antidote is action! Imagine cities with peaceful, treelined
streets filled with bicycles and pedestrians. Critical Massers have. Critical
Mass is a "(dis)organized (semi-coordinated) coincidence," a big group
(the more the better) of cyclists who all ride together, leaving too little
room for cars to ride in their midst. The Critical Mass thus creates a
"bikesafe" zone everywhere along its route. Bicyclists met in passing are
encouraged to join in. Critical Mass has been described variously as "street
theater," "political protest," "bicyclist revolution," "a fun afternoon
with your friends." But what does this have to do with pollution and urban
blight?
Graphic credit Pasha Sadri <pasha@ucsd.edu>
Apocalyptic Factoids
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Automobile effluents are the single biggest source of toxic water pollution
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Internal combustion engines are the single biggest source of urban air
pollution (in most big cities they account for the overwhelming majority)
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Many big cities like Los Angeles devote upwards of 60% of their surface
area to automobiles (including roadways, parking, etc).
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Vast swathes of our once fair land have been turned into barren moonscapes,
largely devoid of non-human life outside the occasional weedy, vacant lot
or patch of sculpted decorative greenery.
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Many people can't afford to live in the little space left for human beings
in our cities. The lack of affordable housing and the emphasis on the Single
Occupant Vehicle leaves many people living so far from their work they
haveto drive
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General Motors' budget exceeds that of Belgium.
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Each year the automotive industry spends more on mass media automobile
propaganda than the budgets of dozens of Third World countries combined.
It all adds up to a Blade Runner- or Soylent Green- like
world, a nightmarish juggernaut that seems to be sweeping us along with
an unstoppable momentum. It's absolutely insane, yet people are remarkably
adept at getting used to just about anything, no matter how appalling.
Many people, probably most people, complain, but few do anything about
it.
What Difference Does "Critically Massing" Make?
A lot!
The need for participation
The first step towards change is admitting the necessity and the possibility
of it. The single biggest obstacle is the sense of utter passivity induced
by the mass media, consumer society, which leads people to assume they
are powerless and insignificant. Simply by physically extricating yourself
from a car, even if only one day a month, even if only for Critical Mass,
you are making a powerful, noteworthy statement. Are you sick of ever more
congestion, ever more pollution, ever fewer places for kids to play safely?
Then join Critical Mass! Do you want to meet like-minded people? Then join
Critical Mass! Do you want to exercise the limbs that God gave you? Then
join Critical Mass!
Sitting around complaining is depressing and boring. But bicycling in
Critical Mass is fun! Bored complainers sitting around in cars don't exercise
influence in our democracy. People who make their voices heard do!
The need to "make a scene"
To quote the Critcal
Mass Times quoting Frederick Douglas, "Power concedes nothing without
a demand. It never did and it never will." To change the gloomy state of
affairs that has been described will require revolutionary change. Such
change does not occur without standard bearers to demonstrate massive support.
Making "nice, nice" will not undo the fact that General Motors and friends,
with their billions, have their hands on the levers of the means of persuasion.
Only by large numbers of ordinary citizens speaking out strongly against
the rapacious blight spread by the unopposed dictatorship of the automobile
will matters be improved. And the easiest group of people to motivate to
bear this standard should be cyclists. Cyclists know firsthand how much
their mobility and safety is impeded by automobiles. They also know how
effective bicycling can be as transportation. They almost all share a constellation
of common concerns and problems. And together they can set a provocative
example to their fellow citizens of the alternatives available in place
of the "God on Four Wheels."
Where is it?
Everywhere! People in cities all over the world face similar problems.
In many countries, people are alarmed by
the menace of automotive hegemony. Across the world, the Powers That Be
have decided that the Reign of the Almighty Automobile is upon us, much
to the misfortune of rickshaw drivers in Bombay, asthmatic children in
Mexico City, ancient monuments in Athens and Rome, and cyclists everywhere.
But they're not all taking it lying down! Here
is a great link pointing to Critical Mass Rides worldwide.
Here in San Diego, we are in the early stages of what we hope will eventually
become one of the great Critical Mass Rides. San Diego, with its great
weather, many good bike paths, and many enthusiastic riders, is an almost
ideal place to promote bicycle transportation.
We meet during the summer months on the "traditional" Critical Mass
day: last Friday of each month. Times have varied, but starting in June
they will be 5:30 or later.
Starting in June, riders will meet at 5:30 PM at the NW corner of Ash
and Fourth in downtown. (This location is subject to change, and is only
valid for the June 26 and July 31 rides!) Dates of upcoming rides are:
December 27, 1997
January 31, 1998
February 28, 1998
March 28, 1998
April 24, 1998
May 29, 1998
June 26, 1998
July 31, 1998
August 28, 1998
Here's a map showing a tentative route for the June ride, suggested
by Walter McManus <colmacwi@pacbell.net>:
Here's another map showing a tentative (and incomplete) route for the
June ride:
How can I help?
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Here, take this flyer. Make appropriate
changes if necessary. Run off a bunch. Put them anywhere you think potential
participants will see them and be motivated to come
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If you live in San Diego, consider joining our mailing
list. Enter your name and email address in the appropriate boxes below
and push the "Submit" button. This is especially useful if you want
to do things that require coordination among many people.
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Come along on rides, of course.
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Help pass out "User Manuals" like this to
participants, onlookers, and the occasional disgruntled motorist to help
explain what's up. May prove helpful for building understanding and support.
San Diego Specifics
Many people in San Diego still haven't heard of Critical Mass, unlike our
more famous cousins to the north. We have a lot of work to do to get the
word out. Here are some useful materials that have been prepared for use
in San Diego:
Flyer by Daniel Patterson
Flyer by Pasha Sadri
"User Manual" by Guy Berliner
Pictures from previous rides (or, "Look, Mom,
I'm on the web!")
Join the list
We have a mailing list dedicated to coordinating Critical Mass in San Diego.
Hopefully this will help with the challenge of getting more people involved
and working systematically to spread the word. Efforts that are needed
include maintaining web sites, a phone line with prerecorded message, designing
posters, flyers, and other artwork, and distributing them around the city.
You can join the mailing list by sending mail to majordomo@subrosa.org
with no subject and the single line "subscribe cmsd" in the body. Or you
can use the easy form below.
In case you need to unsubscribe, here's a form for that:
Other relevant links
Critical Mass Far and Wide (Critical Mass Hub)
Another CM San Diego
page (with nice synopses of each ride)
San Diego Bicycling Coalition
Self-Propelled
City
Fascinating
findings by Ivan Illich on motorized transportation
Pollution
kills thousands; One victim's story
My own letter addressing some concerns about San
Diego Critical Mass
"Effective Cycling" vs. Critical Mass
My letter rebutting unfavorable press
coverage in the San Diego Reader, a local newspaper
Comments, Questions, Suggestions:
<webmaster@subrosa.org>
