Herewith is my tardy description of the last Critical Mass Ride:
Met at the NW corner, 4th and Ash, in downtown. About 17 people showed up total. Most of them were newcomers. Good, I thought. In fact, great! Walter McManus chose the route, which we followed only part way. Although a newcomer to Critical Mass, he knows downtown quite well. He agreed to take the lead, and I agreed to take up the rear. I gave my little spiel about Critical Mass, we dawdled with our posters, and finally headed out about 5:50 PM.
Proceeding down 4th, we headed towards Harbor Drive. Just then I KNEW something was wrong! Most people were riding single file on the sidewalk or jammed up against the parked car doors! No, emphatically no! We are not pedestrians, folks! Please! So I abandoned my position in the rear and shepherded our group back into the proper traffic lanes. Oops! I guess I needed to explain the precise mechanics of the ride a little better! My mistake, sorry folks!
As we biked through the Convention Center area and Seaport Village, ennui set in. Where are all the people, where are all the cars?, went the refrain. With all due respect, Walter, these crucial elements were missing from that part of your route! Critical Mass is not just a pleasant bike ride, it's a social movement. You can't have a social movement without public visibility!
As we got back onto Harbor Drive, someone suggested we head to the airport just up the road. Airport? Why not!? So the whole group spontaneously decided to cruise around the airport for awhile, then head back to downtown. We visited the East Terminal, then the West Terminal. The airport could be a great place for Critical Mass -- when it's busy. Interestingly, at around 6:30PM on Friday, June 26, 1998, the airport was dead. Dead as a doornail. I mean, I've visited Lindbergh Field innumerable times while I've lived in San Diego, and I've never seen it so DEAD! So much for the airport. At least the novelty of biking around the airport was kind of fun -- how often do you do that?
Turning left on Grape, we retook the original route. But, as we passed Columbia, where we were due to turn right, I suggested we continue to Front (I knew Front was a busy, north-south street, didn't know if Columbia was, and didn't want to take chances.) So based on this counsel, most of us decided to continue to Front, and take it south to Broadway.
Fatal mistake. That's where I should have listened to Walter, the old downtown hand. Front isn't a through street north of I-5: It hits the impenetrable gauntlet of I-5 and stops dead in it's tracks. Caltranzuma's Revenge! I should have known.
So, crestfallen, we continued up Grape, which by this time had become a precipitous hill, in the style of San Francisco. Oy vey! Sorry folks!
It was downhill, both literally and figuratively, I'm afraid, from there on out. By the time we got back on track, our group had dwindled to practically nil. Between ennui, disorganization, and frustration, the ride ended with a whimper, not a bang.
Oh well, there is always the next ride.
Which reminds me: Would anyone like to help make or buy T-shirts for future Critical Mass rides? Everyone seemed enthusiastic about wearing T-shirts instead of signs. Walter, are you still enthused about this idea?
Also, people have already told me they don't like having to go up the hill to Hillcrest.
So, we ought to keep the ride in downtown on flat ground. Trouble is, I still don't know downtown for sh@!t.
Here's a tentative idea, which will rapidly become official if neither I nor anyone else can come up with something better:
Staging area: Meet at NW corner of Ash and 4th, 5:30PM. There is a large parking lot here that could be used by those arriving by car.
Route: W on Ash to Front. South on Front to Broadway. East on Broadway past Horton Plaza. And then? Well, I'm not sure, maybe cruise around the Gaslamp quarter, making it up as we go (as always, keep together folks!)
Victory party: I don't know! What's good in downtown, not too expensive, and that will reserve tables for a couple dozen people a week in advance?
Right now, I'm going to say that meeting at the staging area and time above is definite (in fact, I've submitted a listing with the San Diego Reader with this time and place).
See the picture below for staging area and incomplete route:
We started our ride at about 4:30 PM, complete with our spiffy signs secured with bungee cords (it works!).
We rode along to a friendly reception until we got to
the 7-11 on La Jolla Blvd a little north of Bird Rock. There, as
someone yelled "Bikes have the same rights!", a cop parked in the lot of
the 7-11 across the street got out his bullhorn and yelled, "You don't
have the same rights! Now get over or I'll cite you!" We continued apace
when we saw that he actually had no intention of pursuing us (maybe he
was too busy finishing his slurpy to intercept us wrongdoers?!) Obviously,
he didn't seem to attach much importance to us, so
we assumed he was just playing games with us (particularly
in light of his patently false and inciteful statement!).
We merrily proceeded with our placards and occasional gleeful slogans for passersby, for a few more miles til we got to Garnet and Mission Blvd in Pacific Beach. We smoothly merged left, and as we were making our turn onto Garnet, observed that there were several police officers waiting for us. What an honor for them to take such interest in our merry band, I thought!
The officer who stopped and spoke to us was a friendly
and charming gentleman with a heavy East Coast accent (he was friendly
and charming, I say that without any hint of sarcasm!) He started out by
saying that he had complaints about our "antics," and he emphasized the
word "antics," and that we were blocking the traffic of the good citizens
of La Jolla and PB. I said, "But officer, we're not blocking traffic, we
ARE traffic!," in the by-now-famous Critical Mass refrain. He immediately
said "Yes, absolutely, you are traffic!
And you have just as much right to use the road as anyone
else! In fact, I myself have a beautiful old classic Peugeot in my garage
at home, and enjoy taking it out for a spin myself once in a while. I have
nothing against the rights of cyclists." But, he insisted that we must
ride single-file or he would be forced to cite us for blocking traffic.
We assented but I pointed out that if we all rode single file taking the
lane where necessary on the many narrow stretches of busy Garnet, we would
only impede traffic more. He didn't care.
So we did as the officer said, and as it turned out, many cars passed us unsafely because the riders were rather cowed by the officers, I'm sad to say. I myself nearly got sideswiped by a vehicle passing too close to my left. So I immediately took the full lane even with other officers following us close behind. Upon seeing this, one motorcycle cop pulled up alongside me and growled, "Just what was it about what that officer said that you didn't understand?" in a menacing tone. I responded, "Nothing, officer! It's just that it's not safe for me to share this lane with cars! Cars are passing me too close, and it even says in the California driver's handbook that bikes may properly take the full lane to prevent cars from attempting to share a too-narrow lane or passing at an unsafe distance." At this, he gave up and rode off.
Although we handled the situation well, it still took
the wind out of our sails and dampened the group's enthusiasm. There was
noticeable silence along the rest of the way down Garnet, compared to our
previous merry making. We got a few nice pictures, though, of the group
en route, and the officer with the East Coast accent even
agreed to pose for one! All will be added to the photo
album shortly (I hope they turn out well.)
(http://www.subrosa.org/CM/ridepix.html)
When we got to the end of our course at Garnet and East Mission Bay Drive, the group was only slightly discouraged but not defeated. Everyone expressed interest in coming to future rides. I suggested that our next ride start in downtown and end up in Hillcrest, and we reserve tables at Corvette's diner for a victory party afterwards. There was enthusiastic agreement.
So, it's decided! Next ride will start somewhere in downtown
San Diego, and end in Hillcrest for a victory party at Corvette's diner!
Anyone wanna help scout out good routes for the ride, and help make reservations
at Corvette's? Also, what time should we start? I propose 5:30 PM.
The meeting place will be at the Old Student Center at UCSD. We will meet in Conference Room 1, above the Grove Café. Thanks to the Muir Environmental Corps for helping us get this space!
Here are some points I'd like to put on the agenda:
This is a great way to attract the attention of
the biking public; but
requires some work and followup with the bike
shops in question.
Does anyone want to add anything else? Send it to the list!
BTW: I put "organizational" in quotes because, as we all
know, Critical Mass has no organizers -- or rather, every participant is
one of the organizers! (Some of us just participate more often and more
vocally than others.)
Meet at the intersection of Prospect and Torrey Pines Road in La Jolla (the bold dot denoted "Start" in the picture). Proceed W on Prospect to Girard. Proceed S on Girard to Pearl. Proceed W on Pearl to La Jolla Blvd. Proceed S on La Jolla Blvd till it merges with Mission Blvd. Continue on Mission south to Garnet Ave. in PB. Turn left on Garnet, and proceed E to E. Mission Bay Drive. The other bold dot signifies the end point.
Advantages of this route:
Any comments on this route, or alternatives? Please send them to the list!
Proposed new ride course (bold; dots denote start and
end points)
The reason for the changeover is that, during the winter months, meeting earlier allows us to take better advantage of the daylight. But with the advent of spring, we can revert to the traditional schedule again.
-- Guy Berliner